The better question is why would you continue to focus on the 800/1500 if you don't run for a college team (and aren't good enough to run professionally)? It's like you are refusing to grow up and realize those days are over.
Why is that refusing to grow up? Are you supposed to be fat and slow and dedicated to half marathons?
Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.
How can I explain this better next time?
See, this is what you get for going back in to the office. If you were doing your job remotely, you would never have this interaction.
I don’t know why, but something about this thread read in a very 2023-esque way, and I didn’t realize until at least late page 2
Because Jamin hasn't changed, matured, or evolved for the better in seven years. That's the sad truth of all this. He has a new address and less hair, but his attitudes and every other aspect of his life appear to have stagnated.
Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.
How can I explain this better next time?
See, this is what you get for going back in to the office. If you were doing your job remotely, you would never have this interaction.
Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.
How can I explain this better next time?
Why don't you give them the most obvious explanation? That you profoundly fear and thus go to great lengths to avoid real confrontation.
the proper and only response to their banter is talk up your training routine and upcoming meet. they say come run stupid mileage and shuffle some concrete. you invite them to run your training like a real man and compete at blah blah meet. your lack of knowing this response in your bones suggests it is just a matter of time before you go to the dark side.