Stupid things people have said

Don't despair, we're not all like that, I experience this from the opposite viewpoint, patients often ask if I've done anything over the weekend and when I say "Oh, I did a fell run", or "I did the Haworth Hobble" and I tell them how far it was etc I get the usual "You should know better", "Your knees will be shot when you're older" etc etc.
I've given up trying to correct their misconceptions now and just utter a mild chuckle for their benefit.:rolleyes:
When I get a fellow runner in it brightens up my day no end and we usually end up having a long chat re races, training etc.

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Originally Posted by Usually at the back

I went to my doctor a few years ago with a hamstring problem, he told me to go home stop running and be a mother and a housewife, the comment didn't sink in until I had left the surgery, needless to say I try and avoid him now

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Non-runners just can't comprehend long distances, they struggle to understand why anyone runs at all - "....what happened, did you miss the bus?" I remember a comment made by Eddie Izzard after completing his breathtaking 43 marathons over 7 weeks - when describing this challenge to people he said he could have told them he'd eaten a car - it was just as inconceivable to them! :D

People often seem to associate running with weight loss, and only weight loss.

I've had, 'you don't need to lose any weight' once or twice, as if that's the only reason you could ever have to run.

My girlfriend once drew the distinction between runners and joggers, putting me in the latter camp. Fair to say it spurred me on! :)

Totally agree with you Freckle. I'm often getting told that my knees will be knackered (doesn't help that I keep getting knee injuries but they are impact related) and I say the same thing as you about heart disease, diabetes etc.

It also bugs me that overweight people who talk about their weight and dieting often turn on me and say 'well you're lucky, you don't have to worry'. I don't particularly worry about my weight when I'm running regularly but that's because I get off of my bum and do regular exercise not because I'm miraculously slim. I think you and Stolly prove that if you want to run you'll find a way even when it isn't easy and time is limited.

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Originally Posted by freckle

to be fair i probably bore a lot of people with my enthuasism re running but i do get the odd thinly veiled (and irritating) negative remark like "Oooo I don't know how you find the time" or "you will end up with shot knees"...in reply to the latter i have started to point out that when I am an elderly lady the chances are I will be able to get knee replacements but a heart and lung transplant won't be so easy to arrange! if people are particularly persistent I remind them that my risk factors for dementia, diabetes, heart disease etc are all significantly diminished
....also with the regard to the time issue it isn't always easy for me to get out but it helps that I hardly watch any tv and if one clocked up how many hours some people devote to watching soaps if I did the equivalent in training time i dare say I'd be a lot faster than I am currently !

anyhoo I don't want to come across as a "Smug runner" no more than I want to hear comments from "smug coach potatoes!"...just grateful i enjoy my running and can still do it for now

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I was with my partner when we bumped into a fellow runner - it transpired he had done a 13 miler earlier that day - so naturally I rose to the challenge and went out and did 13.5 miles. My partner described my behaviour as "childish" - thus consigning all sports and much adult behaviour to this category .....

Most just think we are mad ad don't understand.
I have had very few really negative comments- or ones meant that way
Worst was perhaps on turning 40 "so are you going to grow up and stop all tis daft running in the mountain and mud now" (I do hope not!!!)

Best was 2 years ago on Calderdale Hike- man came out of house/ pub and tried to run with me, after 50m asked how far I had run. When I said about 36 miles he stopped dead and said F*** me (no thanks , he was a lard ball) But at least he was impressed.

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Originally Posted by Erich K

Non-runners just can't comprehend long distances, they struggle to understand why anyone runs at all - "....what happened, did you miss the bus?" I remember a comment made by Eddie Izzard after completing his breathtaking 43 marathons over 7 weeks - when describing this challenge to people he said he could have told them he'd eaten a car - it was just as inconceivable to them! :D

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Yep, I've had the bus one. As in (as I emerge onto Monks Road, between Charlesworth and Hayfield after slogging up Whitley Nab), "You can catch a bus up here you know"....

During an incident involving mountain rescue at the 2008 OMM, some kindly police officers who were sitting with me asked "So are you going to stick to running in summer now then?"
It did at least make me laugh in an otherwise horrible situation, although they didn't seem to get the joke...

Oops I started at 40?

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Originally Posted by karen nash

Most just think we are mad ad don't understand.
I have had very few really negative comments- or ones meant that way
Worst was perhaps on turning 40 "so are you going to grow up and stop all tis daft running in the mountain and mud now" (I do hope not!!!)

Best was 2 years ago on Calderdale Hike- man came out of house/ pub and tried to run with me, after 50m asked how far I had run. When I said about 36 miles he stopped dead and said F*** me (no thanks , he was a lard ball) But at least he was impressed.

