time to get out of the gene pool!

[channlluv]

Hello. My name is Roxy, and I'm a jogger. At least, on a good day, I can work a jogging interval into my walking 5k. And okay, I'm on my treadmill, never on the street.

Something Katie said hit me. I don't really consider myself an athlete. I can swim a mile, ride twenty, and walk 3.1, but I'm not an athlete. I'm 80 lbs overweight and I don't eat like an athlete. I don't look like an athlete. I don't sound like an athlete. I don't dress like an athlete. I don't think like an athlete. I introduced my athletic friends to triathlon, but I don't consider myself an athlete. The closest thing I do to being an athlete is hanging out here and talking with you all. Here, I'm a try-athlete. But I promise never to jog in the middle of the street at predawn wearing all black. That's just not smart by anyone's standards.

Roxy

eta: And I never saw that ad, either.

[PamNY]

Here's an example of responses to the Pearl Izumi ad campaign. No idea how representative it is:

http://www.codegeekstail.com/2007/05...-responds.html

But my favorite is from an interview with Alex Bogusky of the ad agency that did the campaign:

"Which gives a better read on the culture you're trying to reach, The New York Times or the Onion?

The Onion is just stunning sometimes. You can think something is perfectly normal and they can point out just how absurd it is. We did a running campaign for a company called Pearl Izumi. It was all about how runners are wilder, and "we're not joggers." One of the headlines from an ad was, "Have you ever noticed that it's always runners who find dead bodies?" A week later, someone sent me this Onion headline about runners being upset that they're always the ones finding dead bodies."

http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/...tml?page=0%2C1

[VeganBikeChick]

I think the vast majority of us wouldn't deem "jogging" as derogatory or offensive.

[tulip]

I mean, seriously, I am about as insulated from advertising as an American can be, yet I was saturated with that "We Are Not Joggers" ad campaign. It was everywhere. Did you all miss it????

I musta missed it. No TV for years now. Maybe that's why.

[marni]

There's a lot of local variation on whether pedestrians, are allowed in roadways or not when there's a sidewalk. And even more variation in practice and enforcement.

Running in the road may be safer as a general rule (fewer irregularities and softer surface), but obviously they ought to be visible to traffic, and to get on the freakin' sidewalk if there's an oncoming car and no room for it to pass them safely in the road. I'm certainly not trying to say those people were being smart.

But I will say ... while runners and cyclists DEFINITELY have a responsibility to be visible and predictable, and you're definitely justified in your annoyance with them, what if it had been a deer, a dog, or a trash can in the road?

In Texas I believe, although I haven't checked it really recently, that the law states that pedestrians people of foot ,no matter how they are ambulating or what speed the ambulations are occurring at, are not allowed in the roadway unless in a designated crossing or if there is no sidewalk available. I will check.

Had it been a deer, a dog, or a trash can, pedestrian, cat, biker whatever, I would have done my best to slow down, swerve to avoid it which is what I did with the people moving in a brisk fashion, down the roadway towards me, with nary a scrap of reflective clothing or a light to be seen, and why I was a bit miffed at them since there was a perfectly serviceable sidewalk and they gave me a scare and I almost ended up in an accident type situation through no fault of my own.

I didn't want to start a big legal and name calling debate. I was just questioning the common sense and survival instincts of that particular group of people in that particular time and place.

I bow my head in apology to anyone I accidentally offended or legally confused.

marni

[tangentgirl]

What is porn?

Right?

***

I'm going to start a magazine called Joggers' World. First off, I get to be on the cover, with an ice pack on one knee, trying to roll the shin splints out of my other leg.

There will be articles like, "Finding the Best Rest Spots in Your Neighborhood," "Slow Down! Running's for Suckers!" and "Jogging Nutrition: Marlboro, Winston or American Spirit?"

Amby Burfoot will send in derisive letters to the editor every month, until around 2052, when he turns 125 and will have to start jogging instead of running.

The back page will be a dedicated section for people of note called "I'm a Jogger. Sometimes." The copy editors will rail against this redundancy, but it will stick.

***
If that doesn't work, I could always try to answer that pesky porn question.

[salsabike]

Right?

***

I'm going to start a magazine called Joggers' World. First off, I get to be on the cover, with an ice pack on one knee, trying to roll the shin splints out of my other leg.

There will be articles like, "Finding the Best Rest Spots in Your Neighborhood," "Slow Down! Running's for Suckers!" and "Jogging Nutrition: Marlboro, Winston or American Spirit?"

