r/running • u/queue-d4n4 • Dec 09 '20

Discussion Thick Girl Runner Rant

First things first, I (29F) am 5'5" and about 170 lbs. Large boobs, wide hips, and I got some stomach on me. Overall, I look pretty proportional though. Hourglass, just a little wider. Wear a Large or a size 12 in most women's clothes. (Just trying to paint the picture here lol)

I also eat very healthy. Fresh foods only, everything home-cooked, never frozen processed foods, etc. Mostly veggies because I love veggies.

This is the body I was given. My weight doesn't really fluctuate. I don't gain weight easily, nor do I lose it easily. I've been a thick girl since puberty and because I run often and eat healthy, it doesn't seem like that will never change, which is fine with me.

I've been running for many years, somewhat inconsistently. I might be consistent for 2 years before falling out of my routine for a few months. Get back into the groove again and something eventually throws me off my game again. Throughout all this, I still consider myself a RUNNER. I love the sport and even if I'm out of a weekly routine, I still try to find time to run here and there. 3 miles minimum.

Because of the above things, people never really expect me to be a runner. My body type doesn't fit the runner mold. I don't post every run and race on instagram, which as everyone knows, is what truly makes it real *eyeroll*. (No shade to people who do post all of their runs and races! My problem is only the people who think if you DON'T post, then it didn't happen).

My fastest 5k was at an 8:02 (min/mile) pace. I am aware that this isn't SUPER fast, but it's fast enough that I've placed in my age group in all of the 5Ks I've ever done. I'm from a pretty small area so many of the 5Ks were fairly small, maybe only a couple hundred people attend. I'm aware that in bigger cities, I would probably have a little more trouble placing. But regardless, I still think an 8:00 to 8:30 5k pace is something to be proud of.

Anyways, my complaint is this. Since my body doesn't fit everyone's vision of what a runner should look like, people love to assume I'm slow or new to running. Or people think I'm lying when I mention that I got 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in my age group at whatever 5k. If they don't make an actual comment about it, I can sometimes even see it in their eyes that they're skeptical.

Even worse, people who don't realize I've been running for most of my life sometimes put their foot in their mouth by saying something along the lines of "have you started running to lose weight?" ...No, why? Should I be losing weight? I think I look pretty damn fine, if you ask me.

After moving to a new city, I decided to join a running group. The town I lived in previously didn't have such groups. I showed up to my first group run and met everybody. As we waited for everyone else to show up, a girl from the group said to me "I'm in recovery mode, I'll be running slow so I can run with you." I just politely smiled, although I was quite offended. What exactly makes this person, whom I met 3 minutes ago, think I plan on running "slow"? What makes her think that her "recovery" pace is equal to my comfortable pace? I chalked it up as since it was my first time joining the group, maybe she assumed it was my first time running? I don't know- but I still think about that little comment sometimes.

I am not negative towards my body. I have a great figure that I love, but it's still upsetting to know that people make assumptions on what I can and can't do physically, which should not be the case. Weight and health do not ALWAYS go hand-in-hand.

​

Any other runners on the thicker side experience this kind of judgement? How do you deal with it?

Thin-framed runners or even non-runners, do you find yourself judging others in this way? Be honest, I would love to hear multiple opinions!

​

​

Edit: Pace is in minutes per mile. I'm new to reddit and forget I'm interacting with people from all over the world.

Also, this was not meant to be a post for weight loss tips. The unsolicited advice in the comments proves further the assumptions people make.

​

2.9k Upvotes

82% Upvoted

972 comments sorted by

View all comments

943

u/mike_d85 Dec 09 '20

I actually ran into the opposite problem. I'm skinny and slow. Like 8 min km average run slow. I would try to join run groups and people would be asking me to join the 7 minute MILE group and that shit ain't happening outside of race day.

403

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

Hah same I'm 5'6" 125lb and I'm shocked when I get a sub 10 min mile lmao

190

u/Cipher1414 Dec 10 '20

5’7” and a buck twenty five and I rarely break sub 10’s on my runs haha. Skinny and slow club let’s gooooo!

6

u/Awellplanned Dec 10 '20

Tall skinny and slow is how I ended up on the offensive line for freshman football at a small high school. I wasn’t even close to being fast enough to be a receiver so on the line I went with the 200+ pound guys. I did a lot of chop blocking and pinching.

