Just jumping on here very briefly to express my astonishment at people's rudeness. Generally when out running, if I've had comments from other people, they've been a cheery "Hi!" or some sort of encouragement; "Well done!" "Keep going!" ... that sort of thing.
Until Saturday afternoon, when I passed two middle aged ladies out walking, one of whom said, "You're a bit old to be doing that, aren't you?"
For reference (not that it makes ANY difference how old you are /what you look like), I'm 58. I have long grey hair. Shock horror.
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NettieNoo
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How rude, I remember running past an old lady with a stick who shouted out come in , faster, you are too slow, I just went further and muttered something rude but she had annoyed me
Oh my! I think I may have called back." I'm 73... I'm running, but you're only walking ...what's your excuse ?" π€£π€£πββοΈπββοΈπββοΈπββοΈπ€£π€£
Folk have their own agendas...and sometimes forget to taste the words they spit out..
Considering how over sensitive I'm able to be sometimes, I actually didn't really register this properly until afterwards. Too busy running. People who can't say something nice just need to be ignored, I think. (Except the young boy, maybe 11 or 12 who once muttered "wa**er" under his breath as I passed. That made me laugh π€£)
how utterly rude! makes you feel like pushing them over as you run past them, i think i am old enough to just laugh at them as i don't care what people think anymore, i'm sure i have had people look at me and think the same thing but not said it out loud to me, maybe its the way i dress (as generally all in black), i sometimes have had women walking towards me and changed their bag to the opposite shoulder or crossed the road and one even got her keys ready in her pocket which did make me laugh as i must look like some sort of criminal, when i got back from that run i bumped into my neighbour when i got home and told her what happened and i said to her "do i look that scarey to you" and she said "well yes you do" i was flabbergasted, but it did make me laugh.................so the moral of the storey is......dress really scarey like your a criminal all in black and they will leave you alone π€£
I have grey hair too, as i'm growing my colour out, i must look aggressive or something then π€£ because some people are definately thinking i might mug them or something
All in black, long grey hair - sounds like you look awesome! At 63 I feel like I'm putting on my armour when I go out to run - also with grey hair. Not sure what I would have said to these women, but it's a shame they revert to stereotypes of what older women should and shouldn't do. Poor them to be stuck in these ways of thinking.
Thatβs a rotten thing to hear and total nonsense. Iβd try and write it off as someone having a bad day and donβt give it another thought. Sometimes headphones are a blessing!!
I was only playing golf on Saturday and played a bad shot which never went near the 4 players in front and at the most could of come into their sight as it ended up between them and the green one of them was playing a shot into. My friends told me afterwards that one of them made reference to me as the "Richard head (paraphrased) who shanked the ball." Obviously I never heard it myself as I would have said something. The worst thing was the culprit was playing with his father who saw fit to ignore his sons rudeness. I can handle banter and fun but this was just plain rude.
My hair started going white when I was 17 - genetic trait in my family. Two huge benifits though - I got to date older ladies, much more sane than teenage/early twenties imho - and none who have the "snowball gene" ever go bald
Dunno about over there, but here white hair is getting so fashionable people in their 20s and 30s are getting it dyed white π
Mine is genetic too, started going white at 16 and was white all over pretty early. Interestingly enough, some colour is now coming back, who'd a thunk it!
I would have said the exact same Cmoi - they were certainly too old to be making rude comments like that to a stranger! Disgraceful behaviour, most likely down to jealousy NettieNoo!
I get the frustration. You have probably thought of a hundred thing you wish you had said back to them since it happened. But I agree with Frenc - it's jealousy and we should be proud to be 50+ and getting out there and doing something to improve our health and ourselves. They probably wish they had the self belief to emulate you. Take no notice, you know you're smashing it and that's all that should matter ππ
It could have been worse, to be honest I have never had a rude remark shouted at me while running, I remember when running run 2 of week 9 someone shouting at me that. "you are going too fast" but I don't think that was a rude remark, my first complement was when I ran, run 3 of week 5, a man shouted "you're going great, keep going", I was about 15 minutes into that milestone run and it made me feel good, I completed it 5 minutes later.
After seeing a photo of me at parkrun the other week my brother in law commented 'all the gear and no idea'. I felt really hurt but have been trying to think well at least I'm making an effort to keep as fit as I can for as long as I can. I'm 69 and proud to be able to do it. I'll remind him of his hurtful comment when I visit him in his nursing home and I'm still running!!! People!!!
That's so mean, but maybe one of those throwaway remarks he didn't mean to be hurtful ... and evidently you do have an idea π like you I'm taking comfort in the fact I'm staying as fit and healthy as I can. My energy levels, my mobility, my mental health are all better when I'm running.
How sad is that Nettie, I wonder if they secretly wish they could run like you! I see a fair number of older people here jogging and I think well done! I once heard someone (who drove his car everywhere) say that he couldn't possibly walk for any distance because he was an old age pensioner! It was like he had literally given up.
I have come to the conclusion that running is a super power so not everyone has it. I agree with the jealousy comment. And just wait until that rude person needs to run for a bus and you can and they can't.
I find most very friendly...other runners smile and say hello..or give a thumbs up. I love running this time of year...its not too hot. In the mornings...and there is something very refreshing running amongst nature...
I wear my ear buds to hear the program so if people do make comments I can't hear ...π
I am fast approaching 64, very podgy, and I have salt and pepper dreadlocks down to my knees which are sometimes tied back and other times not. I have lost count of the rude remarks I have heard about a) my age, b) my weight and c) my dreads.
I always remind myself that it is there problem, not mine, and the rudeness says far more about them that it ever does about me.
Do what makes you happy, celebrate the fact that you are doing your best to keep yourself as fit as you can in your after-teen years, and you are sooooo much better than the rude bu**ers you sometime encounter out there. Keep on trucking NettieNoo πππ
If its a male, I flutter my fingers at them and do a "kiss" - that tends to shock them πFemale - "You can look, but you'll never be able to afford" That tends to bamboozle them π
Mainly though, I don't say anything because I need all my breath for running, and they are literally just being gobs---tes so let them enjoy their scum-sucking festering tiny lives π WE are RUNNERSπ
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