As a college cross country and track and field athlete on most days I can be found running through the streets of my college town. Some days I may be alone and other days I may be running with my teammates. I could be running three miles or I could be running twelve. However, one thing is for certain — at some point during my time on the road running, I will be honked at, yelled at or whistled at by the passing cars and people.
If you're a runner like me, regardless of if you do it to train for races or just for pure enjoyment, you know the reality of being honked and yelled at by passing people. People love to shout things at you as they drive by. You hear thing like “go eat a burger!” or “nice legs” or sometimes a whistle or two, and much more. I'm sure to those people that do this they think they are being funny, but to us it's actually quite annoying and rude. My reactions to these comments range from me jumping up in fright, rolling my eyes at the stupidity of the person, and usually questioning why people feel the need to comment on me exercising. I’m trying to enjoy and get through my run, I don’t need to hear your thoughts as I’m doing so. I would really like it for this strange phenomena to end!
As a female runner this occurrence is very typical. You tend to get cat called on a regular basis. Let me just say to all the guys that do this we are not running to seek out your attention or approval! Me and my teammates are running to train, get better at our sport, and to just be healthy human beings. You don’t probably realize this but all of us find you acting in such as way very offensive. Its 2016, a girl can’t just go on a run without some sort of sexual comment being made to her? It's unnecessary and uncalled for. Regardless of what we are wearing on these runs, what we look like, or any other factor there is no good reason for you to be saying something to us. To be quite frank it makes us feel extremely self conscious and aware of how we look as we run — which isn’t the point of running.
As runners and as women we are already extremely aware of our bodies, we don’t need your comments because it's either been said to us before or we have thought it ourselves. When I asked one of my teammates for her thoughts on this subject she said to me, “My body is mine, not yours to gawk at or drool over. I’m running outside because I love my body and I want to take care of it and keep it healthy, not because I’m looking for your so called compliments. Also, my clothing choices when I run are mine and mine alone. If it's ninety degrees outside, I’m going to do everything possible to keep myself from overheating. If that means running down the street in a sports bra and spandex shorts, then so be it. My workout clothes aren’t an invitation to scare or distract me from my run.” As young women we already face a great deal sexulaization everyday, we don’t need this to continue or to be extended into the time that we are running. I find running to be calming, and enjoy doing it — so please stop taking that away from myself and others. We do not need the fright or aggravation that comes along with your actions! A cat call is not a compliment, end of story.
So to all those out there that like to do these things when you see a runner out on the road – please stop! The only reason anyone should honk or yell at me as I run alongside the road is if I’m in immediate danger, no other reason. So next time that you think about rolling down your window to say something or pressing down on that horn think about how it makes the other person feel.
