I’m a runner. That may make me seem like a bit of a contradiction at times, sarcastic mostly all of the time, an unrealistic dreamer in some instances, accredited insane by the mass majority. I’m okay with that, like I said, I’m a runner.
I don’t like monotony per-se, I guess I just really, really like doing the same, repetitive action again and again and again. I may also just have an affinity for turning left again and again too.
Come-back stories are the best in our sport. Rooting for the underdog and stories where runners have to go through years of turmoil, injuries, set-backs, criticisms and the like just for the chance to get that moment of saying, “I told you so!” Sometimes they never get that final moment, sometimes they do, but regardless, on some level they do inspire the rest of us to keep chasing after our own goals…keep on doing this running thing regardless of the outcome.
No, I’m not ‘lucky’ to have legs like these, be a slim person and be able to eat you under the table. Where were you when I was running 10 miles this morning? That’s what I thought.
I’m not lazy. I may circle the lot for the closest parking spot and not feel guilty taking a mid-day nap either, but I make up for it. I’m a lazy, runner…there is a difference.
It’s not that I discount your complaints, I’m sure that hurts, it’s just that in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “Okay, they aren’t a runner, I am, I’m sure my pain tolerance is a lot higher…so really, will they just suck it up already and stop complaining, it can’t be that bad.”
Don’t tell me, “Just skip your workout if you’re tired,” when I complain that I’m tired what I’m really asking for is the kick in the butt to get out the door…some tough love. I know that I want to go for a run, it’s just a weak moment and my venting is more like a little Bat-signal to other runners to help me do the ‘right’ thing.
It’s not that I feel entitled or like I’m better than anyone else, I do see the gym sign that reads “20 minute limit on cardio equipment”…it’s just that I think I deserve the treadmill more than Patty Plodder over there. Sorry, just saying.
I used to think social media and Facebook was kinda kooky…but now I’m sucked in. Is it weird that the vast majority of my ‘friends’ are runners. A large number of those are runners I’ve never actually physically met, even in other countries. Going further, is it strange that I seem to know more about them, their last major race/workout, when to wish them luck for their next race, and relevant injuries they have? But somehow I missed that my neighbor must have been pregnant for nine months?
Sometimes I fall into the trap of being competitive just for the sake of being competitive. The random guy I approach running on the sidewalk won’t let me pass. I turned my easy day into a run where the mission is to just dust this dude. Who says chicks aren’t competitive?
I read what celebs’ workouts are and I sort of laugh. I’m sorry, gentle stretching or Mariah doing her water-aerobics doesn’t really count, does it? Is my perception of working out a little skewed? Maybe…but I’m okay with that.
“Don’t talk to strangers.” But if I find out said stranger is a runner, in an instant I feel like they are a friend and we can engage in conversation. If I get thrown into the back of a van and am never seen again, to my credit, the stranger was another runner and I thought I could trust them.
1) If you’re a runner, what’s something you’d like to add to this list?
2) What has someone who isn’t a worker-outer/runner said to you that left you annoyed, peeved, or anything similar?
The most annoying is really just the same person asking time and time again to help them get fit; you keep offering advice but to no avail. It comes down to lack of self-motivation and this person really will never be putting anything you say to use.
3) Do you ever vent to a person, on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else stating that you’re not feeling like you want to run and are asking for motivation from others to get you out the door? If you do, does what others say help?
Sometimes I find myself humming and hawing and complaining about being tired, but like you, I just need that kick in the pants. It’s definitely runner code for “help me get out the door already.”
I’ve gotten totally sucked into the social media scene, too. I just started a Facebook page … Something I’ve managed to avoid all these years.
…I always have imaginary races with random runners during my work outs. If I’m lucky enough to pass them I usually thank them for inspiring me to go faster 🙂
Barbara
My Running Shortz
uh-oh…watch out, FB is a tricky little bugger, it’s the black hole time vortex!! 😉
I definitely think people have different pain levels and ‘tiredness’ levels depending on whether they’re involved in regular exercise / training / sport or not. I guess that does train you in a stamina sense in a broader sense than just the activity you’re training for!
