As a runner, you are bound to hear some comments from your friends, family or non-runners that can sometimes make your skin crawl. But you have to remember that running can be a complicated sport for some to wrap their mind's around. At first, you probably could not understand it that well either, so cut the NARP's (Non-Athletic Regular Person) or non-runners some slack and give them a chance. But at the same time lets explore what comments can get under some runner's skin and lets shed a light to help non-runners understand just how great running can be without hearing all of these comments. Educating them is the first step to stop this kind of comments.
1. “Why do you run for fun? Running is so boring.” 
Yes, it may perplex someone as to why a person would put their body and mind through so much stress, but don’t you think that we have already tried to understand why we run? There usually is not one definite answer as to why we run. We run because we enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, we run to clear our heads, and we run because, for a short period of time, we are completely and utterly free from our obligations in life. It’s just you and the road and nothing else matters at that time.
2. “Run, Forrest, Run!"
This has got to be one of the most annoying and overused lines someone can yell to you while you are on a run. Yes, Forrest Gump, was a fictional character who ran but he was just that, fictional. Do I look like a young version of Tom Hanks? No? Just checking. It might not seem like a big deal in the overall scheme of things but, for some odd reason, it is just an annoyance. So, please refrain from using this term. Maybe try yelling "Keep going", "Good job" or just don't say anything at all.
3. “Cross country and Track are, like, the same thing, right?"
Cross country involves course and trail running. The distance typically ranges from a 5k to a 10k race on a course that usually involves hills and a grassy terrain. A cross country race typically starts with between 50 and 100 runners all lined up at the starting line waiting for an official to shoot a gun off into the air. In that moment, what seems like a scene from the Lion King (you know, the one with the stampede, where Mufasa dies) emerges. All of these runners take off in a huge pack/stampede and the winner is determined by who crosses the finish first. Track, however, is a sport that involves not only running events, but also field events. These events can include long jump, triple jump, high jump,pole vault, shot-put, discus and javelin. The point is that track is not just all about long-distance running (there are sprints too!) and that track and field is run on an oval shaped track. There is no reason to call crosscountry track or vice-versa.
4."Cross country is not a sport."
5."I could totally beat you in a race."
6. "How did your cross country race go? Did you win?"
The majority of the time, runners are not trying to win their race; most of the time their focus is to beat a personal best or a PR. Well, for some runners it could be their goal to win; the majority, however, just run to achieve their personal goal. But a runner usually does not stress about winning, their goal in the race is usually to keep passing people and moving up in the race.
7. "You paid that much for a pair of sneakers?!"
Our trainers are our babies. We hold them near and dear to our hearts and, when you are putting an insane amount of mileage on them and are running every day, you need to buy something that will hold up and bring you comfort. So, yes, we will pay an insane amount of money for a pair of sneakers so we can continue to run pain free and comfortably.
8. "So are you good/fast?"
Please just refrain from asking us this, it's awkward and uncomfortable. It's like asking someone how much money they make, just don't do it.
9. "You run in the rain?!"
We run in all types of weather. While, other sports *cough cough football* cancel their practice because of the weather, you will always find us outside, no matter the weather. Coach rarely cancels practice, and if he does the apocalypse must be coming... yes, it's that rare.
10. "You're injured? Shouldn't you go to the doctor?"
Well, yes, I definitely should go to the doctors or trainers but that means that there is a possibility that I might get told that I cannot run for a few days or, depending on the severity of the injury, weeks or months. So, I'll just keep icing and compressing (RICE, anyone?) and running through the pain because sitting out and missing the whole season, or just a few races, is mentally unsettling. Call us crazy, but we love what we do and do not want to be without running for any reason. But, yes, eventually we will go to the doctors if the pain gets too bad or our teammates and coaches pester us enough.
11. "When is your season over?"
12. "Are you seriously going to eat all that?!"
If I say no, will you leave me alone to eat my food? Please try and understand that runners burn hundreds of calories on their runs and need to replenish those lost calories. So, if they want to carb-load, let them do it. They have earned it. Remember: Treat Yourself!
These are just some common comments I have heard in my years of running. I am in no way insulting non-runners for these comments; running is a difficult sport to comprehend for some! We appreciate those who try to understand our sport, so please keep asking us questions because we would be happy to help you have a better understanding of how amazing running is, or can be!
