beginning running.... how do you get past the embarrasment?

britthams wrote: »

Honey, THEY are in cars... Probably going to McDonalds for a 2,000 calorie meal. They are in no position to be laughing at you or judging you. You should be laughing at them. When you start feeling like this, remember that you're going to look amazing and WAY more fit than the fat slugs in the cars driving by you!

Way to go girl! Just keep swimming!

Wow. Way to project your feelings on random people driving by you.

OP- just go run. As others said, most people just don't give you any thought. A few other runners will give you the 'nod' as they run by. I'm sure there will be the occasional jerkhole, but its silly to not do something you want to based on the hypothetical reactions of imaginary strangers.

I totally know how you feel, but by now I don't care anymore- I figure, hey I'm exercising, what are YOU doing with your life? grow up!
Also something else that I find helps me, is to buy a heap of shirts with stuff written on them. e.g. one says 'drop the bass', another has a pinata on it with the captions 'i'd hit that', just pop culture/joke sort of stuff. that way, if you catch someone ACTUALLY looking at you, you can just assume they're reading your hilarious t-shirt! I really found it worked and I was able to relax.

The first time someone almost runs you over on a driveway apron you'll realize people aren't paying attention to driving let alone pedestrians.

A lot of great words by some great people here!

I have a different story about a garbage truck driver. I started running @ 225lbs, and several months after I started, I was run/walking on a Saturday morning & a garbage truck pulled by me & stopped to pick up while I ran past. He pulled up, then stopped, no house there & motioned for me to take my earphone out. The driver said "I've noticed you doing your running for a while now...how much have you lost?" At that time was like 25 pounds or so. "Well, keep it up, looking good!" (as he was smiling & nodding)

So, OP, keep outta your head, and just run. Don't let yourself sabotage yourself. Pretty soon, there will be less to bounce, your pace time will get quicker, and you will realize "I'm a runner!"

Let's assume, for arguments sake, that people do notice, and do laugh. (probably not true btw)

1. They are a holes. Ef em.

2. If you quit, you are giving them the power to derail your goals. Keep your eye on the prize, and go about your business.

Good luck! Keep at it.

Get some head phone a good audio book or music and get lost pretend they don't know you if it helps I have to do that here my neighbors look at me like I am crazy who knows you might inspire someone else.

I too fear people laughing or making jokes. But most of it is in our minds. It stems from emotional and mental anguish. Yes people can be cruel and many of us grew up with other kids who were bullies or friends who would talk behind our backs but many people grow out of that at some point. Most people will be proud of you. The few jerks who laugh or make jokes won't be worth knowing anyway- they are going to live bitter lives being closed minded and shallow. And if they do it aloud, get angry and channel that anger into proving to them that they don't know what they are missing!

But when you hit your goal, when you can run a 5k, when you can lift heavy weights, when you can wear a swimsuit without embarrassment anyone who laughed is going to be trying to claw their heads out of their own butts. I don't know how to say it any differently.

I can't say that I got past that and can run well because I did the C25K program for a while and gave up when I had a hormonal disruption that caused 6 months of severe depression in which I was practically sedentary 24/7. But today I went on a walk with my husband and kids and we took turns- one of us jogging, one of us walking with the toddler and pushing the baby stroller. You know how long I could run for? 20 seconds at a time. I had to tell myself I didn't care. There were teens walking home from school in the neighborhood we were walking in and they can be some of the most cruel. But they don't know me, and anyone who judges me without getting to know me is missing out on one heck of an amazing personality! My lungs were on fire, it took me far longer to catch my breath, my weak ankle was sore, but there were my babies squealing with delight every time I ran back to them. And nothing else mattered. Find your motivation and focus on that.

ETA- Also, do anything you can to keep your mind from thinking those thoughts. Listen to an audiobook or music that you can't help but sing along to, be goofy and start dancing in the middle of your run, whatever you have to do. Fake it till you make it. Pretend like you are more confident and people will believe you and eventually you will believe it too.

SallyLithgow wrote: »

I've recently downloaded the c25k app and was super excited to start trying to run, until this morning when I actually attempted it (somewhere I thought was secluded) and cars kept going past me etc and I couldn't get past the fact that people would be laughing at the fat girl trying to run. I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it made me get to the point I thought I was going to cry with embarrassment and I quit. So for those that have been running for a while, how did you get past that initial embarrassment? I live in a tiny village where everyone knows everything so I can't even tell myself that these are people I'm never going to see again.

The fun reality is you are not the center of everyone's world. There are maybe 5-6 people at most in the entire world that consciously think of you sometimes in the day. The other 6+ billion, including most of your friends, don't think about you. The cars driving by? They see you, then a moment later they forget you.

Just do what you have to do to be the best you can be. Don't think that people are judging you, because they aren't.

Something that might help..... Repeat this to yourself......
"What other people think of me, is none of my business."