If you are a man who runs 29+ or a woman who runs 34+ at US Outdoor Nationals…

We've all got hobbies, I suppose. My beef is more to the point of getting the eff out of the way if you're being lapped and are a said 29+/34+.

Hot takes & clickbait wrote:

… and you aren't still in college, why are you still racing on the track? You can't be proud, you can't feel cool. Is this really worth it to you to continue this way and not be advancing a career that better benefits your future as well as society? If nothing else, you'd be making way more bank sticking to the roads. Can this be considered anything other than simply masochistic?

I know this seems mean but that's not the intent at all, it's just really puzzling to fans. I'd be happy to hear from folks like this and be enlightened as to the intangibles I'm overlooking, I know there are some who finish 1Xth who read these boards.

How does your career benefit society?

Why are you confused by the fact that people who qualify for national championship races elect to run in those races? Why shouldn't they run?

They qualified. They ran. I don’t know why you have your panties in a twist about it.

It's almost like they think running is fun and rewarding or something! IDIOTS!!!!

They accomplished something by qualifying for USATF outdoors, which is something to be proud of, IMO. Serious question, OP, can you run a sub-29/sub-34? My guess is probably not. ?‍♀️

If everyone stopped at 29 nobody would make it to 28/27/26

Common cents wrote:

We've all got hobbies, I suppose. My beef is more to the point of getting the eff out of the way if you're being lapped and are a said 29+/34+.

If they're going to make the field that big, people should get pulled when the leaders lap them twice, if not when the leaders lap them the first time. This is a pro level national championship, not a D2 conference meet.

Hot takes & clickbait wrote:

… and you aren't still in college, why are you still racing on the track? You can't be proud, you can't feel cool. Is this really worth it to you to continue this way and not be advancing a career that better benefits your future as well as society? If nothing else, you'd be making way more bank sticking to the roads. Can this be considered anything other than simply masochistic?

I know this seems mean but that's not the intent at all, it's just really puzzling to fans. I'd be happy to hear from folks like this and be enlightened as to the intangibles I'm overlooking, I know there are some who finish 1Xth who read these boards.

Meanwhile you're a middle manager of a grocery store and running 22:00 charity 5ks, right?

Unless you can win it at the world class level, you need to move up to MUT.

Devil Dog wrote:

Meanwhile you're a middle manager of a grocery store and running 22:00 charity 5ks, right?

Hey, punk, his middle manager job BENEFITS SOCIETY. We should all be thanking him for the inestimable value he provides the world by ensuring that the cashiers at the local Aldis aren't taking too long on their cigarette breaks.

Meanwhile the OP is probably picking only the road races where he can finish 1st in his age division because to run a better race and finish 5th is embarrassing right?

I really have never understood the guys who put off getting a real job to run 13:40 or 28:30. You don’t have to work in a running store and delay getting a big boy job to run those times. I’m not that good by any stretch of the imagination, but i nearly broke 2:20 with a full time job. Almost every Olympic marathon trials qualifier is a normal guy with a real job. Hell - you’d probably run better just because there’s no mental stress of being broke and your diet would be wayyyy better as well.

Snowflake Elite wrote:

Common cents wrote:

We've all got hobbies, I suppose. My beef is more to the point of getting the eff out of the way if you're being lapped and are a said 29+/34+.

If they're going to make the field that big, people should get pulled when the leaders lap them twice, if not when the leaders lap them the first time. This is a pro level national championship, not a D2 conference meet.

I wish they’d have done that at 16” Olympics during the women’s 10k.

Get a job and run wrote:

I really have never understood the guys who put off getting a real job to run 13:40 or 28:30. You don’t have to work in a running store and delay getting a big boy job to run those times. I’m not that good by any stretch of the imagination, but i nearly broke 2:20 with a full time job. Almost every Olympic marathon trials qualifier is a normal guy with a real job. Hell - you’d probably run better just because there’s no mental stress of being broke and your diet would be wayyyy better as well.

13:40 guys are a couple notches better than a 2:20 guy. I totally understand a 22-25 year old taking a couple .of years to see if they can go from being a 13:40 to a 13:15 guy. Or from a 2:15 guy to a 2:10. Obviously the odds are stacked against improvements like that but they do happen. See WeJo. Now granted even with those type of improvements, you aren't exactly going to be a world beater but there is a lot to be said for living your dreams. Most real jobs aren't someones dream:)

OP have you never known what it is like to dream? Some of these guys have a dream and life may never be quite the same when they let go of it. They are in the arena. Maybe you do know what that is like?

Why do you assume they are putting off a job or career? I have a decent career that allows me to work from home. I could be running 100 mile weeks during the time some people spend commuting to a job.

They should all move up to ultras so they can post on social media that they're doing a 50 miler and their relatives and friends who know nothing about running will call them rock stars because they're not running JUST 10k anymore!!

my 2c wrote:

Why are you confused by the fact that people who qualify for national championship races elect to run in those races? Why shouldn't they run?

+1