False testimony about running

An acquaintance of mine (I used to attend her fitness classes) had a testimony published about her business. All good and true until the last sentence which basically said that the person whose testimony it was "now regularly runs 5k and 10k races". I also know the person whose testimony it was and know for a fact she does not. In fact she entered one race over 2 years ago and that's it.

The article was published in the local paper's weekend magazine and the Facebook business pages. I emailed the business person to say that the article was far from truthful and even though the customer's health was better she was not racing regularly. 

The business owner instead of getting back to me, forwarded my email to my friend who basically went nuts. Called me evil and malicious and asked me what possessed me to question the article. she then emailed me her original testimony which I then realised had been changed.

The friendship is now gone and the business person (when I wanted to cancel my subscription to her fitness newsletter) asked me why... I feel that if something which is published, it should be truthful - or was I wrong to contact the business owner? After all, I could I said on Facebook that it was a lie or contacted the editor of the newspaper and did not do either. Why was I virtually crucified for pointing out a lie?

Comments

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Because society is set up to shoot the messenger. And they do that because they can't handle too much reality. Truth is too much, they'd rather live in a fantasy.

     

    🙂

  • Why would you think anyone here gives a feck ? Especially as this is your first ever post 

  • Its more a slight fib about running really. If that's the worst thing you see this week - you're doing pretty well.



    I might have spoken to my pal about her 'testimony' if I was that bothered.



    But really pretty much anyone can run 5 and 10ks - i'd not be impressed by a trainer that can perform miracles like that. Most of us here I'd wager didn't need trainers to get to 10k. (apart from our running shoes)
  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    Perhaps your 'friend' liked the false reality more than the truth of her own failure?



    Anyhow, no need to dwell on it. Business people tell lies to sell products. Others are willing to help them lie if it makes them look good. Just move on. ...after you cancel your subscription, obviously.
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    I'll admit I gave the post about 1% of consideration between drinks.

    🙂

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    It's annoying, and yes it's wrong, but as others have said overall it's so minor.... pretty much no-one will give a shit.  If you want to go mad you can create a website and write lots of blogs with similar subjects to the original article so they could find your articles when looking for said person... But in the scheme of things no-one really cares.  Yes your right, but hard luck.

  • Looks like I was just making a mountain out of a molehill. I obviously live in a nice world where people don't tell fibs and don't call each other evil and malicious and that's why I was shocked. 

    Anyway thanks everyone so far (including "fecking Dave who must be an amazing caring person). 

  • Blimey where do you live where people don't tell fibs ! I want to live there !



    (on second thoughts maybe not - none of those - 'hey looking good - have you lost some weight ?" white lies even ??)
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    For what it's worth, you've just experienced a type who reacts badly when they realise they have been rumbled.

    The mistake you made was confiding in the wrong person. From this, the business owner cannot be trusted either. 

    Obviously if the 'lie' had been described as a 'mistake', then some room for manoeuvre would have been possible.

     

     

    🙂

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Seems like a fairly innocuous "fib" to me.  Does the number of 5k/10k races this person has run recently have any bearing on the quality of service she can offer to customers through her business?  Seems like she's just flowering up her CV a bit.  I'm not sure I'd go running off to grass her up for it.  Have a quiet word with her maybe but it looks like it's gone past that stage.  Move on.

  • why didnt you ask your friend first....I'm surprised that you were so upset by the article..but if you were then why are you surprised if people react badly to you telling them they are lying.....

     if you stir up trouble then you should expect some hassle for it.......which is fine if you feel that its you need to correct a wrong....

    but in all aspects of life if you stick to principles then you will always come across hassle and objection.......usually knowing that you did what you thought is right is enough to balance the negative hassle....

  • I think Emmanuelle should reflect on her (former) friend's reaction and learn a lesson about how, if and when to stick your nose into relatively trivial matters.    The "how" bit is probably the most important of these.

  • plazzyplazzy ✭✭✭
    Good for you.

    Well done.

    Etc.
  • Maybe if she runs another 5k after two years and another two years later, it could be called regular.

