The other night one of my friends asked me, “When you see people running, what are some of the things you judge them on?” Okay, so first off I guess I DO have to admit to being maaaybe just a bit judgmental of some of runners I see, but c’mon you know you’ve seen some things that made you giggle!
* Texters/talkers/phonies: *Disclaimer* I know I open myself up to some blogger hate here, so I apologize in advance, and if you fall into this category I’ll still love you and maybe you can share how/why you do this. So, I do not understand how during a run people can get their thumbs texting and provide this crazy awesome spread of photo’s. I’ve seen people update their Facebook/Twitter accounts while supposedly in said run. I just don’t get it, and perhaps it is my insane LACK of coordination, but a part of my brain sort of thinks if you can text and tweet you probably should be running faster???
* Attire: Don’t get me started on the chaffage wonder of running in jeans, I’ve seen people sporting cargo pants loaded with TONS of things even a key ring so large I could hear sleigh bells. There are people running around in Converse (love the brand, not for running though) and it makes me full on cringe when I imagine the injury risk.
* Fuel-belters: Look, there are certainly times and places for fuel belts but a four miler is not one of them. Unless of course you’re running on the sun, any able bodied person should be able to make it through an easy run in the single digits without needing re-inforcements.
* Form Freaks: HERE is a list of some of the common form maladies, and I’ll open up and share that I don’t feel too bad judging people because I can totally poke fun at myself for my own form faux pas. When I first started I looked like a T-Rex who had her arms jacked up so high I don’t know how I didn’t punch myself in the face. When I see people running like the Hunchback a part of me wants to catch up to them and puuuuuull their head up straight. [Core work really can help improve your form.]
THE EPITOME OF OFFENSES
* Dropping the J-Word: I wound up telling my friend that really, I may poke fun at people I see running but all of that is all well and good and PALES in comparison to the ultimate runner offense. It’s not something you see, it’s something that is only heard, like the worst curse word in the books: jogger. You call me a jogger, it’s GO time…I’m a runner, thank you very much.
The thing is, runners are awesome, even those who may do some wonky things…hey, I’m probably Queen of Wonky. I support all people getting out there and doing it, so don’t get me wrong there, I mean I have said on numerous occasions I live in the Utopia that is sarcasm.
Get running, be happy, be sweaty, be injury-free…just be on watch for any poor souls who dare to call us joggers!
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Tomorrow is your last day to enter my Ambler Heat Beanies Give-away! 🙂
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1) What are some of the funny things you’ve seen people do while running that make you chuckle?
2) Last time you got thrown the j-word and did you do anything about it?
It’s been a while, but I make a little joke about it, “Oh, hey now, you didn’t see me jogging I was running!” 😛
3) Worst running attire related offense you’ve committed?
When I first started, I admit to just running in whatever kind of shoes that were the cheapest.
Really though, I adore your posts!!
Texters/talkers – i have no idea. I also have no idea when they say to run at “conversation pace”. I ain’t talking.(because I can’t physically get words out while running lol). I have snapped pictures on the run, and it turns out blurry and lopsided and pretty much awful though.
Running in jeans? I can’t. I don’t even know how that would be remotely comfortable!
I’m not a fuel belter! I don’t know if you (should) have one for 1/2 marathons, but I don’t. I think I’d be too uncomfortable?
i honestly can’t wrap my head around someone in their right mind thinking, “oh, let’s go for a run, PERFECT, my jeans are right here!” 😛
This post is both funny and spot on 🙂 I have no idea how people even talk when running, never mind the the coordination and focus to text. People running in non-running attire (unless they’re chasing a bus!) also amuses me.
haha…glad we can agree. 🙂
I can’t walk and update facebook/twitter. (remember when I was trying to check my email and ended up with bloody knees? lesson learned)
you poor girl, YES, abstain from any kind of walking/mobile devicing…lol.
Awesome post, I was laughing pretty hard. I am guilty of the texting thing. If I am dialed back a little (we should be able to hold a conversation) them texting may happen. Sometimes I just need to kill a few minutes. It doesn’t happen often though, as I am usually in a running zone. Actually, I was thinking of doing a stream of consciousness blog post while on a long run during marathons training. Hrm.
As for form, I think the whole standing up thing is cured by core training, sure. I mean, I have that and my arm swing down; those are the easy parts. What I am working on is my foot strike. After 28 years of heal striking, moving towards a mid-foot strike is tough; my screaming calves will tell you that. I probably look like an idiot on my runs these days.
hahaha…i’m glad i could get u laughing. here is a potential solution to the stream of thought thing, get one of those little voice recorder so u can just talk/run and maybe transcribe later. 🙂
These reminds me of a meme I saw yesterday and found entertaining. http://pinterest.com/pin/88946161362304543/ I’ve never really thought about how I’d feel if someone called me a jogger, but ya, I’d definitely be highly offended.
hehehe. 🙂
Thanks for the “jogging” in jeans shout-out! 🙂
oh but of course! 🙂
I’ve wondered about those who tweet and look to their facebook page for updates for motivation during a race. I do think it may be fun to do a scenic marathon and just take pictures the whole way and such.
‘Joggers’ yes, that’s such a 70’s term.
for ur scenic marathon, let’s go tech cool and concoct some kind of camera helmet with a remote clicker to u don’t have to stop and just keep on running while snapping. 🙂
I loved this entire post!! I’m totally guilty of seeing someone run by and thinking, “Oh, stop swinging your arms in such huge circles – you are wasting energy!!” (or other judgy thing!)
