The Funniest Things Non-Runners Say

I was speaking with one of my coworkers just now, and telling her about the cool stuff Ram Racing gives out for their races. She had walked by and saw the tie-died shirt for the Terrapin 5K on my screen. She asked what that was for and I said, "the shirt we get for running in this particular race". She looked at me in all seriousness, and said, "well that's good! That's the least they could do...for all that running you have to do for it! That 3 mile marathon is a long way to go."

What are some of your running/non-running exchanges?

Man, those 3-mile marathons really take a lot out of me.

I've actually never really had any good moments like that; however, I tend to forget that running at least 7 miles most days, let alone doing it once in a month, is not very "normal." And I get gawks when I tell people I'm going out for a 15-miler. Then I say, "it's only 2 hours" and get more gawks. Oh, right, most people AREN'T crazy.

I think the most loaded question is "How many miles did you run today". I mean does the # of miles matter vs. what the run was about.

If I say 8 miles it does not really tell the whole story. I ran 8 miles with 6x800m repeats @5k pace with 2 min jog and 2 mile warm up and cool down.

Or I ran 10 miles @ LSD pace with the last 4 @MP.

It is not the # of miles but the quality of them!

I love when they say> "Oh, so you're running another marathon, how far is this one going to be?" Geez, do they ever pay attention when watching the Olympics, for God's sake! I guess that's why these type of forums are so popular. It keeps us from the injuries sustained from banging our heads against walls!

I've heard a few at work.

"How many marathons did you run this weekend?"

"You ran Rotterdam? Was it the same people that ran London?" (my friend Justin ran both a year apart though)

"Why would you run that far? Don't you have a car?"

Hahaha! These are all funny!

Mike - you're right, sometimes I think we forget that we so nonchalantly state that we're running 8 miles...as if it's normal. Haha!

Lisa - Yep. Nonchalance was the exact word I was going to use, but I didn't want to sound more pretentious than I already did
Kenny - As a counterpoint, don't you love it, though, when you tell someone all the nitty-gritty details and their eyes DON'T glaze over?!

@Mike MacLellan wrote:
Kenny - As a counterpoint, don't you love it, though, when you tell someone all the nitty-gritty details and their eyes DON'T glaze over?!

I've never had that happen. I will add that I get the same reaction when I tell someone what I do for a living.

@Mike MacLellan wrote:Lisa - Yep. Nonchalance was the exact word I was going to use, but I didn't want to sound more pretentious than I already did
Kenny - As a counterpoint, don't you love it, though, when you tell someone all the nitty-gritty details and their eyes DON'T glaze over?!

LOL. I love running a marathon in the morning getting home going out that night to a party or whatever and them asking me what did you do today. I just ran a marathon. Then they say how many miles was it. 26.2 anything less is not a marathon. I mean did I say half marathon, please!

God, you are going to kill yourself with all that running...LOL

I have a constant argument with a co worker. He claims that running is NOT a sport. His constant refrain is "Running is just exercise. All you do is exercise - A LOT!"

I also love the "Oh, you run marathons? I used to be a sprinter . . . you mind if I smoke?"

I'm sure you have all seen these "text to movie" cartoon bits before . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw5MHsO-JI8

"You ran 15 miles? You mean with your legs and your feet!?"

The one I hate...

"You only ran a half marathon?"

I just want to reply with, "You go run 13.1 miles bitch!", but I bite my tongue instead.

My favorite:
"4 hours? I don't want to do something that feels good for 4 hours!"

"Running? Why? Are you being chased by coyotes?"

My own mother likes to say: You know you're going to have to quit this some day. Which my reply is: You're absolutely right. And some day I'm going to die too!

I imagine she hears about recreational joggers who drop dead while out running and thinks she'll save me from that if I quit. Maybe she's right but I know any number of sedentary people my age or younger that dropped dead from heart attacks or whatever. Guess quitting running didn't help them any.

My Mom has a good heart. No disrespect intended toward her.

@Glenn wrote:My favorite:
"4 hours? I don't want to do something that feels good for 4 hours!"

Speaking of 4 hours (although non-running related), I heard this in a conversation:

"If I had that problem for 4 hours, I'd call every girl I could. I sure as hell wouldn't call a doctor."

I get the "How many miles are you running tonight?" question and I answer "Just 7 miles tonight". The reaction I get is "Just" 7 miles.

Oh...I have gotten the...

"How far is a marathon?"

"15 miles!?!?...I can barely run 1"

"How can I run like you?"

"Do you hate yourself?"

"yeah my son used to run 15 miles every morning" (I really doubt this).

I get "how far is that marathon" questions all the time. It gets annoying.

Probably the most ridiculous was though, a few days after my first marathon which I had spent all summer training for, my sister said "so you're going to quit running now that you ran the marathon, right?"

The funniest comment I had ever heard was a story related by Scott
Kalida (sp??) of a conversation between his father and father-in-law the
night before the Chicago Marathon. His father-in-law asks "So, does
Scott have a shot at winning this thing?"

What happened to Scott? I haven't seen him here or on the V-Team boards.

@Pete B wrote:The funniest comment I had ever heard was a story related by Scott
Kalida (sp??) of a conversation between his father and father-in-law the
night before the Chicago Marathon. His father-in-law asks "So, does
Scott have a shot at winning this thing?"

What happened to Scott? I haven't seen him here or on the V-Team boards.

LOL...that's a good one...

And to answer your question...I have no clue...I hadn't read many posts by him lately...hmmm

You're looking skinny. Yea I know thanks!

From someone I hadn't seen since before I started running a couple of years ago:

"You look like you've lost a lot of weight. Are you sick?"

"No, I'm running now and have run several marathons."

"Oh, so you are sick!"

When I was telling my hairdresser about my first marathon, and how I walked during the water stations, she said, "Oh, you can walk in a marathon?" Now that I've done 5, I try NOT to walk, but that was my first one and I was proud to finish!

My students sometimes say, "Did you win?" "Why do you run if you don't win?"