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Originally Posted by okmum33

Oops I started at 40?

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42 for me!

40 for me too, and started cycle racing aged 45... I think I may be suffering from a phenomenon called midlife crisis and am loving it! Never been fitter in my life :D

My pal told me he'd been stretching at the car when a passer by said pushing with the handbrake on won't get you anywhere!

Was going to list a few things that have been said... then realised I probably thought about saying the same things before I crossed over to the 'other side'.

I suppose loads of us have had the usually crass comments shouted at us from car passenger side windows usually when the car is full of young lads. They usually more resemble monkey (that reflects the average IO within said vehicle) noises than actual speech so I cannot put down what was actually said!

I think the best thing to do is to try and avoid talking about your running to most people then you don't get the stupid replys / statements .On several occasions i have explained Fell Running to people,all about elevation and distance only for that person to ask you a month or so later t "are you still doing them Triathlon things !! " I find that most people arent really interested in what you are doing,they just want to talk about themselves or what they are doing.I was guilty of this myself in the past so now i try to listen to what people have to say,let them finish what they have to say and reply the best i can and show interest. Nothing worse than not letting people finish a sentance and cut them off,bad manners,ive done it,its bad.Had to have a good look at myself and don,t do it now,well ,unless they,re complete tw..s or they are pissed and talking b......s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMN6u...layer_embedded

Steve that was absolutey hilarious and totally surrreal! hes ...thanks for the positive feedback! :-) x

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Originally Posted by freckle

Steve that was absolutey hilarious and totally surrreal! hes ...thanks for the positive feedback! :-) x

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It matters little what others say, always amazes me that other people think you should do exactly what they do, i wouldn't preach to anyone to follow my lifestyle, each to their own, everyone's got their own loves and pursuits. Enjoy your life and have tolerance and respect for others. Keep going freckle;)

PS. Anyone who doesn't like fellrunning, Dogs, Guinness and Fish and Chips is Pondlife:p

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Originally Posted by stevefoster

Anyone who doesn't like fellrunning, Dogs, Guinness and Fish and Chips is Pondlife:p

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Amen.

I think maybe comments fall into 3 groups,
Those from people at admire you and there comments are well meaning even if they come across as a bit off.
Those from people that don’t understand running or generally any exercise, they just don’t get it, comments like” why run when you have a perfectly good working car?” and really mean it.
The third group are from people that know they should do some exercise for their wellbeing, even people that used to run but rather than doing the hard work themselves find it easier to try and pull you down to their level. I have some family members and one or two “friends” that fall into this category, and these are the most irritating to me.:mad:

This is quite a sad tale.
One of the chaps that worked in my office was a nice chap but quite opinionated, he would at lunch time give me a hard time about my “health lunch” while he would be tucking into take ways from the high street every day,“I’ve seen more fat on a whippet” was one of his remarks,” what you need is toget some proper food down your neck instead of that rabbit food” etc etc, he died two years ago from bowel cancer before he even made retirement age.:angry:

While we all have our own reasons for running when you get to a certain age and have spent enough time at the side of hospital beds and grave sides, it is hard to not think of the health benefits that exercise bring even if you would run just for the love of it without them.

I had to change doctors the other year, this meant a “healthcheck-up” I was weighed and my height measured, the doc’ said I was borderline over weight on the BMI scale, now I had a body fat of around 16 percent room for improvement yes but over weight??? (Whydo doc’s use BMI it is known to be inaccurate.)

ATB

Tahr

I told someone at work that i went Ghyll Scrambling the other weekend. He didn't really understand why i was doing it much like my fell running, if he could have attempted to ascend the faces of dried up waterfalls himself and absorbed the challenge personally, then it would probably have made sense. Some people at work think i'm mad because i know the names of most of the muscles in the legs, and because i can 'mysteriously' predict the weather by monitoring the atmospheric pressure on the computer screens; and nobody can get their head around the idea that i don't want an i phone, and don't rely on sat nav for navigation of the public roads.

A lot of the time i hear the use of the word 'normal', for example: "There's nothing normal about you, is there?"

I don't think that the majority of comments we receive are nasty. There's just either an innocent ignorance, or it falls under the heading of 'banter'. People at work take the mick out of me for my 'obsessive' running/training/diet; I take the mick back about their obsession with football, or the fact that they're a fat knacker, an old lech...

Can't say there's too much to get worked up about really. Those that take the piss whilst continuing an unhealthy/dangerous lifestyle, well, each to their own. They might die before me from natural causes, but then again, running won't make me impervious to all fatal illnesses, nor will it prevent me from getting hit by a bus (it's always a bus, isn't it?). Fact is, it's what I choose to do while I'm on this earth, and have working legs.

