Why do many here not consider themselves runners despite running regularly?
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I think a lot of people look at it much like they would a carpenter/chef/mechanic. Just because I can nail two boards together doesn't make me a carpenter...just because I can cook dinner doesn't make me a chef...and just because I can change the oil/headlights on my car doesn't make me a mechanic.
There are all sorts of things in life that we do that doesn't mean we're proficient in. That's why a lot of people will say "I run" but not "I'm a runner".
exactly.0 -
For a long time, I didn't consider myself a "runner," but I'm slowly coming to the realization that I am, in all senses of the word.
- I run.
- I've been running regularly for over 3 years.
- I run 3-4 times a week.
- I run up to 10 miles at a time. I track my pace and can feel if I'm off the pace I'm trying to achieve.
- I've run in organized races.
- I have running goals.
- I enjoy running. I genuinely take pleasure in the sheer act of quickly placing one foot in front of the other.
Really, though, the first part is all that matters. If you run, you are a runner. The rest is just fluff.0 -
I think a lot of people look at it much like they would a carpenter/chef/mechanic. Just because I can nail two boards together doesn't make me a carpenter...just because I can cook dinner doesn't make me a chef...and just because I can change the oil/headlights on my car doesn't make me a mechanic.
There are all sorts of things in life that we do that doesn't mean we're proficient in. That's why a lot of people will say "I run" but not "I'm a runner".
exactly.
Bu those things take skill and training. By definition, when you participate in the act of running, you are a runner.0 -
I don't consider myself a "runner" because although I run fairly frequently, I hate every minute of it. lol.0
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I think anybody who runs, even if just once in a while and very slowly, can call themself a runner. Whether they do or not is up to them and my guess is it probably has something to do with whether it is purely exercise to them or something of a hobby. At least that is the case for me.
I didn't call myself a runner for a long time because I was just doing it for exercise. But eventually I started to view running as it's own activity and worth doing for reasons other than just health. I have running goals now which aren't necessarily important to fitness (though achieving them will mean I have gotten fitter). And I sometimes even enjoy it while doing it and always enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish a run. I find myself reading more about it, and more and more see it as a sport or leisure activity I participate in and not just something I need to do to be healthy.
So while I do consider myself a runner now, mentally I still segment and consider myself a runner with a lowercase "r", or a recreational runner. I still reserve Runner with a capital R for the serious runners, those who are much more accomplished than I am...the people who run almost every day, are often training for a race, have more structured running schedules, higher mileage, etc.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »I think a lot of people look at it much like they would a carpenter/chef/mechanic. Just because I can nail two boards together doesn't make me a carpenter...just because I can cook dinner doesn't make me a chef...and just because I can change the oil/headlights on my car doesn't make me a mechanic.
There are all sorts of things in life that we do that doesn't mean we're proficient in. That's why a lot of people will say "I run" but not "I'm a runner".
exactly.
Bu those things take skill and training. By definition, when you participate in the act of running, you are a runner.
What skill does it take above normal to cook, drive, or nail boards together? I play football with my family on thanksgiving, I am not a football player. Just participating in an event does not mean you move from a verb to a noun (I am playing football vice I am a football player).
All that being said it really depends on what you feel like calling yourself.0 -
Imo, if you're doing it regularly then you're (insert noun here). I play pick up soccer games on the weekend regularly, therefore I'm a soccer player albeit an amateur. I make furniture out in my shop therefore I'm a carpenter again an amateur but a carpenter nonetheless. So, if a person is running regularly, then I certainly consider them a runner. I lift weights 4x a week and consider myself a weightlifter though I never plan to become competitive.
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Imo, if you're doing it regularly then you're (insert noun here). I play pick up soccer games on the weekend regularly, therefore I'm a soccer player albeit an amateur. I make furniture out in my shop therefore I'm a carpenter again an amateur but a carpenter nonetheless. So, if a person is running regularly, then I certainly consider them a runner. I lift weights 4x a week and consider myself a weightlifter though I never plan to become competitive.
Yep, pretty much this. I guess it comes down to frequency and intent. If you're doing it regularly and on purpose, you qualify. Whether you're a good carpenter or a bad football player just comes down to training and skill.0 -
When is one considered a runner? Or rather when would you consider yourself a runner?
I consider anyone who has either succeeded in sh*tting themselves in the middle of a run, or at least been forced to pull over and take care of the problem behind a bush, to be a real runner. Until you have that experience, I am not sure I can call you a "real runner" yet.
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When is one considered a runner? Or rather when would you consider yourself a runner?
