well, whilst tootling my 67 year old body along Newcastle Quayside on W8R3 a young guy in his marathon T shirt came striding towards me. After exchanging hasty “Good Mornings” he said “Well Done!” It made my day. Just goes to show how a little encouragement goes a long way. W9 bring it on 😊
Written by
Beistol
Graduate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I always but always will greet other people when I'm out running, even on parkrun when I'm passing by another park user, or overtaking or being overtaken. You sometimes get funny looks, but most people reply.
I actually got something like "great going" off a walker on the local canal towpath this afternoon. I said something like "Thanks, but I've still got another three miles to go." in response.
Ah that’s such a shame. I find one of the joys of being out and about is the greetings along the way. Often if people are showing no sign of acknowledgment, I just shout a cheery greeting. If they don’t reply there’s nothing lost.
I guess I’m lucky to live in a friendly part of the country. We just strike up conversations wherever we are.
As a woman I for one am a bit touchy when men make comments about my running.
One particular morning I'd reached my goal and was walking home, hot and sweaty. Some old geezer (probably my age lol) said 'Oh, shouldn't you be running?'. Great. Not.
I was annoyed, it was unnecessary. I replied, 'Well I've just done 5k, that's enough for me before breakfast'.
At this his whole attitude changed, he used to run 5k too but ill health had stopped him. We actually had a really nice chat so instead of feeling mildly annoyed I left with a smile.
Still, note to all the guys out there, be careful how you give encouragement to women, it's very easy to say something that is unhelpful at best, threatening at worst. Maybe best to just keep quiet.
That's why I restrict what I say to simple greetings or things like, "Be careful, it's really slippery about half a mile back." or "The geese are grumpy today." or "What a glorious sunset!"
This is such an important point and thank you for making it. It’s easy for a well meaning, encouraging comment to feel a little scary when you’re a lone woman running alone in a quiet area. I really like it when people say hello, smile and nod, comment on the weather or other sorts of general greeting thing like that. Personal comments, especially about looking good, make me feel uncomfortable.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.