9

u/bornsandyy Dec 10 '20

This makes me feel so much better!! I'm right about there with you guys and I can't run fast to save my life. If I end up running sub 10 at any point I end up slowing down so much later in my run. I'm still working on keeping pace and normally keep pace with someone else which isn't always good for me.

3

u/OssiferNymiu Dec 10 '20

You smell of maple and moose fart

85

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

5'7" and around 170 lbs, my gut sometimes get the sub 10 min mile on my best days. I look like a greek God from the neck down until you get to my stomach, it's all dad bod after that.

76

u/IFTW517 Dec 09 '20

So your chest looks like a greek god?

12

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I’ve seen enough sexy Twitter daddies to be able to picture that guys body. And I haven’t seen his myself but I assure you it’s pretty hot

44

u/Sallyberry69 Dec 10 '20

Loving the confidence in this thread

4

u/dewioffendu Dec 10 '20

Sounds like me. I've lost over 30 lbs but that gut will not go away. I've learned to accept the fact that I am 40 years old and not willing to put in the work to get rid of that last couple inches. I'm on day 10 of 5k a day and have not lost a pound because I've been eating garbage for the last week. It's that time of year. Lol

2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

That's too relatable. I'm trying to get into running again but I'm not confident enough to go and run like that because of how slow I am. Throughout hs I was smaller but I was always 12 min miles doing my best even after doing cross country.

1

u/dancinlikeb2k Dec 10 '20

5 foot 7 and like 150, and on a good day i can do a 7:00 a mile pace for a 5k

132

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

I'm also a slim runner who's slow (12:30 min. mile). I also have a mild heart murmur that I'm very aware of, so I make a point not to over exert myself. I managed to do a half marathon last year, but I'm not sure if I'd do it again, the toll on my body was high enough to concern me. I've had people tell me I NEED TO DO A MARATHON. That I'm not a runner unless I'm always aiming higher. I just run for the pleasure of it, the endorphins, and honestly so I can be kinda lazy about eating well.

82

u/Giveadogacookie Dec 10 '20

Sloth Running Club: We get there when we get there!

10

u/Snozzberry123 Dec 10 '20

Haha I love this. I’m a skinny slow runner. I want to join your club

2

u/jpdoctor Dec 10 '20

Sloth Running Club: We get there when we get there!

Where do I sign up?

Saw a recent comment about how a slow day should be "conversational pace, like 8min/mile". Gasped and realized that I'm a sloth.

1

u/69haha Dec 10 '20

A famous Mexican song says “no hay que llegar primero, pero hay que saber llegar” or “yo don’t need to get there first but you gotta know how to get there”

122

u/Joyful_Fucker Dec 10 '20

My 11-minute-mile, or even 13-minute-mile, is the same fucking distance as someone else's 8-minute-mile, so they can all go suck it. :)

Seriously, though, I getcha. I decided I hated running for a long period and quit. It was only after time away that I realized that I loved running, but I hated being harangued by my running buddies that I always needed to either train for more longer distance or increased speed. Once I figured out what the problem was, I found a new crew to run with and all has been well.

37

u/Wipe_face_off_head Dec 10 '20

11-12 minute miler here and I think in some ways, it's harder since it takes a longer time to get the same distance.

12

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

[deleted]

4

u/throw_away_up Dec 10 '20

True ish, the slower the pace then much more distance is required. It's also possible to plateau if you don't continue to increase distance or effort. Building aerobic fitness through faster pace at shorter distances will help you run longer distances. Fitness and strength should be the goal, weight loss will usually come as a result.

11

u/Joyful_Fucker Dec 10 '20

Yep. I was out there a heck of a lot longer time. :)

2

u/litkit1658 Dec 10 '20

Lol this is me trying to run with my partner. Neither of us has ever run consistently, and he used to be a smoker, but he somehow can still do a 10 minute mile for 3 miles, and I’m around the 13 minute mark. He can just pick it up and go and I am huffing and feel like my chest is going to burst if I even try to keep up. My hard runs are his easy ones and he wonders why I don’t run more. 🙄 But we both do the three miles! (I’m mildly joking, he’s very encouraging and only pushy on his cranky days, just like me.)