I consider anyone who has either succeeded in sh*tting themselves in the middle of a run, or at least been forced to pull over and take care of the problem behind a bush, to be a real runner. Until you have that experience, I am not sure I can call you a "real runner" yet.
I have lost enough socks and sleeves to qualify.0 -
When is one considered a runner? Or rather when would you consider yourself a runner?
I consider anyone who has either succeeded in sh*tting themselves in the middle of a run, or at least been forced to pull over and take care of the problem behind a bush, to be a real runner. Until you have that experience, I am not sure I can call you a "real runner" yet.
My normal route has an available rest-stop every 1/2-3/4 mile. I learned the hard way one time when I had to finish a 5-miler with one sock.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »When is one considered a runner? Or rather when would you consider yourself a runner?
I consider anyone who has either succeeded in sh*tting themselves in the middle of a run, or at least been forced to pull over and take care of the problem behind a bush, to be a real runner. Until you have that experience, I am not sure I can call you a "real runner" yet.
My normal route has an available rest-stop every 1/2-3/4 mile. I learned the hard way one time when I had to finish a 5-miler with one sock.
Heh0 -
There are also life stages to consider. I used to run 60 miles a week at a 7 min mile. I got older. Forty years later I still get on my treadmill for my 2 mile run. Maybe "being a runner" is a state of mind. Most of my friends could no more run 2 miles than lift 200 pounds. I'm a runner, to me and to them.0
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beachhouse758 wrote: »I don't really define myself by the exercise that I choose to do. I am a slow-runner/fast-shuffler, but I am not into the running lifestyle (running groups, races, Personal Records, collecting race t-shirts, little number bumper stickers with my prefer distance etc...)
I also do yoga, but I don't consider myself a yogi/yogini.
I am not "dedicated" to a certain sport. I just do it, sometimes.
Just like I wouldn't say "I am a driver" -- I just drive when I have to.
So on point lmbo : ) Love it
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When I had an injury that left me feeling like this about not being able to run, I was comfortable calling myself a runner
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »When I had an injury that left me feeling like this about not being able to run, I was comfortable calling myself a runner
This is what sealed the deal for me too. That was before I ran races, collected shirts, chased PRs. I just ran. Then I was hit by a car and couldn't run for awhile.
Sadly staring at every runner out for a run and wishing I could go was a hint.
I also have a sticker but haven't put it on yet. It's a triathlon sticker though.
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If I breath, I'm a breather. If I listen, I'm a listener. If I run, I'm a runner. The terms describe what I do, they hardly define me.
As John Bingham, speaker and author on running once said:
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."0 -
If I breath, I'm a breather. If I listen, I'm a listener. If I run, I'm a runner. The terms describe what I do, they hardly define me.
As John Bingham, speaker and author on running once said:
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
Agree with this.
I have been running just over a year. I have now done a few "races" but would consider my pace as slow. I run about 4 x a week, clocking up about 26 miles a week. When I don't run, I feel grumpy. I run to keep fit but also because I like too. I think my physical shape has changed. I now think of myself as a runner. When I see people in club tops though, I think their "proper" runners...0 -
I'm a newbie triathlete and when people ask me about the disciplines, I will say I'm not a runner, but that only means it's not my best discipline. Otherwise, I run. Therefore, I'm a runner. Not the fastest. Not the slowest. But I run regularly. And I enjoy it. And I compete.0
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Not everyone who writes is considered a writer. There's a common understanding that writers are those who do this work professionally and/or have a certain level of skill. I'm sure that there are other criteria, but that's a rough and ready distinction.
Similarly, not everyone who dances is considered a dancer. It's understood that this term is often (though not exclusively) for people with a certain level of skill and experience. Your typical club aficionado with no skill and little technique would not be considered a dancer except in the most general sense.
I'm okay with the notion of people running and yet not considering themselves to be runners. Heck, I try to run at least 10-14 miles every Sunday afternoon if I can, and I've done a lot of obstacle races and endurance events... yet I don't really consider myself a runner.0 -
If you start assigning a level of skill to an activity then who is the judge? Slower runners are still runners. If nobody lost a race we wouldn't have a winner of a race. It takes all levels. You can be a musician, a reporter, a writer, and don't have to be great at it, or even very good. I used to be a "hard core" runner. That was the term I used which doesn't mean anything really, but does give some idea of my level of commitment and passion to running at that time.0
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fiddletime wrote: »If you start assigning a level of skill to an activity then who is the judge? Slower runners are still runners. If nobody lost a race we wouldn't have a winner of a race. It takes all levels. You can be a musician, a reporter, a writer, and don't have to be great at it, or even very good. I used to be a "hard core" runner. That was the term I used which doesn't mean anything really, but does give some idea of my level of commitment and passion to running at that time.