When people ask me if I jog I always say NO – I run – see the stride!!!
hehe…u could be on the form police. 😉 jk
I was nervous before I read this… I am a newer runner and I find it discouraging when I hear that other runners are judged. When I see a runner (because I know how hard it is for me), I think, “Go YOU!” rather than judging. However, when I started reading the post, I laughed. Yeah… I have no idea how people text, tweet etc. But form? I have no idea if I’ve got it right, so I better get going on my research on that one. 😉 Thank you!
awww, i’m sorry, u don’t need to be nervous! i’m glad by the end u liked it AND also know that running is an ongoing learning curve and we’ve ALL done things that, looking back, realize they were pretty silly and we can laugh at ourselves too. 🙂 all in good fun!
Haha how appropriate for you to have written this! Occasionally people who don’t run say ‘Kate jogs’ but I generally write it off 🙂
There is a girl who runs around the bay when I do on the weekends. Her right leg drags like you wouldn’t believe, and she’s constantly pulling it along behind her. It can’t be at all comfortable, and I really admire that she keeps at it. I’d love to help her out, but I hope she gets it checked out.
oh goodness, it sounds like something more is definitely going on there. i too hope she gets some kind of help, if it looks so painful; i know wat u mean about wanting to say something but then not really knowing them well enough and even though u’re totally coming from a good place, not wanting to just upset them…lol.
This was hilarious. Although I’m certain you could poke fun at me if you saw me run. The hubs and I always point out the robots and the trex runners. And the jump in place at every light.
hahaha…glad u got a laugh and don’t worry, i laugh at myself too so it’s even and i’m sure u’d be laughing at me too! 😛
Oh my gosh this post was funn! I can’t believe that some people run in jeans!
🙂
Jeans?!?! Maybe that’s some kind of training trick thing… if you can run in jeans you can run in anything?!?! Insane people.
Jog? Schmog! You either walk or run. Soft or hard core. There is NO in between in my book 😉
Ok confession time – I have flicked through twitter on the treadie in a warm up before but YES totally agree that if you are running at a decent intensity reading and texting should be virtually impossible! For my average level of co-ordination, bad spatial awareness and poor speed and distance judgment taking my eyes of the road on the pavement runs would be downright dangerous! Total cluster 🙁
haha…u crack me up! soft or hard core, totally true…great parallel. 🙂
I cannot text and run, that is so crazy! Pretty much like texting and driving lol Dangerous for everyone!
P.S. I don’t like when people use the J-word either. I am a runner period! I do not jog! LOL
good point! let’s start to circulate a new law to ban texting and running. 😉
You would have loved the guy I saw running at the lake today. super tight under armour shirt, black short tights (even though it was 65 degrees) with neon shorts over them, compression socks, giant ipod on arm, etc. He must be soooo fast 😉
oh my gosh…u should have offered to get him an aerodynamic helmet. 😉
I actually tried to be one of those people who would take pictures/text while running- it was a complete failure for me because if I recall correctly I tripped and almost died and my picture came out blurry in the process. 🙁
i think that’s a good sign, just keep up with the running que sera that phone! 😉
I have no idea how people manage to text and run. I try to take pictures (sometimes) when I’m running if something is actually worth taking a picture of, but it usually ends up a blurry mess. That being said, I was one of those texters on Saturday, as I walked the last of my 10 mile run.
oh girl!! i’m sorry u had a bad run, don’t worry though, i would definitely whip out the texting digits for a walking pace too. 🙂 here’s to a better next run which u will have ASAP! 🙂
I can’t even talk, much less use my phone to text while running! This is part of the reason I usually don’t have a running buddy. 🙂 I can concentrate more on form if I don’t have someone or something there to distract me.
Jeans?? Do people actually run in jeans??!! Oh my lord the marks that must leave. 😉 I have yet to even run in shorts, so I will stick to compression capri’s for now. 🙂
u have a runner buddy, i’m always there in spirit…hehe. 🙂
Hahahaha! This is awesome, and so true! I, too, commend anyone for getting out there: walking, jogging, or running. But I’m not a “jogger” and it really DOES sound like a curse word when I hear it in the same sentence as my name.
I make fun of my sister all the time for taking her fuel belt (fuel period) on her three-mile runs. She is also one of those “text/talk while running” people, and wanted me to take my phone with me when I ran my last marathon. Um, that would be a no. The only time my phone is with me is to map my long runs (this reminds me: I really need to invest in a Garmin).
Thanks for the laugh! 🙂
hahahaha…oh, my dad runs with a fuel belt and he gets poked fun of my myself and my mom who is also a runner!! 😛
I’m a newbie, in my late 30s and am running at 7,000 feet so I have to do a fuel/water belt whenever I run more than 5 miles. I laugh at what I must look like, though, plodding along with my big fuel belt and my IPod on when other runners (I call them “The Olympians”) go flying past me in their running shorts and shirts… nothing else!
oh man, running at 7k is SO much harder than sealevel…way to go after it girl!! lungs of steel. 😉
Um, laugh at my fuel belt all you want, but I medically need to have water at all times (literally my doctor’s orders), no matter the run distance. I struggle with my blood pressure and electrolytes, so it’s either the fuel belt or collapsing on the side of the road after a mile or so. Which would you choose?