to expect not to be taunted by neighbours when I run up the street

Poor you, what a waste of space that whole family is, and what a shocking example to pass on to their 8 year old.

Fwiw you don't even have to run, just walking along in the past I've been shot at with a supersoaker out of the window of a car, and had hundreds of incidents of verbal abuse screamed from cars, because I'm committing the cardinal sin of walking home from shopping/work, whilst daring to be fat. And I'm talking proper "fucking kill yourself, you cunt" kind of abuse.

Thankfully I live in a much nicer area now so it doesn't usually happen.

Don't stop running because of the comments. I've been running for years and I'm so impressed that you can run for 2 hours - I've never got that good.

I would say make sure you are wearing a good running bra as there is nothing like the sight of a bouncing bosom to get your average apeman all excited and feel like he has to honk his horn or shout some stupid comment.

Your neighbours, unfortunately, are thick as shit and they are raising their child to be as thick as shit. There's a lot of it about!

oh yes geegee's ideas are brilliant. do them, they sound more fun than mine

geegee you have just made me laugh till I cried at that image in no2. "waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh" - brilliant

OP- well done. I feel sorry for your neighbour's child- no wonder he's a treat.

I'm really inspired by you. I hope you don't stop running because of a few low lifes.

But how do you do it blob? It's tooo hard. I just can't run for any length of time without getting stitch or feeling like my lungs may explode.

Its not you. I run and I'm not fat. I get the same. I've even had orange juice squirted at me out of a car window and a strange woman shouting at me for having a big bum (I don't).

I find either of the two tactics work well, depending on my mood:

(1) Run at the jeerer in a dogged manner, staring menacingly so they have to move out of the way. Keep running, don't look back.

(2) Run up to them, invading their personal space slightly, look them in the eye with head turned slightly to the side, maniac style, and shout loudly "waaaaaaaaahhhhhh".

Either way, they will think you are a nutter, and ignore you. If anyone chases you, start screaming, loudly and piercingly, as if terrified. Guarantee they won't do it again...

I am too an overweight runner. My best advice would be to ignore them. Put some headphones on with some nice screw you type music and continue on your merry way.

People like this actually put me off the thought of running for such a long time. I used to go out at 6am before people were up or in the dark to avoid them. However I was shocked to find my local neighbourhood were the complete opposite of yours and as the months went on when I started running further and longer (and couldn't avoid people anymore) I found they'd actually been watching my progress and were amazingly supportive. I'd get a lot of "keep at it" "wow you've done so well!" comments and the local children running along with me. I also learnt for every idiot judging you there's 10 more out there wishing they were you or cheering you on. You may not see them but trust me they're there.

Oh and please do not let this put you off entering for events. Having done a fair few with proper running club type runners and thinking they'd be judging me for being so slow, they were actually the best support i've ever had and didn't care what shape or size I was or how slow I was, they just saw me as one of their own.

I always find it amusing when middle aged men with beer guts try to tell young, athletic, trained athletes at the peak of physical fitness what they're doing wrong when they kick a ball round a pitch, usually from the wrong side of a TV screen and accomapnied by belching. For some reason this thread has reminded me.

If I could run for two hours I would have to make sure I did a circuit or I don't know where i may end up.

DH says running is a mental thing. I think he means it's all in the mind once you start.

I would have looked at him and laughed and asked what about him? Good fr you for being assertive and standing up to those feckers

I would die if I tried to run for 2 hours. There's just no way on God's earth I could begin to manage it. And I'm a size 10. So I'm in awe of your fitness and your determination - keep on running and ignore the total fuckwit muppets.

Some people are idiots. Why be complete and utter fuckwits ust because you can? It makes no sense and yet they still do it.
Normal people like me are a combination of really impressed and slightly insanely jealous :o

firstly OP. well done for sticking with it and doing so well.

secondly, what you so the next time they shout is walk calmly over, stand at their wall and jsut look at them. not glare or give them evils. just look at them. they might continue taunting, they might tell you to fuck off, they might tell you to stop fucking staring, they might laugh at you but keep doing it and they will start to get paranoid that you know something they dont know and they will shut up. i' have done this and it works. they will get very self conscious and not enjoy being stared at for no apparent reason. tehy will lose their burst of confidence and will either just get bored of taunting you or will become so awkward they will turn away and pretend they have better things to be getting on with.

YANBU! Let them go fuck themselves. You get your run on, ignore them, and enjoy yourself.

I think that is amazing and wish I could run for 2 hours!
I do however take part in an event called park run - at various places across the world at 9am on a saturday (if you google it you will get a list of venues). If you would like encouragement for your running go there - I take almost an hour to do the 5k and everyone cheers you on and applauds at the end. Just a suggestion as a possible alternative once a week where you won't get rude comments.

^I am over 13 stone and a size 16 (down from 18 stone and size 24).

I now can run continuously for 2 hours covering 8.5 miles and I am proud of this and enjoy running^

well done! you need a recording of people cheering to listen to as you run.

Just wanted to say well done you. And your neighbours are bastards. Unbelievable. If they do it again I'd maybe get the police round as it's harassment. Not sure how you'd feel about that. The behaviour of people has really gone downhill since I was younger, I think.

Shoot them with a soft gun.

Seriously. Or shoot their windows, when it is dark and they cant see you.

Put a pea in, and shoot. Or aim at their car.

Anything.

YANBU and running for 2 hours, whatever the pace, is an amazing thing to do. You should be really proud of yourself. Idiots.

I've got a slightly wonky knee and so can't run, but have been powerwalking for a few weeks - I only do it with my noise cancelling headphones on, so even if people are having a good snigger at my power arms, I can't hear them over the sound of sweary Azaelia Banks. I have also adopted a special 'away with the exercise fairies' thousand yard stare.

I am effing proud of your achievements and I wish I could run for 2 bloody hours! I used to get this from my scumbucket neighbours when I was just a teenager walking to my part time job and it makes me so angry.

But this bit might cheer you up (it does me!) One of the really vicious men who used to taunt my big bum walked past me in town last week. They would actually follow me home to continue insulting me. He had no teeth, shoes with his toes hanging out and looked like an ashtray. He stopped and asked me for 20p and I laughed, and laughed and then laughed some more. I laughed as I took out my purse and found a 20 pence piece and then as I gave it to him I looked hard in his face and laughed. I am probably going to hell now, but I will go there LAUGHING!

Don't let someone like that stop you being fabulous.

Challenge them to a run! Give them an opportunity to show that they are INDEED the pinnicle of physical perfection as if.

Alternatively what I find helps is to change the mental image of them. Think of them as your (rather ugly and dysfunctional cheerleaders) and address them as such. Pretend that they actually ARE cheerleaders, that will confuse and annoy them. The mental image of these sort of people in skimpy cheerleader outfits is hilarious!

You might be fat but that is a situation that will change the way you are going.

Unfortunately they are scrotes, they will always be scrotes and they are teaching their child to be a scrote... Aint no amount of running gonna change them.

I advise an ipod... should have seen the look I got the day I walked into assembly after hill reps - I was bright red and sweating so much I left a puddle on the chair... even the children said 'OMG have you seen xxx mum!!! Shes really red!!'

You carry on running and well done for saying something.