Comments on: Running Isn’t Sexy

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:16:17 +0000

Marci, I met my wife by inviting her to do an 800 meter workout with my team as I jogged past her.

By: Anton

Anton — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:30:38 +0000

Marci,

Your sweaty, smelly and drippy condition would bring out the nurturing instinct in any male runner worth his salt. Nothing sexier than a warm bath and a foot massage.

-Anton

By: Marci G

Marci G — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:12:07 +0000

Wow, I thought the article was going to be about how runners aren’t considered sexy. Turns out, not so much. I really enjoyed the back-and-forth comments. Mine, however, is more focused on the title of the article. As the last single gal in my family, I am always asked if I’m maybe meeting some nice men on my running team, or at a race. When I run, my face turns red, my nose runs, I get sweaty and smelly, my hair gets matted and drippy — I mean, how could anyone resist me?

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:10:39 +0000

Thinking-about-running-: I have more respect for a 5 hour marathoner than a 3 hour marathoner. When I race, I am out on the course for less than 3 hours, which is not really all that hard. Being out there for 5 or even 6 hours, though, can’t be easy. That is that many more hours out in the elements, on your feet, having to keep yourself moving and hydrated!

By: Thinking-about-running-

Thinking-about-running- — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:10:40 +0000

Hey gang! I just finished “Ultra Marathon Man” by Dean Karnazes and have been bumming around running sites reading old articles that mentioned him (someone mentioned him in a comment here). Reading his book made me want to start running again (I ran cross country in high school). I would have to agree that this article and many of the posts on here were a little discouraging. I was thinking to myself “wouldn’t it be cool if I trained really hard and ran a marathon?” Now I know that if I did that I would have to avoid anyone on the ‘performance’ side of this discussion, because I would rather not work really hard just to be snickered at. Maybe none of you meant to come off this way, but I can imagine myself dragging into the finish line barely under five hours and notice one of you pointing and laughing at me.

By: Anton Prenneis

Anton Prenneis — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:28:46 +0000

Running is FUN and should be DOMINATED by recreational runners! If you’re an elitist, and have a problem with “fun runners”, that’s fine – you just stay up front with your stress and your planar fasciitis – us fun folks don’t want to hang out with you hypercompetitive brooding folks anyway! Jocks will always be jocks. Regardless the sport, jocks were idiots in high school, and they continue to be idiots into adulthood. It’s very encouraging to see thousands and thousands of people adopting a healthy activity. And for those who say that a 4.5 hour marathon finish isn’t an accomplishment, it certainly is an accomplishment for the person who’s never run a marathon before. Maybe that person had to lose lots of weight, or started running because of a heart problem, or simply came to athletics late in life because they were busy mastering a musical instrument in their youth. Whatever the case, their accomplishment is not yours to disparage. Most people come to running with a zen-like mindset: it’s not about defeating opponents, but rather, it’s about self-mastery. If you’re one of those insecure people who attempts to exclude others and discount their accomplishments, you are *not* elite, but rather elitist (the point being that having an elitist attitude does not in and of itself include you in the ranks of elite athletes – there are plenty of landlubbers in yacht clubs and horrendous golf players at country clubs). The only thing that could possibly get diluted by the participation in races of more recreational athletes is the concentration of boring, unfriendly elitists. And that, as everyone’s favorite ex-con cookie baker would say, is a GOOD THING!

By: Dr. Lee Miller D.C.

Dr. Lee Miller D.C. — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:52:13 +0000

Thanks for the comments Calvin! See my next article when it comes out. It addresses more specifically that any running is beneficial.

By: Calvin

Calvin — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:54:54 +0000

Great vital points Lee. With the obseity level so high these days, I believe that just getting people to run easy is important. Everyone runs hard and trains hard. But what about running easy? I hear from folks that by running easy, you’re putting less stress on your body and in-turn allows for a longer playing career. This will make running sexy again.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:32:00 +0000

The way I see it, you don’t have to be elite to be competitive. I, any millions like me, will likely never do better than a 4:30 marathon (Thus far the best I’ve done is a 2:08 half marathon), but that’s not the point. The fact that we train relentlessly to make ourselves better runners is what makes us competitive. Always trying to race just a little bit faster makes competitors. In fact, choices like that make us runners instead of joggers.

The “problem” of casual runners/joggers, IMHO, is represented well by Reebok’s new “Run Easy” ad campaign. It’s another exaple of the “something for nothing” attitude that has gotten America to the lazy and obese point that it’s reached. “Painless” running strikes me as a poisonous antidote derived from the same pathetic ethic that produces scores of new fad diets every year. Too many people only want the benefits of exercise – health and a sexy body – if they don’t have to work too hard to get them.

You don’t have to be Dean Karnazes or an olympian to be a competitive runner. Do I recommend wearing your body down until your parts barely hold together? Of course not. However, a little pain is good for you. Encouraging jogging “at the speed of chat” certainly won’t help running as a sport. Reviving running as a competitive sport will require a new spin on “competition”, not an abandonment of the concept.

By: Dr. Lee Miller D.C.

Dr. Lee Miller D.C. — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:36:06 +0000

Hi Tim,
Well said, and you also bring some more interesting points to the discussion.

I can’t agree more that running as a lifestyle tends to enhance your overall existence. This is where being a participant, at any level in running, has tremendous benefits for the individual and to society too.

Specific aspects of societial benefits of being involved with running are a topic of an upcoming article I’m currently working on!