Also, I think your feeds into Google Reader just got fixed, which is really helpful 🙂
thank goodness…yaya i’m glad u are able to see my posts in Google reader! 🙂 thanks for stopping by and glad my posts are no longer getting eaten in cyberspace…lol.
uhhh yeah we NEED to be real-life friends!! Someday it’ll happen, we’ll go for a run and refuel with some cake, it’ll be great. 😀 I’m so glad I’m not the only one who is a little….oh gosh I can’t even think of the right word for it….yeah sometimes I think I’m better than people because I’m a runner. I feel like there should be a speed/distance/performance hierarchy in crowded gyms for who can use the treadmill. One of my best friends is a non-runner, non-worker-outer, and if I’m like “bleh I have to go work out, I’m so tired” she’s like “why don’t you just rest?? your poor body!!”….lol. My other bff thankfully is a runner too and she’s like, “Oh you know a run is going to wake you up. can I come with you?” and um YES YES YES to people asking me to help them lose weight/get fit etc!!!!! Some of my friends are like “I want your body, what can I do?” and I’m just like…..run. bike. swim. lift weights. refuel. repeat. seriously. not hard. they think there’s a big secret….consistency, people, consistency hahah.
it is a date!!! run, cake, gab fest…repeat! 😉
I laugh at celeb workouts too. Sometimes they just seem ridiculous when I read about them. Maybe I should just stop buying all those celeb gossip magazines???
oh but we deserve our few guilty pleasures…rag mags are just so hard to resist…lol.
remember when i signed up for email updates to your blog like 3 weeks ago!?! just got the first one. bahaha. oh well….better late than never!!
yesterday my research advisor told me i was depriving my brain by running so much and he said he was worried about me. i just stared at him with NO possible comeback coming to mind. im still in disbelief. comments like those DRIVE ME NUTS!
FINALLY!! sheesh, i’m glad that email got sent straight away…jk! nice to hear that i seem to have fixed this RSS debacle. but watch out, now u can’t even hide from me, i’m infiltrating ur inbox. 😉
Such a cool post, and I will probably forget to respond to all the things I wanted to.I could so related to being competetive with random people on the sidewalk, hearing someone is a runner and being instant friends, the 20 minute limit on treadmills, the way people dismiss your efforts by saying “you’re a runner” as if it’s like being born with blue eyes rather than a choice. I would add that my calender revolves around when I can fit in my runs. It’s the sun in my solar system that all the planets revolve around.
Great post! Loved your stream of consciousness. One day, you should post that really weird post you have deep on your hard drive for us all to see. No, not that one, the other one.
My mental spell checker sucks, wanted to add, and part B, your feed is now fixed, I wanted to affirm, and is now updated on my blog roll correctly.
YES!! glad i made it to the blog roll status and it’s actually now updating. 🙂 thanks for letting me know on that one!
glad to hear u were able to relate to the post too, and i couldn’t agree more with the ‘you’re just a runner’ comment like i’m not STILL working my bum off…just excuses people use so they can shirk their own exercise. 😛
Oh man Cait, I feel like I can agree to most of this post 😉 including having tons of “friends” online. 😛 I think maybe it’s taking a toll on developing real friendships.
I can’t wait to come back stronger after this injury heals up – the same goes for you!
haha…i know right, sometimes i wonder if my cyber friends met me in real life they’d head for the hills too! 😉 jk…happy healings both ways girl!
Oh I know exactly what you mean!! I see a car with a 26.2 or “run” magnet on it and I’m just like “I want to meet you!!!”. I just feel a bond with other runners, especially when they actually like to compete rather than just run to look good or something. I also totally use the fact that I ran or worked out to be lazy later in the day. These legs need to recover!!
haha…agreed! oh, and power to the lazy runner, we should get our own little parking spots up in front of stores too, u think? 😉 jk
Cait!! Where have you been? 😉
I always get so tired of people telling me how crazy I am for running X amount of miles…..
been right here! haha…jk, i miss ya and thanks for stopping by!! yea, people need to just shush up and accept that running those miles actually KEEPS us sane! 😉