What Runners Don’t Want You To Know

Sports are so competitive, so naturally looking at a marathon people assume we are all racing against each other.  Truth is though, unless you are an elite runner, runners are really only racing against themselves.  Most runners want to beat their previous PR (personal record) and that has no baring on what the other runners are doing.  We are actually a really awesome group of people who cheer each other on and want everyone to do well.  Here are 10 things that runners don’t want you to know:

1. We spend way too much money on running related things like fancy watches, $15 socks, torture devices foam rollers, custom insoles, fancy tech crop pants, and don’t even get us started on race registrations.  
2. We have secret (ok, not that secret) groups on Facebook where we talk about running 24/7. 
3. A lot of us plan our vacations around when and where races are. 
4. We are very charitable people and often raise money for charity. Some people raising money for a specific charity for a specific race even get a bib to that race. Getting accepted by a charity and raising $5,000+ can get you entry to the Boston Marathon. Millions of dollars are raised every year.
5. It is not uncommon for a runner to wait 30+ minutes in line before a race to use a porta-potty.  
6. A lot of us slather our bodies with body glide or vaseline to prevent chaffing and men running a marathon typically (and totally should if they don’t) tape or bandaid their nipples to prevent having a bloody shirt. That is all I will say about that, but you can Google it if you feel the need to learn more.




7. While getting older is no fun, it could also help get you into a race that needs qualifying.  For example, a woman who is 35-39 needs a time of 3:40 to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but the next age bracket is 40-44 and the time is 3:45.  Those 5 minutes might not sound like much to a non-runner, but those 5 min can make a big difference.  
8. Runners talk about bodily functions way too much.  After a race, runners chat about how many porta-potty stops they had to take and the GI issues suffered. 
9. While we are talking about grossness, runners aren’t shy about taking off their shoe to show off the grossest blister, black toenail or bruised foot. FYI, not all of us have black toenails.  
10. We are happier people than those who just sit on the couch watching TV, but we are also nice people and don’t brag about that because we don’t want to hurt anyones feelings. 

Runners are an amazing community and we are also very welcoming.  We don’t require a card to join or a crazy fast pace. Just lace up some shoes, head out the door, and go run.  

Here are some other posts you might like:

10 Reasons Why You Should Marry A Runner

10 Things Runners Say To Other Runners, But Would Never Say To Their “Normal” Friends

12 Things To Say To A Runner That Would Make Them Happy