It's a bit of notoriety, but as a result have quite a bit of profile across the company. For those that are into that sort of thing - I'm increasingly disillusioned with climbing the greasy corporate pole, so not so much me any more - this can be quite a help in 'getting on'.

In their more candid moments, many admit they admire, respect or are in awe of what I consider to be a nice gentle run or set myself as challenges. In fact, I've been able to inspire a couple of my colleagues: one's about to run the Edinburgh marathon, the other has lost 4st since last year, and let's me put him through early morning circuit training and has started to drink the same 'slop' (i.e. breakfast porridge smoothie:rolleyes:) as me.

So: take it with a pinch of salt, give a bit back, and where possible, use it as a positive influence.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

, and don't rely on sat nav for navigation of the public roads.

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OMG don't get me started - those things are my pet hate.

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Originally Posted by southernsoftie

I don't think that the majority of comments we receive are nasty. There's just either an innocent ignorance, or it falls under the heading of 'banter'. People at work take the mick out of me for my 'obsessive' running/training/diet; I take the mick back about their obsession with football, or the fact that they're a fat knacker, an old lech...

Can't say there's too much to get worked up about really. Those that take the piss whilst continuing an unhealthy/dangerous lifestyle, well, each to their own. They might die before me from natural causes, but then again, running won't make me impervious to all fatal illnesses, nor will it prevent me from getting hit by a bus (it's always a bus, isn't it?). Fact is, it's what I choose to do while I'm on this earth, and have working legs.

It's a bit of notoriety, but as a result have quite a bit of profile across the company. For those that are into that sort of thing - I'm increasingly disillusioned with climbing the greasy corporate pole, so not so much me any more - this can be quite a help in 'getting on'.

In their more candid moments, many admit they admire, respect or are in awe of what I consider to be a nice gentle run or set myself as challenges. In fact, I've been able to inspire a couple of my colleagues: one's about to run the Edinburgh marathon, the other has lost 4st since last year, and let's me put him through early morning circuit training and has started to drink the same 'slop' (i.e. breakfast porridge smoothie:rolleyes:) as me.

So: take it with a pinch of salt, give a bit back, and where possible, use it as a positive influence.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

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Good post SS +1

ATB

Tahr

To be fair some comments are probably well deserved. I was running off of Ingleborough on Saturday, stumbling down through the rubble and crap near the top, having done something like 25 miles of a 28 miler around the 3 peaks when this really jovial lady walker said "be honest, do you really enjoy running".

I suspect that I may have had mix of my high concentration 'monkey face' and 'my god I'm fooked face' on and not surprisingly she will have jumped to the conclusion that I couldn't possibly have been enjoying myself :)

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Originally Posted by Stolly

enjoying myself

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I have asked myself that many times in the later stages of a long run

Must admit, I can never remember having received a single arsey or stupid or ignorant comment from anyone in well over ten years of running.
Maybe southerners are more accepting of people with different outlooks and habits than northerners?
Maybe the substantially lower obesity rate down south means there's less envy and resentment around?
Or maybe some people just invite confrontation?

A couple at the Trig point on Man Tor looked at us with distain as we ran up, round the trig point and started to run back towards Hollings Cross "Arn't you even going to stop and look at the beautiful view!!!". My partner replied "we live in the view mate. Lucky buggers ain't we?". I think it's safe to say that very few people that don't fell run actually get those that do :-). Although I'd be upset if everyone started doing it :-)PS I really do enjoy it :-)

City will win the league by a nice margin - moi

Stupid things?

'Come on - keep going'

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Originally Posted by ZootHornRollo

Maybe southerners are more accepting of people with different outlooks and habits than northerners?

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But southerners don't speak to anybody, full stop ;)

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Maybe the substantially lower obesity rate down south means there's less envy and resentment around?

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On the other hand, fish and chips down south is completely crap ;)

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Or maybe some people just invite confrontation?

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Thats a bit confrontational if you ask me :)

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Originally Posted by DrPatrickBarry

I have asked myself that many times in the later stages of a long run

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It doesn't have to be fun to be fun.

I think 'stupid comments' are just part of life. I'm sure most of us have been washing our cars (or similar) to be told by a passerby 'You can come and do mine, next'.

Oh ho ho.

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Originally Posted by Joester

I'm sure most of us have been washing our cars (or similar) to be told by a passerby 'You can come and do mine, next'.

Oh ho ho.

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Oops, I think that was me, sorry!!

