Such a great read! I have long felt that fitness became a trend or a way to “hook-up”. I remember seeing a small kid in a full workout look, and I knew then that fitness was no longer about getting fit!
I struggle with finding my place in it all because fitness does now seem performative, in all areas, body building, yoga, running, etc. and while wanting to be come fit again ( now in my 40’s as well), I sometimes get caught up in the image of doing, versus the actual work.
A new noun for me ‘runfluencer’. Not sure where I’d fit in your ‘Observer’s book of runners’. I ran the ‘Lyke Wake Walk’ in Yorkshire in my teens did the Glasgow marathon in 1984, competed in several KIMMs in Scotland (Karrimor International Mountain Marathons) in my 20s / 30s. In my 40s I was an outdoor pursuit instructor and ran things like the ‘Cheviot Challenge’.
Then I moved to SE Asia and stopped running because of the heat, snakes and traffic. No running for 10 years. Came back in 2010 a much older man so thought my running days were over. I worked Saturdays teaching English, so missed out on the parkrun phenomenon for a few years.
Retired now and I have definitely rediscovered running: 125, and counting, parkruns later and a few 10Ks and longer, I’m back in love with all that running has to offer.
Some of my kit is old and some is new, I have always just bought what I like and wear it till it wears out. I post about my running regularly for friends and family to keep up with my movements. I’ve caught the parkrun tourism bug - mainly to keep my running up while visiting friends and family here and abroad.
In short: I’m no runfluencer and don’t give a monkey’s for fashion and ‘this year’s colour’. What I am is a 67 year old lapsed runner who’s caught the bug again.
Thanks for reading and sharing... what seems to be consistent is any corner of fitness is (at its most successful) an entirely personal journey. From your story, it sounds like the healthiest version of fitness was introduced to you at a young age, it seems to be a very different story for the average kid interested in sports or fitness today given the seismic shift in landscape... the internet changed everything, and its going nowhere.
After training to be a group fitness instructor and yelling forced hype, to doing yoga teacher training (and getting addicted to hot yoga)!
I've found that my runs and sometimes even walks - along the Pacific Ocean before dawn has hit the most prerequisites for movement, beauty and ease.
Living on the Gold coast Australia - it's run club, influencer and actual Olympian central so hard not to see the "cliches" but just like yourself, we've questioned if the cliches are actually good sometimes because even if it's vanity it's still being performed and learned.
Anyway, novel, sozzle but you nailed the core tension.
When fitness becomes content, it loses its soul.
P.s last year I rocked walking sandals for the first time ever in the summer 🌞 here - even though the internal cringe was hard, the comfort outweighed the ego 😂
Nice read this. Im lucky my running club is pretty wholesome 10 people are members atm, usually max 5 people meet on the sunday meets. Interchanging attendees. Proper chill!
I feel like this applies to so many pursuits, pastimes - people in it for all the wrong reasons. I have a favourite mountain back home that I’ve climbed since I was a kid, so much so it was the inspo for my first tattoo…always such a peaceful and quiet place, a place to escape…fast forward to Insta era and whenever I take a trip there these days it’s heaving. People there for the money shot at the top. And somehow I feel like they’re robbing the place you know?
When I started long distance running 10ish years ago, my 30-something self really appreciated I could get 1) fitter for cheap and 2) validation - for cheap 3) and a community which, despite us being joined by our needs for both of those things, managed to be one of the best parts of living in such a lonely city. Running Club 2.0 (or maybe 3 - this 3rd wave is exactly how you describe it) feels pretty superficial/ douchbagged, but there's also enough genuine crews and communities around - running for peace, playlist, good vibes, etc - that means we'll still be around once the dust settles.
Exactly - If you're from London, you know what the original and most authentic crews look and feel like. There's no denying why they do what they do. Their founders aren't here for the likes. They never created fodder for the feed, they created community... The tough thing is seeing (beyond running alone) how many people fitness as 'trend' has pulled in, THAT can't be bad for us, it shouldn't be. Right?
For sure...provided people are actually getting healthier and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise it's as good as a crash diet (and we know those don't work)
Such a great read! I have long felt that fitness became a trend or a way to “hook-up”. I remember seeing a small kid in a full workout look, and I knew then that fitness was no longer about getting fit!
I struggle with finding my place in it all because fitness does now seem performative, in all areas, body building, yoga, running, etc. and while wanting to be come fit again ( now in my 40’s as well), I sometimes get caught up in the image of doing, versus the actual work.
