Quote Originally Posted by channlluv View Post
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"?