"THAT'S why I don't run..." Stupid comments from non-exercisers... (Page 2)

My lead engineer used to mock me for running at lunch. All the usual excuses -- too hot out, too cold out, bad for the knees, you'll wear your joints out.

Then his kids did the Chicago Marathon last year. He got all inspired. Started running. He'd come in a brag about how he ran 3 miles before work (on an elliptical machine... bet at least he's doing something). Well, he started running outside this past spring. Now he's up to 8-9 mile long runs on the weekend, with his sights set on a half marathon soon, and doing the Chicago Marathon in 2013 with his kids.

He says he's never felt better, and his knees are in the best shape they've ever been.

And he rode his bike in to work this morning for the first time.

So there's hope for every one.

That's not an invalid excuse. I'm sure if their knees hurt and they have a lot of extra weight, running will hurt them more. That's the kind of person that could start out with walking, then walking fast, then walk-run, and before you know it, they like (or at least tolerate) running.

"I'm too old for that stuff." 

Dude, I'm ten years older than you.

Your attitude is amazing!

"I've taken up fishing and golf. I had to find sports that I could grow old with." - from a guy in his early 30's. Definitely under age 33.

Me: "REALLY? You're serious? Lift some weights. Run. Play a team sport."
Him: "I used to play basketball, it got too hard on my body, but I'm gaining weight. So, I'm not going to hurt myself anymore, my sports I can grow old with."

Me: "So, you're lazy. You want to sit your a$$ in a boat or a golf cart."

Him: blinking.

He was completely serious in his logic! Basketball and running were too "hard" on his body. And then he was talking to someone else about his weight gain 5min later! That he could be 'active' for more years fishing & golfing. (yes, I know people walk a lot in golf, but he was complaining about gaining weight at the same time).  

I've said that one. It was in reply to a friend of mine who always likes to tell me what I should do - "You should do an IronMan." Cue - I don't even like to drive that far....

What, not funny?

Wow, this is kind of sickening.

I most certainly do.

Sorry to hear your friend crashed out, but very glad they are doing okay!

The only thing I've heard is the ol' comment of "I don't have the time".  Yeah, right.

I have gotten the "you go out and do the running, etc, and then you PAY to do all of that at once? Ugh, no thanks, I have more important things to do." She had asked how I had lost 30+ pounds, I had simply said "training for triathlons and racing in a few".

I also have heard (MANY TIMES) "yeah, that's SO not my thing." 

Honestly, I don't really mind anyone's personal opinion, if they want to chill and not be healthy, that's their choice. When they just make some comment about what I do, I just tell them that it makes me happy and gets rid of my stress.

Of all people, the former pro cyclist I work with who has injured the ever-loving heck out of himself in crashes:

"It's not a matter of IF you'll be injured running, it's a matter of WHEN" as his excuse for not running.

He even tried to talk me into just cycling, not ever running again.  Perhaps I should take the X-ray picture of his shoulder after his last crash and show that to him the next time he comments.

My wife, Amy, has some hilarious examples of people that call her up for weight reduction hypnotherapy.

"So I lie in the Lazy-Boy recliner, and you hypnotize me so that my body loses weight?"
"No.  You lie in the Lazy-Boy recliner, and I hypnotize you to subconsciously start living a healthy lifestyle which involves eating healthy and exercise."
"Wait!  What?!  Exercise?!  I thought you lose weight through the hypnosis.  You're going to make me exercise?"
"And eat healthy.  Sorry honey.  But there ain't any other way to do it but for healthy eating and exercise.  There's no pill or magic method to make it come off.  It takes work and you have to WANT to make it happen."
"Uhhhh...  Let me think about it."
"No.  Don't even bother.  I can tell by this conversation that you're not ready to be healthy.  You don't want to lose weight.  It hasn't clicked with you yet.  If it's something you want and you're struggling, I can make it happen for you.  But if you don't even want it, well then nothing's going to help you.  Call me back when you actually WANT to lose the weight."

"yeah, yeah, you can run, but how much can you bench press?"

I work with a bunch of muscle heads "wanna be", they think any run over 1.5 miles is ridiculous and they even have their Musclemag and Men's Fitness magazines to prove it, really?

So their excuse: I can't run it would affect my lifts.

But, for fairness, both groups are correct.

If you are lifting to get into beauty pageants, err lifting/Mr. Universe type competitions, running is not what you want to do to be what the judges want.

Likewise, if you are an endurance athlete, lifting doesn't make you any faster (yes, that's a whole thread in itself).  The data shows an extra hour or two SBR-ing a day will make you faster than a hour lifting would.

It still can't believe how much I paid for Tremblant! hahahaha - But like you I would do it again in a heartbeat but it's still is a lot of money. 

Let's not even go to the place of how much all the training, lead up races, accommodations etc added up to. I don't even want to know.

"You paid how much for your bike?  I didn't pay that much for my first car."  Neither did I.

"I don't have the time to exercise."  What time do you get up on weekdays and weekends, if I slept in until 11 on weekends I wouldn't have the time to do anything.

"I tried running and biking a few times and it didn't help me lose weight."  How many times 2? 3?

The worst...  At a family function a while back a family member told me that car/bike accidents are ALWAYS the cyclists fault and that the cyclist is responsible for avoiding cars even if the driver breaks the law.  I just turned and walked away.  Of course this family member is in the obese category.

I have some friends who do natural body building and they do talk about cardio and running. Not nearly as much as protein shakes and which body group they are working that day, but they DO do cardio/running to burn calories/fat as part of the overall lifestyle.

/nitpick

I added IM costs up once, just for giggles for a thread here talking about IM costs. 
No, you don't want to know, and it didn't even include the large items I already had (bike, helmet, wetsuit, etc.)!

I love working out, I love the lifestyle, the planning, the research, trial and error etc.  Then after a great workout or race, rehashing with those you shared the experience with is awesome...

However I have realized how bringing up a conversation on minor fitness stuff like a run or bike workout, or experience on the bike (narrowly missed a rabbit on the trail type thing) around those who don't exercise makes some feel inadequate and then resentful....

Right wrong or indifferent, I only initiate conversations about workouts or fitness related topics with those that share my interest level...It's just easier that way...IF someone asks me my thoughts or wants to talk about fitness related topics then I'm more than happy to talk about it but ONLY if they initiate...

In the spirit of nit-picking...

My wife does body building shows. A good majority of the people she does these shows with don't run and shouldn't run. Their "cardio" is walking or using a stair climber.

A few can get away with running, but for most of them it is counter to their goals. If my wife started running she would lose muscle very quickly, she even had to slow down to a snail's pace on the stair climber to keep from losing muscle.

One of her friends that does these shows with her spent all summer training for a marathon, her coach was peeved and she did not lose much fat that whole summer. She quit running and focused on weights and stair climber for 3 weeks and lost more weight than she had in 4 months of running.

Obviously each body is different. But the general rule in her world is cardio = walking uphill or stair climber, running just makes you lose muscle and gives you a loose butt.

Good point - now that I think back, the comments on running were asking where to find good uphills around here. And they've made it clear that the stair stepper is the main cardio machine they approve of. Such a different world!