Pray for me! lol
Ha, you should see what happened when they came for surfing 🙈
A new noun for me ‘runfluencer’. Not sure where I’d fit in your ‘Observer’s book of runners’. I ran the ‘Lyke Wake Walk’ in Yorkshire in my teens did the Glasgow marathon in 1984, competed in several KIMMs in Scotland (Karrimor International Mountain Marathons) in my 20s / 30s. In my 40s I was an outdoor pursuit instructor and ran things like the ‘Cheviot Challenge’.
Then I moved to SE Asia and stopped running because of the heat, snakes and traffic. No running for 10 years. Came back in 2010 a much older man so thought my running days were over. I worked Saturdays teaching English, so missed out on the parkrun phenomenon for a few years.
Retired now and I have definitely rediscovered running: 125, and counting, parkruns later and a few 10Ks and longer, I’m back in love with all that running has to offer.
Some of my kit is old and some is new, I have always just bought what I like and wear it till it wears out. I post about my running regularly for friends and family to keep up with my movements. I’ve caught the parkrun tourism bug - mainly to keep my running up while visiting friends and family here and abroad.
In short: I’m no runfluencer and don’t give a monkey’s for fashion and ‘this year’s colour’. What I am is a 67 year old lapsed runner who’s caught the bug again.
Interesting read Reg, thanks for posting.
Thanks for reading and sharing... what seems to be consistent is any corner of fitness is (at its most successful) an entirely personal journey. From your story, it sounds like the healthiest version of fitness was introduced to you at a young age, it seems to be a very different story for the average kid interested in sports or fitness today given the seismic shift in landscape... the internet changed everything, and its going nowhere.
After training to be a group fitness instructor and yelling forced hype, to doing yoga teacher training (and getting addicted to hot yoga)!
I've found that my runs and sometimes even walks - along the Pacific Ocean before dawn has hit the most prerequisites for movement, beauty and ease.
Living on the Gold coast Australia - it's run club, influencer and actual Olympian central so hard not to see the "cliches" but just like yourself, we've questioned if the cliches are actually good sometimes because even if it's vanity it's still being performed and learned.
Anyway, novel, sozzle but you nailed the core tension.
When fitness becomes content, it loses its soul.
P.s last year I rocked walking sandals for the first time ever in the summer 🌞 here - even though the internal cringe was hard, the comfort outweighed the ego 😂
oh wow, WALKING SANDALS?! I salute you.
I can feel the cringe hah but yes 😅 90% humidity and 35°C - you loose inhibitions...
Nice read this. Im lucky my running club is pretty wholesome 10 people are members atm, usually max 5 people meet on the sunday meets. Interchanging attendees. Proper chill!
Also gotta shout out East Park Park Run too!
Thanks Kofi… that sounds dreamy… but are you saying you wouldn’t want it to grow? Can it still give the same feeling if it’s a massive crew?
Naaaaa not at all.
If it grows, it grows. I'll still turn up.
It's pretty good at attracting really chilled and relaxed runners and that flows into to energy of the social side of things.
No pressure. No stress. Just run your own way I guess.
Kinda similar to those 10k at 10am groups in Berlin.
I feel like this applies to so many pursuits, pastimes - people in it for all the wrong reasons. I have a favourite mountain back home that I’ve climbed since I was a kid, so much so it was the inspo for my first tattoo…always such a peaceful and quiet place, a place to escape…fast forward to Insta era and whenever I take a trip there these days it’s heaving. People there for the money shot at the top. And somehow I feel like they’re robbing the place you know?
When I started long distance running 10ish years ago, my 30-something self really appreciated I could get 1) fitter for cheap and 2) validation - for cheap 3) and a community which, despite us being joined by our needs for both of those things, managed to be one of the best parts of living in such a lonely city. Running Club 2.0 (or maybe 3 - this 3rd wave is exactly how you describe it) feels pretty superficial/ douchbagged, but there's also enough genuine crews and communities around - running for peace, playlist, good vibes, etc - that means we'll still be around once the dust settles.
Exactly - If you're from London, you know what the original and most authentic crews look and feel like. There's no denying why they do what they do. Their founders aren't here for the likes. They never created fodder for the feed, they created community... The tough thing is seeing (beyond running alone) how many people fitness as 'trend' has pulled in, THAT can't be bad for us, it shouldn't be. Right?
For sure...provided people are actually getting healthier and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise it's as good as a crash diet (and we know those don't work)