I feel like I just don’t “get” certain aspects of other runners

I’ve been a runner for a long time. Sometimes I have run competitively, other times, I’ve run for recreation. Having gone through many phases in my running, I think I have a pretty good understanding of why most other runners are doing what they do. But there are those times when I see others runners that make me think “Huh? I just don’t get it!” Here are a few examples:

Runners who get in the food line directly after a race. Every time I race and see others make a beeline for the food after, I think “How can they eat right now?!” After racing, the smell of anything makes me want to throw up. I know you’re supposed to eat within a 30-minute window for optimum recovery, but I just can’t do it. I look at these people and think they must be aliens. Of course, give me 30 to 60 minutes and I’m ready to eat anything and everything. But I have to say I respect those who can go straight from finish chute to the post-race buffet line.

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Runners who are all or nothing. I’ve seen many runners go from the most dedicated, disciplined training routines to a dead stop. The routine doesn’t even include 20 minutes of jogging a week. I’ve been both the intermittent 20 minute jogger and the consistent disciplined trainer. I get how life situations can take you to both extremes. Sometimes you have the time and mental energy to devote to training, and sometimes you just don’t. But to quit cold turkey? I totally don’t get it.

Runners who carry everything with them. OK, if you’re an ultra-runner or out there for a crazy amount of time, I get it. Admittedly, I’m a bit of a minimalist, and I might be annoying to my running buddies when I take them up on their water offers when they are the ones lugging it around. I never have, but I may eventually also take them up on toilet paper offers. But I draw the line at tissues. OK, I do find it a bit endearing when my friends carry tissues to blow their noses, but don’t we all assume we’re going to get snotty while running? To me, that’s the equivalent of carrying deodorant and re-applying it mid-run.

Runners who look and smell great while running. I totally don’t get this. And no, it’s not just women, I’ve seen it in men too. People who look and smell like they’ve just taken a shower, while they run with not a hair out of place… I don’t know how they do it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but it is just the opposite of my state when I’m running. If I’m going to put energy into my appearance (every now and then I try) I’m definitely not going to waste it on how I look on a run. But maybe some people just look like this all the time? I don’t know. I don’t get it.

Who knows, maybe I’m the quirky one. It’s a good thing we’re not all the same. I just find it funny when I observe these differences in other runners. I know we’re all roughly of the same breed but boy– there really are some big differences in our approaches.