  • DustinDustin ✭✭✭

    If your friend has gone nuts over someone fabricating her testimony, she is clearly not a very good friend, or at the very least, going nuts towards the wrong person.
    There are always stretches of the truth with testimonials: I know many personal trainers/physios via the running community and almost all, without exception, have testimonials from close friends who are hardly likely to rubbish them. I'd be more swayed by a stranger's good words towards their services.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    I know a personal trainer who won national titles and once ran in an Olympics.

    And they don't think they should put that on their testimonial. 

    I'd say that was under selling themselves a bit.

    🙂

  • That's taking modesty to a whole new level there Ric !
  • I got within 3 seconds of a world record once but I don't mention it, granted it was the 100m but it was still within 3 seconds of the fastest non drugged person on the whole of the planet image

  • People exaggerate things, get over it. 

    However was it really your place to call someone out?

    I'm not condoning lying but in the grand scheme who would take a testimony without a pinch of salt anyway? I'm not surprised it has all blown up in your face tbh. 

    Do you always see things so clearly in black and white Would you always react to a white lie in such and extreme manner?

    Runner, swimmer, cyclist and triathlete

    Devoid of a competitive streak :)

    Who cares, I'm in it for the medal!

  • People in glass houses Mr "Swims Like a Walrus..."



    I put it to you that you do NOT swim like a walrus - unless you can dive to 80M and hold your breath for half an hour.....
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    literatin wrote (see)

    Hello. I've not had much to contribute recently (except immense sympathy for Scott - hope things improve soon!), but I am just popping in to say I agree with Dean, Dachs. Indeed, that is what I did last year at London, but with 2:50 and 2:52. Early training had been going well and I'd thought I might have a shot at 2:50, but then I started feeling less healthy generally, my training was suddenly shit and so were most of my tune-up races. Two weeks before I told my then-future coach that I thought I would run 2:52. Just so as not to have any regrets, I decided to set out at 2:50 pace anyway, faded in the second half and finished in exactly 2:52. Which is what I was expecting: I reckon pacing for two minutes faster than you think you can manage is just within the boundaries of 'optimistic' rather than 'suicidal' and you can still hang on. You just have to be honest with yourself about the fact that the slower time is still the real (& realistic) target and promise yourself you will not be pissed off when that's what you run.

     

    Dachs wrote (see)

    I usually preface my race reports by responding to everyone else, but there seemed a clamour for mine, so did it t’other way round this time.

    Firstly, Scott, really sorry to hear about your issues, it is incredibly unjust that you’ve had another setback, but your optimism and philosophical approach to it is a great example to us all. We all know how badly I react to even the slightest issue, so in your shoes I wouldn’t be coping nearly as well.  Hardly surprising you have the odd low moment, but things will improve and you will reap the rewards from your patience.

    I do have to say that your posts should probably come with some kind of 18-rating though, they do conjure up some exceedingly graphic mental images.

    SG, good luck with the specialist tomorrow.  You must have a bigger base than the Rebel Alliance these days, so hopefully you get the chance to use it soon.

    Simon, well raced.  Track season is coming round again, so hold tight and times more in line with your ability will flow again soon enough.

    AG, good run in the circumstances.  I bet the Bus is delighted that you’ve shown up to take some of the heat off him for running injured or ill.  I like to imagine Ric sitting there in front of his screen clutching his head in exasperation whenever he reads a post by either of the two of you.  Or maybe by me as well.

    About a quarter of all my half marathons were run after being ill, with wildly different results.  The first time, I ran a 10 minute PB.  The second time, I definitely shouldn’t have run, and ended up walking four times in a hot, hilly race (still broke 1:20 and came 3rd though…image).  More bad experiences than good, so I’ve resolved not to run halfs after being ill any more, but I guess it’s a bit different when it’s a sub-maximal effort.

    Good coaching work Iron, hope to see you let loose on some guinea pigs soon.

    Dean, agree with those comments.  If I was the kind of bloke who was easily satisfied with my performances, I’d still be running 40 minutes for 10K.  I need to kick myself up the arse (a rare non-Scott arse reference there) to push myself on, and am more than happy to have others tell me I was crap if I was crap.  Having said that, I’m also happy to have some

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