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Originally Posted by Joester

I think 'stupid comments' are just part of life. I'm sure most of us have been washing our cars (or similar) to be told by a passerby 'You can come and do mine, next'.

Oh ho ho.

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Or 'what's the point - it will only get dirty again and you could be spending the time going for a run'

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Originally Posted by JoeFaulkner

Stupid things?

'Come on - keep going'

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Good point. There's nowt so 'encouraging' as a marshall or photographer offering such advice ('y'er can walk when y'er dead'...) when you're in that hands-on-knees, vomit-in-mouth, kill-me-now phase.

You have been warned! I intend to marshall at certain races this year and will be offering all the 'encouragement' I can to those that have given theirs.

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Originally Posted by Usually at the back

I went to my doctor a few years ago with a hamstring problem, he told me to go home stop running and be a mother and a housewife, the comment didn't sink in until I had left the surgery, needless to say I try and avoid him now

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Originally Posted by dominion

The last 'Doctor' I saw (I only went to get a referral for private treatment) told me that at 42 I should pack in running and do non-impact sports such as swimming.... Sometimes I think Christopher Leigh is right and we should be able to opt out of funding the NHS. I didn't get a referral and I paid to get private physio. (although he was useless and I wouldn't go there again!)

I F****liping hate swimmimg!

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When I was young and hadn't been diagnosed with Crohn's I was struggling to eat much and my weight was around 9 stone (I'm 5'11"), I went to one doctor who suggested I needed to eat more butter on my sandwiches and add fat to meals. What a complete idiot.

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Originally Posted by L.F.F.

My girlfriend once drew the distinction between runners and joggers, putting me in the latter camp. Fair to say it spurred me on! :)

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My definition of a jogger is someone who reluctantly runs because they feel they should to help lose weight, or just so they can say they run, but they don't actually enjoy it at all. Whereas, a runner is someone who will run for the sake of running, regardless of any of the other benefits.

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Originally Posted by Stolly

To be fair some comments are probably well deserved. I was running off of Ingleborough on Saturday, stumbling down through the rubble and crap near the top, having done something like 25 miles of a 28 miler around the 3 peaks when this really jovial lady walker said "be honest, do you really enjoy running".

I suspect that I may have had mix of my high concentration 'monkey face' and 'my god I'm fooked face' on and not surprisingly she will have jumped to the conclusion that I couldn't possibly have been enjoying myself :)

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My club captain used to go into the same paper shop each morning after his run and the shopkeeper once said to him "do you enjoy running?" he replied "yes" and the shopkeeper said "why do you always look so effing miserable then?" :D

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Originally Posted by Rob Furness

My definition of a jogger is someone who reluctantly runs because they feel they should to help lose weight, or just so they can say they run, but they don't actually enjoy it at all. Whereas, a runner is someone who will run for the sake of running, regardless of any of the other benefits.

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That's really good

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Originally Posted by Rob Furness

My club captain used to go into the same paper shop each morning after his run and the shopkeeper once said to him "do you enjoy running?" he replied "yes" and the shopkeeper said "why do you always look so effing miserable then?" :D

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And that's really funny

There have been occasions when, half a mile into an uphill start, I have thought 'I am not sure I really like running' but that feeling usually only lasts for a mile or so and then my body catches up and everything is good again (even when it hurts). Sometimes I think I am the happiest I can be when the sun is shining, the land stretches before me and the running feels effortless. Its worth a hundred dodgy, niggly & exhausting runs to get that feeling but those other times I can imagine people see me grimacing and wonder why I do it...they just need to see me on the good days! (plus...as we all know, there is pleasure in just getting out there regardless of how hard it feels).

In general, I really like marshalls, no matter what they say. I am just pleased that they are willing to stand in some exposed spot and count us in and out but it does make me laugh when you hear one say to a runner...'don't worry, its all downhill now' and you know the course and the fact that there is at least two more hills to come that they seem to have forgotten about!

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Originally Posted by Howgill Tarrier

Good point. There's nowt so 'encouraging' as a marshall or photographer offering such advice ('y'er can walk when y'er dead'...) when you're in that hands-on-knees, vomit-in-mouth, kill-me-now phase.

You have been warned! I intend to marshall at certain races this year and will be offering all the 'encouragement' I can to those that have given theirs.

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Just had a blinder here, primate of the century material.
So I'm sat packing my stuff to go down south in the morning and just listening to the radio. ENTER Denise from Gorton (I should have known it would be comedy gold at that point). She complains to the presenter 'can you be quieter I've got a migraine. Now I'm a liberal guy but surely if ever there was an argument for euthanasia, said Denise epitomises it. What a moron.