As much as I love running and cannot imagine my life without it, there are a few things I hate about it too. Lest you think I wake up every day eager to get out the door and pound out the miles, here are 10 things I could very happily live without, when it comes to my favorite pastime.
1 – – SO MANY SHOWERS
There are days when I take three showers, especially in the summer. If I need to be somewhere before I can workout I take a shower, then I shower after my run and sometimes I do another run or walk with the dog and need to shower before bed. And, as odd as this is, I shower before races. If you had my unmanageable hair issues, you would too.
2 – – OFF LEASH DOGS…AND PEOPLE
I have been scratched down my back, scared shitless, screamed out loud and have been with someone who was bitten, all by off-leash dogs when I was running. It’s horrible. I have also been taunted, teased, whistled and honked at by ignorant people. Mostly men.
3 – – ALL THE PLANNING
From choosing race goals to what my training plan will look like 16 weeks (and sometimes more) from race day takes a toll on the brain. I also have to think about how much time I have to fit it all in, packing the night before and all.the.mother.effing.laundry. As soon as I unpack my gym bag for the day, I have to repack it for the next day. Don’t even get me started on vacation packing.
4 – – THE WEATHER
I’m either tracking it, cursing it, relishing in it or trying to figure out how to dress for it. If I could track the time I spend between the two weather apps I have, I would guess it’s more than all other social media combined. Oh and 80% of the time, they are wrong.
5 – – ELECTRONICS
God forbid I don’t have my Garmin, a heart rate monitor, foot pod, wireless earbuds, wired earbuds (as a back up), iPod, power meter and my phone. I spend more time charging and updating all of my gadgets than I do showering.
6 – – TELLING SOMEONE YOU’RE A RUNNER
Epic eye roll. Side eye. Fright. Unfriending on Facebook. Trying to excuse themselves as fast as possible before you start telling them about your last race, mile by mile. Or they dismiss you with “aren’t you worried you’ll hurt your knees?” I’m actually much more worried about the weather.
7 – -EXPENSES
Races, travel to races, shoes, gear, electronics, food, gels, subscription boxes, therapy (running does not touch on the kind of therapy I require) sports drinks, coaches, orthotics, compression socks and investing in all the latest and greatest gadgets that help me run better, faster, stronger and recover. If I didn’t invest so much in this sport I could afford the therapy I truly need.
8 – – FEAR OF ILLNESS OR INJURY
You would think I have an autoimmune disease (well, other then vitiligo) the way I try to avoid getting sick before a big race. My thoughts get consumed with “what if I get sick?” and sometimes I do and it’s the worst. The same goes for injury. I have a veritable physical therapy office in my living room with mats, foam rollers, balls, sticks and various other oddities that were pandered to my old bones in the name of cutting my risk of injury. If running is supposed to be so good for you, why do I have to spend so much time avoiding being injured by it?
9 – – CROWDED TRACKS
Way back in 2000 when I started running there was nary another person on the track, indoor or outdoor, when I would use it for my speed work. Now, years later and in the midst of another running and health boom, tracks are overcrowded with people walking three across, in the wrong lanes or spontaneously stopping right in front of me for no apparent reason. Can’t we go back to when only weirdos ran and people died fat and happy?
10 – – USE IT OR LOSE IT
It’s seems horrendously unfair to spend years building up your running base, speed and endurance knowing that if you had to take a few months off, it would all be gone. Unfortunately, I went through that process when I was pregnant with the twins. It was a very hard road back, especially since I had two newborns in addition to being completely out of running shape, but I did it, and I’m a better runner because of it.
[Tweet “10 things I hate about #running because it’s dirty, expensive and sometimes dangerous. #train4life”]
All that being said, I obviously love running far more than I hate it. I actually struggled a bit to come up with a full 10 things to hate but I can easily come up with thousands of reasons why I love it. I guess I just have to suck it up and deal because I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
What do you hate about running or any other sport?
Can you add to my list?
The laundry! And the showers. And the use it or lose it. I think we are better off sitting at home eating pizza. Nah. I’m going to keep running.
So many showers!!! True and super funny. Great list!
Thank you 🙂
How about the judgment? So many people hate on runners. WHY?
Um, I think we know why – LOL!!! Screw ’em!
#10 all the way. Sometimes I just want to take a break. But at my age and now with RA? Oh hell no. I’m afraid it will go away and not come back.
I have to disagree with you on the showers. There’s nothing better than a shower after a hard, hot, sweaty run!
