I'm gonna be straight with you...runners love to talk about running.
We don't care if you've ever picked up your feet and ran a mile yourself, for most of us it is our passion and we can't help but want to share it. Unfortunately, "non-runners" usually last about six seconds before they completely lose interest or write us off as crazy.
For those of you with an attention span longer than six seconds, I thought I would share some tips for talking with a runner. Maybe you have someone special in your life who has a passion for running, or you want to appear like a runner to friends/coworkers, or perhaps you are making an effort to not be a jerk and to participate in conversations with others.
Whatever your motivation, here are some simple do's and dont's that will help you navigate your conversation...
DO ask about the their goals
DON'T ask what their race time was, unless you know what their goal was and/or what a reasonable time would be for them (the marathoners you see on TV finishing in 2 hours ARE NOT comparable to your running friends, guaranteed).
DO talk to them about how many miles they run per week.
DON'T ask them how fast they are. Apart from this being a tough question to answer directly, it's awkward. If you really feel the urge to ask, lace up your shoes and go race 'em.
DO ask them abour upcoming races
DON'T ask them how long "this marathon" is. All marathons are 26.2 miles.
DO ask them what motivates them
DON'T ask them how they could like something so boring or painful. Just because you don't like our hobby doesn't mean you get to bash it.
I'll continue this conversation in my next post...
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