Why do many here not consider themselves runners despite running regularly?

3dogsrunning

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

GaijinAdrian wrote: »

I met someone who said she never did a 5k or 10k because they're not worth her time.

Training for a competitive 5K and training for longer distances are completely different things. For me, spending my time training to get down to a 20 minute 5K would completely disrupt marathon training.

In that sense I can see the point of the statement. Less so 10K as it becomes a hard training run to race that, given that it's the minimum length of a training session now.

I loved this article. Especially where dude tells a professional 5k runner to keep at it, she'll get there someday.

http://www.runnersworld.com/5k/10-reasons-the-5k-is-freaking-awesome

MelodyandBarbells

GaijinAdrian wrote: »

If you run and love it, you're a runner. You don't need to *kitten* in the middle of a marathon or throw up at the end to be considered a runner. Only the snobby elitists would say such things. I met someone who said she never did a 5k or 10k because they're not worth her time. Whateve!

Reminds me of the discussion about the not thin runner on a magazine cover. There was a comment to the effect of, "look at her calves, they're not even defined. They could have at least put a real runner on the cover", and a number of people agreed. I don't know if they were right and the woman never ran a single mile, ever, or if they just didn't feel she did enough to call herself a runner. I think that's the sort of thing some are trying to avoid, where if you don't do enough or look the part, you shouldn't call yourself a runner

FitGirl0123

I don't consider myself a runner anymore. I would like to get back to it, but I don't think I will ever be a marathoner again. I always did consider myself a runner when I was running regularly though, and you all should too!