All that means is that there's some ambiguity. Such is life. Distinctions aren't always crystal clear.
Asking "Who is the judge?" presumes that because there is no sharp dividing line that everyone is forced to agree on, we must therefore avoid drawing any distinctions. Obviously, that's foolish. You can't really claim to be a writer without a baseline level of skill; otherwise, everyone past the second grade should consider himself a "writer."
I'm not saying that we must all be in complete agreement about who is a runner and who is not. However, I think it's perfectly reasonable for someone to say that she runs on occasion -- or perhaps even regularly -- and yet isn't considered a runner. It's the same way someone can incorporate weight training into one's exercise program without being considered a weightlifter. Or the way people can sing off-key in the shower without being considered a singer.0 -
fiddletime wrote: »If you start assigning a level of skill to an activity then who is the judge? Slower runners are still runners. If nobody lost a race we wouldn't have a winner of a race. It takes all levels. You can be a musician, a reporter, a writer, and don't have to be great at it, or even very good. I used to be a "hard core" runner. That was the term I used which doesn't mean anything really, but does give some idea of my level of commitment and passion to running at that time.
All that means is that there's some ambiguity. Such is life. Distinctions aren't always crystal clear.
Asking "Who is the judge?" presumes that because there is no sharp dividing line that everyone is forced to agree on, we must therefore avoid drawing any distinctions. Obviously, that's foolish. You can't really claim to be a writer without a baseline level of skill; otherwise, everyone past the second grade should consider himself a "writer."
I'm not saying that we must all be in complete agreement about who is a runner and who is not. However, I think it's perfectly reasonable for someone to say that she runs on occasion -- or perhaps even regularly -- and yet isn't considered a runner. It's the same way someone can incorporate weight training into one's exercise program without being considered a weightlifter. Or the way people can sing off-key in the shower without being considered a singer.
At what point would YOU then consider someone to be a runner?0 -
I think people who think 'I do running but I can't call myself a runner (even though I'd like to)' should just call themselves runners, because they do running and want to call themselves runners. I don't see it as a status that people need to aspire to or achieve something specific in order to attain it.
I personally didn't call myself a runner (or think about doing so) when I just jogged three times a week, because it was just the form of exercise I happened to be doing (instead of a different kind). I do call myself a runner now because I do it as a sport.0 -
I don't think I am because I am still very slow. My perception is runners are 10 min milers
I did not consider myself a runner until I was able to run for 30 minutes continually. Why 30 minutes? No reason, it's just the amount of time I got stuck in my head.
I think it's pretty common for newer runners to have some arbitrary idea of what it is that makes someone "a runner," and not to think of themselves as runners until either they meet that arbitrary standard or they see enough runners that they revise their standard.
As to the 10 minute mile . . . I know a runner who has never run a 10 minute mile in her life. This has not prevented her from completing multiple marathons, half marathons, and ultras. I might walk and almost keep up with her easy running pace, but she is definitely a runner.
This ^
I have wanted to run forso long but injury prevented me.. I would see people running while stuck at the traffic lights and wish it were me!
Now I am running 5km+ at a snail's pace but I've wanted it so long I am taking the title, running with it and loving every bit of it! 0 -
As John Bingham, speaker and author on running once said:
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
This is my view on it, because to do otherwise is to put yourself down, to minimise your own achievements.0 -
I love running, therefore I consider myself a runner. Distance, speed, race entries, I don't consider particularly important. I don't feel like more of a runner now than I did when I started 2+ years ago and struggled to run for 2 minutes. As soon as I decided to run I was a runner.
The fancy kit and the race entry medals don't hurt though 0 -
I don't consider myself to be a runner - I run on tredmill for 45/60 mins 5 days a week and cover anything from 4 - 6 miles according to Fitbit....but I don't like running outside, I find it sore on my joints, hence me not calling myself a runner
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Me, because I hate running and am not good at it. But I run regularly just because I feel that running is a fundimental even primal movement for humans and is surely something that will pay off IRL just like a decent range of motion and reasonable strength.
Running also gives me a bit of a calorie buffer so I can justify some variety and indulgences rather than the typical bodybuilder dry/lean diet lol. I don't run so that I can snack, that seems like fostering a bad relationship with food and exercise but when I end up with a couple hundred in the bank I'll certainly indulge.0 -
RunRutheeRun wrote: »I don't consider myself to be a runner - I run on tredmill for 45/60 mins 5 days a week and cover anything from 4 - 6 miles according to Fitbit....but I don't like running outside, I find it sore on my joints, hence me not calling myself a runner
I would have guessed based on your username that you were a runner/considered yourself a runner.0
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