Amby Burfoot will send in derisive letters to the editor every month, until around 2052, when he turns 125 and will have to start jogging instead of running.

The back page will be a dedicated section for people of note called "I'm a Jogger. Sometimes." The copy editors will rail against this redundancy, but it will stick.

***
If that doesn't work, I could always try to answer that pesky porn question.

<snort>

[jessmarimba]

I know we're very upfront here about bikes only being where they're legally allowed to be (roads) but regardless of the law, I pretty much run in the street (unless I'm in the rare area that has asphalt sidewalks/paths). Concrete just plain hurts. My back says no. My knees say no. The bottoms of my feet say no. The historic red rock sidewalks in some parts of Denver hurt even worse.

This may be why I've become much more of a trail runner since moving here - not too many places where running in the street is safe.

[OakLeaf]

I'm not an athlete.

Yes, you are.

You train.

It's an important part of your life.

You hang out on this board, partly for the companionship of course, but also partly to learn more about your chosen sports (which is what initially brought most if not all of us here).

You are an athlete.

Don't let other people's perceptions of your body type tell you you're not.




PS [said in my deepest most masculine bearded-lady voice]: What does an athlete sound like? Those Xtranormal videos about Ironman and bike racing?



PPS @ tangentgirl: LMAO

[Tri Girl]

Right?

***

I'm going to start a magazine called Joggers' World. First off, I get to be on the cover, with an ice pack on one knee, trying to roll the shin splints out of my other leg.

There will be articles like, "Finding the Best Rest Spots in Your Neighborhood," "Slow Down! Running's for Suckers!" and "Jogging Nutrition: Marlboro, Winston or American Spirit?"

Amby Burfoot will send in derisive letters to the editor every month, until around 2052, when he turns 125 and will have to start jogging instead of running.

The back page will be a dedicated section for people of note called "I'm a Jogger. Sometimes." The copy editors will rail against this redundancy, but it will stick.

***
If that doesn't work, I could always try to answer that pesky porn question.

HA! I'd buy that!!!

[zoom-zoom]

Yes, you are.

You train.

It's an important part of your life.

You hang out on this board, partly for the companionship of course, but also partly to learn more about your chosen sports (which is what initially brought most if not all of us here).

You are an athlete.

Don't let other people's perceptions of your body type tell you you're not.

I had a realization a couple of years ago while training for a marathon. I was putting in ~10.5 hours of running/week and covering about 55 miles in a week. A fast guy I know was putting in the same amount of training time and covering 90.

Even though he was fast and covering more ground we were still putting in the same training, time-wise (I actually think it was a bit of a lightbulb moment when he realized our weekly workout time was actually the same).

[PamNY]

I'm going to start a magazine called Joggers' World. First off, I get to be on the cover, with an ice pack on one knee, trying to roll the shin splints out of my other leg.

Brilliant. I will subscribe.

[SadieKate]

Tangent - where do I subscribe?

[badger]

Hello. My name is Roxy, and I'm a jogger. At least, on a good day, I can work a jogging interval into my walking 5k. And okay, I'm on my treadmill, never on the street.

Something Katie said hit me. I don't really consider myself an athlete. I can swim a mile, ride twenty, and walk 3.1, but I'm not an athlete. I'm 80 lbs overweight and I don't eat like an athlete. I don't look like an athlete. I don't sound like an athlete. I don't dress like an athlete. I don't think like an athlete. I introduced my athletic friends to triathlon, but I don't consider myself an athlete. The closest thing I do to being an athlete is hanging out here and talking with you all. Here, I'm a try-athlete. But I promise never to jog in the middle of the street at predawn wearing all black. That's just not smart by anyone's standards.

Roxy

eta: And I never saw that ad, either.

this is one of the most eloquent posts I've seen. And I agree with you, I don't see myself as an athlete, either (and I love the "try-athlete").

It's a shame there seems to be castes of within the world of athleticism. I'd imagine that *gasp* jogging is still much better than lazing about on the couch doing nothing.

Can't we all just celebrate the fact, regardless what you call it, that as long as you're moving your body and enjoying the activity it doesn't matter how "pure" you are as an "athlete"?

[nscrbug]

Add me to the camp of those not realizing that "jogger" was a derogatory term. Heck, I refer to myself as a jogger all the time...mainly because at my snail's pace of nearly 11 min/mile, I certainly can't call what I do "running". I work up a good sweat and I'm usually pretty exhausted after my 3-4 mile "jogs", so I guess it beats sitting on the couch with a 1/2 gallon of Edy's in my lap.