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I don't much either; most heckling tends to be fairly good-natured encouragement, especially when on club runs, and that's fine. But as a woman runner you do get occasional f*ckwits yelling sexually suggestive comments out of car windows, as per Crazy Diamond's experiences, and it is a bit intimidating.
I've never had it when its just me.
I suspect that my running style makes them feel so sorry for me that they can't bring themselves to mock.
I usually find "come on, only another four/eight/20 miles to go" stops most of the "look, I can run faster than you!" kids. I had one lad start throwing snowballs at me - following me to keep doing so - back in January, after I'd called out to avoid colliding with him (as he backed across the pavement in front of me). I stopped and said "look, I'm 28 miles into a 30 mile run and just want to get home. What are you getting out of this?" He had the grace to look sheepish and turn back.
That's because you're a bloke dressed as a green clad Anime superhero. They're probably worried you'll catch them!
I run every Tuesday at 3.30 which coincides with the school run past the local secondary school. Reliably there's some 13 year old boy wanting to make hilarious comments. I have a strategy now which works much better than telling them to f*** off, which is saying, "come on then lads, only another 7 miles to go". They sometimes rise to the bait but are knackered after 30 seconds, even though I'm a fairly knackered old bird. Then I get a bit of respect
Funnily enough I had it the other night from a car full of lads, I looked because they hooted but then got a load of v-signs. Was puzzling what they get out of it. Unfortunately, being a bit of a fat heffer myself, I am not hard enough to make impressive comments about how far I've come!
Morris - I'm a fat heffer too but I pretty much guarantee you'll have run further in one run than your heckler does in one week.
Not had it happen much to me of late but I just ignore them.
A few weeks earlier whilst on a run a "yout" ran alongside me for 30 seconds. At the end he politely said thanks for the run and peeled away!
On my Friday club run we often get a whole troop of Sea Scouts trying to keep up with us for a short stretch. It's actually pretty cute.
Where do some of you people run?!
I've had no abuse at all in my 6 months or so of running. 'Bloody hell, you must be tiiiiiired,' is about the most I've had from some kids as I completed the umpteenth lap of a local playing field when I was protecting a shin niggle from road running the other week!
On one my routes there's my local Territorial Army centre and sometimes I see them out on a group run going in the opposite direction. I'm tempted to turn round and race them one day.
Had one today: three lads in the park, one said "come on, do another 50 miles". Well, I happened to be wearing a "North Downs Way 50" shirt so I paused, turned my back towards him to show it off, and said "No, not today - did that two weeks ago!" "Oh" came the reply.
Fortunately I dont get it often - but you just have to remember (and this is probably the same for the classic builders/white van men calls women get) its more about the person doing the shouting and his relationship with his friends. Youre just an object for them to try and show off to them - whether thats because they feel inferior and want to raise their profile or otherwise.
If you can think of a witty one-liner retort that implies that then you'll be onto something... or just end up raising the stakes.
Pressing every button and not crossing makes you a dick.
Not only green clad anime superhero.... He's buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls!
Does seem like a pretty futile exercise, and one that can only antagonise the responsible motorists. Way to improve the lot of the runner.
Thankyou Ginger. Going by this thread it seems that it's only the fat heffers that seem to get grief from passers by. That's a shame isn't it. Poor cows.
You calling me a fat heffer, Sussex Runner?
It's the rule of the jungle.
You aren't going to throw abuse at some 6 ft fast looking bloke, as chances are they'll come after you and show you the error of your ways.
That's why the story of some yob throwing abuse at a middle aged woman, and then her coming home to find the same clown doing work for her neighbour is too good!
I don't think so literatin. But going by what is said in this thread it seems that most people don't get too much abuse but fat heffers in lycra seem to be the target. It's not right and it shouldn't happen but itt seems to be the case.
I think most women running on their own probably get aggressive suggestions from twats in vans from time to time. Only happened to me once or twice though, and usually in winter when it's dark outside. Though a builder did attempt a seriously piss-poor wolf-whistle this morning.
Actually what I'm getting from this thread is that some of the time it's quite nasty/aggressive, but a lot of the comments are probably reasonably good-natured. I certainly wasn't offended by some elderly walker telling me to run faster up a hill the other day. He was only joking. And if someone wants to run along and try and keep up, why not?
All comments from non runners are stupid. even the well intentioned ones. I don't mind the odd nice arse shout. Although I know I have a nice arse so why tell me?
maybe it is sarcasm
Any decent runner has a nice arse, surely? Although if you ever see the slow runners coming in at the great North Run or something it's a bit like. Hello? Who has clocked up more pies than miles?
I can only recall one single shout from a bloke-on-BMX-that-was-far-too-small of "You fucking cunt!" which, whichever way I cut it, doesn't seem very nice. Other than that, the occasional heckles I get seem to be good natured. If I'm doing intervals in the local park, a bit of banter with the local yoof helps things along, I find. Bless 'em.
Stevie G, not sure why you would say that my experience was too good to be true but the fact of the matter is, they heckled me, then I found them unloading roofing materials outside my neighbour's house (actually, a house about four doors up, but that detail seemed irrelevant).
Nor am I middle aged and when I refer to myself a fat heffer, it is in the form of self effacement, because actually I don't care if someone else thinks I'm fat, I'm quite comfortable in my own skin (which is white with black spots, in case anyone wonders)
Totally agree CD. Either do something about or accept that's who you are. They call you a fat heffer and you just say. Yes what do you want?
I said "too good", not "too good to be true", as in normally these people get away with it scot free. So the idea that he'd abused someone that lives next to someone he's working for, is "too good" ie quite funny.
And next time he may well think twice.
Sussex runner, come and have a run up ere round wigan if you want to experience the hecklers. It's got nothing to do with the way you look or how nice yer arse is. round ere,some people just choose to take enjoyment from taking the piss.
Perhaps it's that north south divide again hey?
Barry, I think Sussex Runner is clear evidence that southerners enjoy taking the piss too.