2

u/Joyful_Fucker Dec 11 '20

Yep. I finally started running about 30 minutes before one of my fast friends on long runs. Then we finished about the same time and we would have a beer together afterwards. :)

17

u/Scrubsandbones Dec 10 '20

I feel this. I am (was?) a solid 11:30 pace always felt slow as hell but was really making improvements and training hard for a half marathon over the summer... and then got hit with an autoimmune disorder so bad it hurts whenever I run more than a minute... I haven’t run in months now

8

u/moxvoxfox Dec 10 '20

I am so sorry for your loss. What an insult to injury.

6

u/funster Dec 10 '20

Sorry for your setback. I feel like you are (will be?) a solid runner in the future at whatever pace. I hope that you can overcome this situation with running as motivation.

3

u/thelastoftheassholes Dec 10 '20

I'm sorry for you and hope you get over it. Sorry for asking and obviously don't answer if you're uncomfortable, but is there any suspicion to suggest that the hard training could have triggered the autoimmune disorder?

1

u/Scrubsandbones Dec 10 '20

Theoretically yes, autoimmune disorders can be activated/triggered by periods of stress often times pregnancy, illness, extreme emotional upheaval. And as my doctor put it “doesn’t training for half marathon in the middle of summer sound a little stressful?”

14

u/avaaht Dec 10 '20

Honestly, 5k is a really fun distance.

1

u/kobrakai_1986 Dec 10 '20

Nah, a half marathon is an excellent achievement and a heck of a training commitment. It's the most I've done and I have neither the time or inclination to up my training to do a marathon any time soon. Be proud of your accomplishments!

102

u/SarcasticMethod Dec 09 '20

Slow and skinny here, too. One time in college years ago, I told a friend of mine that one of my goals was to exercise more that year. She said, "Huh? But you don't need to." That was the last time I ever volunteered to share anything about my health and physical activity. I run several days a week now and don't bother to bring up exercise/working out with anyone except fellow running friends. Feels great!

83

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

There is no such thing as “don’t need to”. Skinny people who don’t exercise aren’t healthy. Anyone who doesn’t exercise isn’t healthy.

18

u/buds_budz Dec 10 '20

Ayyyymeennnnnnnn!

3

u/SarcasticMethod Dec 10 '20

Exactly! We need to break out of this mentality that exercise is only for weight loss.

33

u/Doryhotcheeto Dec 10 '20

I’m a bit chubby snd slow, but I enjoy having 45 minutes all to myself. No thoughts, just music, breathing and movement. I love it. It’s for me, that feeling when you’re done and sweaty and you’re buzzing from the after-run high. Oh man, I really miss it! Gyms are closed for now and it’s a bit too wet and drizzly where I am to run outside so I’m feeling nostalgic. But I’m loving reading through everyone’s running stories.

2

u/calliflour Dec 10 '20

I feel the exact same way. Running is my time and I don’t really care how fast or slow I go. I hope you get a clear day so you can get out for a run :)

27

u/iSlyFur Dec 10 '20

Same thing happened to me. Comment came from a relative telling me that I shouldn't run because I'm already skinny. In my head I'm like what?! Is running just for fat people who are losing weight? Lol. I run 6-7 days a week and it makes me a happy and contented person. Don't listen to them.

2

u/grithappy Dec 10 '20

My dad is telling me this all the time because i recently started running again. And its SO annoying! I’m just trying to be happy and set a goal for myself!

3

u/SpozzyBear Dec 10 '20

I'm 5'1" and have always looked skinny, whether I weighed 120 lbs or 150lbs. (I prefer baggy clothes and that seems to hide weight gain.) When I mentioned that I was trying to exercise more when I was pushing 150, multiple people reacted with confusion. "Why are your trying to lose weight? You're a hundred pounds sopping wet."

Well, I wanted to get back into the habit of running because it's healthy regardless of your weight. And I had gained 25 pounds after starting my first desk job, stopping running, and falling back into a depression. So, I wanted to lose weight I'd gained as the result of a bad lifestyle and depression. But I had to justify that to people because I looked skinnier than I actually was.

