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

[Babieseverywhere]

I'm fat and I run.

I run for my health and because I enjoy it.

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 :)

But I get a lot of negative comments from strangers, normally from young males who wind their windows down to shout comments at me as they drive past. Luckily I am hard of hearing so I miss the actual words screamed at me but it is clear from facial expressions and tones that the comments are negative...I ignore and keep on running.

A few weeks ago, new neighbours have taken on a house which needs a lot of building work done on it and hence are frequently outside the building and their young son has taken to pointing laughing and making various remarks about running and my weight, to and at me, which I ignore as he is a young child (around 8yo) and knows no better.

Then I 'met' his father, who joined in with his son and shouted so loudly across the road that I heard him clearly, despite my deafness/hard of hearing issues. He pretended to speak in the affections of a person with special needs and screamed 'Run Forest, Run' at me.

I crossed the road and asked him not to call me names in the street. He sneered and said he was only singing as I ran past and didn't get 'my fucking problem'. When I explained that I received enough comments from strangers and expected my new neighbours to be more courteous. His wife screamed from an upper store window, that I was 'fucking over reacting' and that I should 'expect comments when I run outside'.

Should I AIBU to expect neighbours to be polite to each other, not to mock them ?

I accept strangers might be nasty but is it acceptable to be pointed at, laughed at and name called on my door step....as I am fat and I run outside.

I may be old fashioned but I operate on the 'if you can't say anything nice, say nothing' policy and would never shout at strangers on the street.

Sigh, this won't stop me running but it just makes it harder for me to get out there. Why be nasty for no reason ?

Jealous idiots wih nothing to do in their own lives so they spend their time mocking other people
You are doing amazing, keep going and ignore than

Yanbu. Run past their house with a handful of eggs next time and when one hits the Dad in the face say "I was only JUGGLING for fucks sake! Don't overreact!"

Its not that you are fat, its that you are a woman. I run and have done so both when slim( and quite a hottie although I say so myself!) and now, when a bit porky after 3 children.

They heckled when I was thin, with sexual suggestions, they ran along beside me, they hung out of cars........vile. They still shout when I am fattish, perhaps less sexually, but still vile.

It used to infuriate me beyond belief. I took to wearing head phones, to block them all out , not not the safest thing to do.

Its the reason why I exclusively train on treadmills now, and really only run outside if I am doing races

So brace yourself, it wont stop once you get to be a skinny minny. There are just too many inadequate obnoxious men out there who think women are fair game and a woman, shock, RUNNING is positively inviting it. Pathetic. Fucking. Bastards.

Can'tsayanything

YANBU..........bloody well done you!!

They are twats, you are fantastic......end of.

Keep on running girl

Ignore the fuckers.

Being able to run for 2 hours is seriously impressive and such a great achievement.

Keep it up.

Blimey! Even in my youth I couldn't run for two hours! Well done!

You know how well you're doing - get yourself an MP3 player, pug yourself in and ignore the idiots.

From now on just refer to them as the Cuntz Family at no. 42

Mr AssHat Cuntz, His wife Gobby Cuntz and dear little CrapBag Cuntz.

I'm both impressed that you can run that much and have the balls to confront them.

My guess is they flared up this time but you'll have no bother from them again.

I'm 8 months pregnant and had builders next door nearly wet themselves with laughter watching me with my arse sticking right out try to get 2 yr old DS out of his car seat with a really sore back/ lowish car. Wish I'd had the balls to confront them rather than go red.

YANBU. What horrid people!

Also,you can run continuously for 2 hours! WOW! That's amazing. I can run for about 50 yards :(

Oh and to back up montysma, I'm (normally) a trim size 10 with average breasts yet when I run I also get comments. Mainly pervy about my breasts 'swinging' (they don't...they are a b-cup in a sports bra) but the odd piss-take about me being red/ sweaty and 'unfit'.

Well done you!

You are probably much fitter than me (my running consists of chasing a 2 yr old round)

I think running for that long is amazing honestly.

I lost a similar amount of weight last year although I have now put half of it back on but even then couldnt have run for more than about 10 mins without stopping.

Please ignore these complete twats.

I have been heckled by blokes while just walking along, calling me fat etc - ine evening last year (post weight loss, I was feeling quite good about myself, just in casual clothes, not dressed up) some guy yelled out of a van that I was an 'ugly fat cunt'. I have no idea who he was, nor why he thought I deserved that. I was so stunned I didn't even know what to say in reply.

I can't believe the nerve, cheek and down right rudeness of your neighbours is beyond belief! Talk about shitting on your own doorstep! I am seriously in awe that you still go out and run :D cannot tell you how amazing that is! I started running a few years back, I put on a lot of weight after my son was born and decided to crack on with exercising. I went out the first night and got some god awful things shouted at me and I didn't go back out :( I ran in the house on the spot/up and down the stairs. I got to 4 hours constant on the spot running and lost 3.5 stone. But I should have fronted it out, really wish I had! Well done to you, so much! You really are amazing and an inspiration!!!

YANBU

Yes please get a t shirt printed. Rude fuckers. Where do you live?!!

I'm filled with admiration at your ability to run! Unfortunately life's full of people ready to make stupid comments to make themselves feel good at the expense of someone else. If it's not you running it's someone else doing something else - empty vessels make the most sound and all that. DO NOT let it stop you, you sound amazing.

I couldn't run for 2 minutes straight, let alone 2 hours! Am thinking of doing couch to 5k but I'm far lazier than you.

More power to you and your amazing size 16 body, topped with an amazingly strong mind! Keep on keeping on (and no YANBU, but you knew that already, right? )

Thanks for the replies...I was feeling so down about it all. Strangely I feel quite ashamed of myself for confronting them so directly but I was so angry about it too.

In answer to a few questions. Two hours running is no big deal, I run very slowly barely 4.6 mph but I'm still running and getting fitter all the time.

'Dad' was more overweight than me, balding and ugly. 'Pot' and 'kettle' spring to mind ;)

I starting running a year ago doing the NHS Couch to 5K podcasts and I can't recommend them enough and I redid them after the birth of DD3 3 months ago. I ran last year on a treadmill and have only ventured outside this last two months.

Weight wise, I haven't got a particular end goal....at the moment my next big goal is another 11 lbs off which will push me into the 'overweight' BMI scale.

To be honest I am aiming more for a lifestyle change, so better food and more exercise. It took me 10 years to get this fat and will take a long time to get healthy again.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

^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.

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.