Distance snobs
Posted: January 27, 2012 Filed under: running | Tags: 10k, 5k, athletes, distance snobs, encouragement, exercise, half marathon, marathon, road racing, running, training 3 Comments »Have you ever met someone who loves the fact that they are long distance runners? That guy or girl who has the smug satisfaction on their face when they talk about all the half marathons and full marathons that they have ran? Without asking, they give you all the details of their last long run, right down to the last painful detail. They love to show off their scars and display their worn out running shoes. They are overly proud and braggadocios. These people are what we like to call, distance snobs.
I love telling people about my marathon experiences. I hope to encourage people to make the decision to do it for themselves and how it’s a life changing event. It’s fun to talk about but sometimes I have to fight the resistance to get in to all the details of how I sacrificed or how I did more than you and how I trained harder than you. It’s hard not to be prideful.
There is nothing wrong with sharing your accomplishments, especially when it comes to running marathons and halves. It takes a lot of dedication and you should be proud that you made the commitment. But most people don’t want to hear about it all the time, every minute and every hour. In fact, it can be quite discouraging. Don’t let the distance snob discourage you by making you feel like you’re not good enough.
The thing that separates distance snobs from other runner’s is the fact that they look down on people who run shorter distances.
For some runner’s, mainly beginners, the 5K and the 10K are big goals. Put yourself in their shoes. They may have never exercised. They may have never run more than half a mile. They may have looked at themselves in the mirror one day and decided that it was time for a change. Just finishing a 5K would be a huge win for them.
We all start running at some point. We have all taken that first step. I have met very few people who have bypassed the shorter races and gone straight to the marathon. These people are rare.
Distance snobs are bad for the sport. Runner’s need to encourage one another, despite the distance they run. We are a community and we should rely on each other to meet our goals.
Have you ever met a distance snob?
Most runners I know, including long distance runners and the impressive extreme runners (50K+) are all super encouraging. I do know, however, many non-runners who seem to think that my “easy” 5k and 10K runs were something they could do overnight. Yeah. Okay.
I am one of those runners who is slower than a turtle swimming in molasses. Ya know, it’s more of a slow-motion jog/run. It’s a SloMoJoRu. Yep. Just made that up. Brilliant, I know.
But turtle patrol or not, I’m still working hard to meet my 5K and 10K goals. Heck, I try hard to meet my 1mile goal in a day! I’d like to do a marathon one day and am glad to be surrrounded by other runners who encourage instead of discourage. Thanks for being an encourager!
(btw, I like to run barefooted or in my vibrams. Do you run BF? If not, what shoes do you like the best?)
Hi Donna. I’m a big believer in running community, despite the distance. I appreciate your comment about being an encourager. I try to encourage everybody I speak with that has even the slightest interest in running.
I have not run barefoot but I do have a pair of Vibrams and I love them but I have to wear them with socks because they don’t quite fit. The longest I’ve run in them is 8 miles. I tend to stick with my traditional running shoes. I prefer Asics. My current Asic’s are at just over 400 miles so a new pair is needed.
You have a great blog by the way!
Asics are cool beans. I can’t wear them, but several of my friends love ‘em. I love running in my vibrams. They feel like the most comfortable pair of socks I’ve ever owned. Kind of like my foot is getting hugged. But not in a weird way.
Your post was really funny. I loved your “voice”! I had a hard time figuring out where that one poster was coming from and yeah – it got a bit heated. Who knew church greeters could cause such a furor?
Thanks for following me, checking out my blog and the encouraging words about it (there you go again!) I appreciate it!