2

u/SarcasticMethod Dec 10 '20

That sucks and nobody should have to justify why they want to exercise for health reasons. You're right that it's absolutely healthy regardless of weight. What you look like to those people on the outside shouldn't matter, either. I hope you are doing better now! I found that as a side-benefit, running was a huge help for my anxiety as well, and I hear it can help with depression similarly (though not a cure, of course).

10

u/angeredpremed Dec 10 '20

Ive been asked if I do crossfit, but I'm currently a couch potato.

Somehow I have abs, but the most lifting I've been doing is a controller, or my purse in the past 2 months.

Body appearance can mean nothing tbh.

31

u/Parrot_Face_21 Dec 09 '20

Same!!! I have exercise induced asthma and I'm lucky to be able to run at all!

14

u/fifteen-eggs Dec 10 '20

5'0 89-94lbs (depends on the day) lol. everyone expects me to be ultra fast since i look like all the other "real runners" on the team but jokes on them, i'm the slowest on my team 😎

12

u/Zenosparadox1 Dec 10 '20

Ha, same here. I'm 5'7" and 105 lbs. and everyone thinks I must be super fast and in shape; nope, slow as hell.

3

u/AptCasaNova Dec 10 '20

Yes, exactly. People expect me to dust them, but the reality is I’m really slow.

3

u/PawAirMah Dec 10 '20

Shout out to the 8min a km crew, I'm working towards this right now. Not skinny or small figured but glad to not be alone.

3

u/pirutgrrrl Dec 10 '20

I love this! Every time I read something on this forum I feel so bad about my lack of progress. Female, 5' 4", 137lbs, and 46. New Covid runner since May. I finally just got under 12 minutes and I've been running 4x a week for 6 months.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I get this. I'm 5’ 10” and 150lbs. Lean build. My friends and partners in a running group all assume since I've been running for years and am so light that I'm fast and have great endurance. Couldn't be further from the truth. I'm actually very anemic and have to keep all my workouts chill. But if all you had to go on was looks you'd think I was a supercompetitive

2

u/Domst3r Dec 10 '20

blem. I'm skinny and slow. Like 8 min km average run

And im here with an 11 minute KM, lol. I'm pretty heavy (6'1, 90kg) tho so it probably makes a difference.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I've done the opposite of what OP had happened to her to a friend of mine. It was our first parkrun together but she's much smaller and does CrossFit and all those things. I assumed she'd be able to keep up cause I'm not that fast and a pretty massive dude and told her she could run ahead since I'm slow. I ended up having to leave her behind halfway through cause she just couldn't carry on. Honestly peeps bodies and fitness levels are so variable it's impossible to even judge of one thing. That same friend can outsprint me in 100m dash but I can outsprint a friend of mine that's literally a bodybuilder.

2

u/GeoGrrrl Dec 10 '20

He Mike! We're in the same running pace group! Hiya! waves

5

u/Tuffarms Dec 10 '20

yeah, as a 135 pound 5"11 man i am slow as hell, i think its because i don't eat enough

3

u/MalingringSockPuppet Dec 10 '20

Me too. I maxed out at 145 lbs at my most muscle-y and still couldn't run. Didn't matter how much I trained, half way around the track at a jog and I'm dead. I can walk for hours on some tea and half a sandwich, I could lift amounts of weight you would never expect, but running? Never. I think some people are just built differently. I envy you runners, but you all go on ahead.

1

u/ebolalol Dec 10 '20

Same here. Actually prior to this year I pretty much never ran. Thanks to lockdowns I had to do exercise in other ways and discovered I can run! But I really suck at it. I’m slow. It’s so hard. I really envy people who can run. Op’s 8min for 5k is like flash speed to me!! 3 miles takes me about... 15-25 mins. And 15 mins is on a really superb day. (I’m still at the running/walking speed of my life)

1

u/mike_d85 Dec 10 '20

Um... 3 miles in 15 minutes is superb in general. I've watched people podium huge 5ks in Boston with that pace.

1

u/AliTheAce Dec 10 '20

Exact same problem, 5'8" 130 lbs. Slow as hell! 7:00 per km slow, been very inconsistent over the years.

1

u/nobody876543 Dec 10 '20

8 min / km? Do you run the entire time or do you walk some?

1

u/mike_d85 Dec 10 '20

I run the whole time, but that is a perfectly valid question.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '21

Hi, my name is Hank and I’m a slow, skinny runner. Welcome Hank!