I kind of feel that way about distance since I basically only ever train to run a 10K for triathlon. Running the Las Vegas RNR half is a rude awakening at the end of the season 🙂
And, regarding the showers – – I love how they FEEL, I just wish I had more time to take them!!
So we will finally get to meet!
YES!!!! I can.not.wait!!
Runner Parties…. BORING!!! The entire conversation revolves around running! Get a grip people… that’s what workouts are for.
Locked Tracks… at least you have a track that is open & available. This is my biggest source of frustration. As a masters track runner, the majority of my workouts need to be done on a track. My local public high schools lock and bolt their facilities. Ummmm… isn’t this my tax money? Too often I’m sneaking onto tracks by climbing fences and then being yelled at to leave mid-way thru a workout. It’s a little embarrassing to be 60+ and be pleading to just finish. OK… enough ranting….
They lock the track?? That is absurd, especially when, as you said, you can just climb the fence! And YES, that is YOUR track too if you live in the town and pay taxes. Shame on them!! I’ve been chased off by P.E. classes and that is super embarrassing but I usually get some sort of workout in first!
The risk of injury is driving me crazy these days… and feeling like I’m losing everything I worked to build for so long! But running is the only reason I shower, so I’m the opposite of you there. 🙂
Keep up the pool running and I swear it helps you keep your running fitness!! It’s hard to believe but it worked for me during marathon training two years ago.
And I LOVE taking a nice hot (or cold) shower after a run but it takes too much time out of my day!
The showers! Yes! At least you have short hair. Summer is the worst. Also, when you don’t stop sweating for like an hour after you workout and you are still sweating when you get out of said shower.
So true about the hair! I can be showered and out the door in 15 min flat. And the sweating-all-day is what my husband does and complains and stands directly under the ceiling fan – it’s hilarious 🙂
Ha ha! This is great. I try not to think of anything I hate about running just in case I piss it off and it retaliates. I feel like I should whisper loving things to it right now just in case it knows that I read this post. “Shhh… baby, I love you.. don’t worry. That’s right, I know you like it like that…” *grope* *pet* *nuzzle*
You are too funny! My dad even sent me an email like “what???? you’re writing hating things about running!!! Have you gone mad?” I guess I have to now write an apology/love letter 🙂
Ha this is great! #6 is so true. I will tell people I run and then I get a stare and some response about why they don’t run every time (usualky knees). Then I am stuck trying to respond to that without sounding like an a-hole.
It’s the worst, right? Because you already feel like they think you’re an a-hole so it’s a no win situation!!
Ha! Yes to all of this. I especially love #3 because my boyfriend flips me so much crap about any (and all) planning that I do (running related or not). With running, I try to kindly explain that “I cannot just get up and go run 12 miles. I need to plan when and what I will eat, where I am going to run, etc, etc”. Thank you for this great list. 🙂
The struggle is real!! My husband did not understand fully for a LONG time but, after seeing me (and others) race, it kind of dawned on him that it takes A LOT of planning and it’s not just about training but eating, drinking and sleeping…
Thanks for the great comments!!
i agree with your list and will just simply add: assholes. i hate the assholes of all sports that make that sport(s) look bad. that is all 🙂
YES!!!! How could I forget??? There are definitely some where I want to yell “I’M NOT LIKE THAT! SHE DOESN’T REPRESENT ME!” Truth.
I love this!!! So many of these are applicable to lifting too. Namely, showers. I basically plan my schedule around how many showers I’ll have to take. I really, really hate doing my hair. Dry shampoo and Febreze are my best friends.
Totally relatable to strength training or really workouts of any sweaty variety. Thank God I have short hair (wait…so do you?) and I can be out and done in 15 min flat.
Love your post! The annoying thing to me is the laundry! And the weather too, really can’t predict it.
I’ve just come to the conclusion that with my training and having two 8 year-old boys and a husband, the laundry will never, ever be completely done.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
#2, 4, and especially 10…ugh! Another annoying thing to me is when training for a race begins to feel like a chore.
YES! That is when I start to question why I’m even doing it…and I had better have a good answer!! Thanks Tiffany.
I hear you on the showers–how about the lingering smell on all the running clothes. Why can’t they develop truly unstinkable clothes?
I do not know! With all the technology you would think this wouldn’t be so hard 🙂
I love this! omg the showerss. Its crazy! Sometimes I run in the shower so fast because I can’t even stand my own smell LOL I also get this reaction from friends, but I also promise that they will run a race with me one day…and they usually do lol