Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Exercising outdoors and then driving everywhere?

43 replies

Thegreenery · 07/07/2020 11:27

I live in a small village where there are a lot of running clubs. Forgive me for being judgemental, but I'm getting increasingly annoyed by the degree of runners who do all their exercise outdoors, but then drive anywhere within 1 mile when they could easily walk?
Completely understand people wanting to keep fit, but it makes zero sense to me. Surely, build the exercise into your everyday life and help save the planet at the same time?
I often see groups of runners running by my house in the morning, then see those same mums and dads doing school runs in the car shortly afterwards, driving less than a mile and home again on my walks to and from the school gates.

Am I missing something?

OP posts:

gotothecooler · 07/07/2020 14:28

I guess the reason I mentioned the running is that these people appear to like exercising outdoors, so I don't understand the reluctance to walk to school.

People have tried to help you understand. You clearly just don't want to as it won't suit your judgement here.

Although perhaps, there wouldn't be the requirement for a gruelling run if people just walked everywhere instead?

Yeah. Because walking young children to school is completely on the same level as running

Honestly OP you are doing yourself no favours here.

TheNextChapter · 07/07/2020 14:31

I've heard it all now. JFC. Could you be anymore nosey OP.

Dixiechickonhols · 07/07/2020 14:34

I’m always fascinated how people know so much about people they don’t know. I spent years until recently wfh. I’m sure most people would assume I didn’t work. Casual clothes, did Both school runs, I don’t go around bragging I’m an x. I also have idiopathic subglottic stenosis - narrowing of airway. Tape up your mouth and nose and make a pin prick to breathe through. See how easily you do your quick 10 minute walk. People who knew me well had no idea what I had or how bad it was. Let alone the neighbours. The nhs built me a new bit of airway out of my rib and thigh 5 years ago and I can do it now. But it’s a condition that affects women often starts in their 30s and 40s. Never heard of it? Think how many other conditions there are out there you haven’t heard of.

Dixiechickonhols · 07/07/2020 14:37

Women sitting in cars could be doing work emails or calls, can’t do that easily or confidentially and walk. Or need car to make 4pm swim lesson after school etc. Maybe with more people now wfh there will be more understanding.

Ifailed · 07/07/2020 14:42

Women sitting in cars could be doing work emails or calls, can’t do that easily or confidentially and walk. Or need car to make 4pm swim lesson after school etc.

A lot of judging going on there.

GrumpyHoonMain · 07/07/2020 14:45

I agree with you. It just doesn’t make sense to me that runners can claim to do it for fitness but then not walk a mile down the road as part of their daily routine.

EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire · 07/07/2020 14:49

I don't understand people who drive short distances in general tbh but to each their own.

Runbitchrun · 07/07/2020 14:55

Wow, I wasn’t aware I was potentially being judged for how I travel everywhere throughout the day. I am a runner, but I also drive the mile to work most days for a variety of reasons - sometimes have to travel to the other office during the day, have to go home on my half hour lunch to see to the dog, have to take one of my children straight to an activity immediately after school... Surely you can see there could be lots of reasons why people choose to do this?

gotothecooler · 07/07/2020 15:02

I agree with you. It just doesn’t make sense to me that runners can claim to do it for fitness but then not walk a mile down the road as part of their daily routine.

You can't stretch your brain, not even a tiny bit, and use some of the helpful clues in the thread to realise why that might be the case?

TheOrigBrave · 07/07/2020 15:19

Although perhaps, there wouldn't be the requirement for a gruelling run if people just walked everywhere instead?

You clearly don't enjoy running, and I think are regarding it as something to be endured.

Dixiechickonhols · 07/07/2020 15:31

Ifailed Not judging at all just offering suggestions as someone upthread couldn’t understand why someone would sit in a car for 20 mins outside school.

BackInTime · 07/07/2020 15:43

Running is quite often a social thing rather than just the exercise. People run in groups because it motivates them, is an excuse to get together with friends and get away from house and DC and is about 'me' time. While I agree driving short distances is often ridiculously unnecessary it is a separate issue to people who run as a hobby.

mightbealittlebitmad · 07/07/2020 15:43

I normally walk the mile to school because I need the exercise but sometimes I'm lazy and I'll drive. Sometimes I'll park as close as possible and sometimes I'll park really far away.

I used to be in the car for nursery pick up because I was on my way back from the gym. I did have enough time to drive past nursery, go home and walk to nursery but it was a faff so more often than not I would park and wait.

HugeAckmansWife · 07/07/2020 15:58

I used to live in a village and walked the kids to school on the days I didn't work but it wasn't fun. It was a rat run for traffic trying to get from one side of the county to another; parked cars causing lots of frustrated and impatient rush hour drivers; narrow pavements with bins out; my kids are shit scared of dogs so would want to run out across the road if they saw one and so on. I did it because due to aforementioned traffic and parking it would have been bonkers to do otherwise but on the days I worked, I did drive my kids to the CM just up from the school because I needed to get straight on my way. It would have meant getting the kids out of the house at 7.30 rather than 7.45 which makes quite a difference at that stage and then I wouldn't have been back home, in my car til 7.55 which would make me late for work. CM didn't start any earlier. If I drove them, we left at 7.42, dropped off at 7.45 and I was underway by about 7.47 -- where I lived then those few minutes really did make a huge difference to how busy key junctions were. As pp have said, its just not possible for many to build exercise into their day, its an extra.

lazylinguist · 07/07/2020 16:11

Walking a mile at child pace is not remotely the same level of exercise as going for a run. Walking fast is good, but nobody wants to turn up to work or to a social engagement all sweaty. People have given you lots of other very valid reasons why YABU. Yes,people should avoid using a car for short journeys where possible, but sometimes it's not practical. Neither is running to school if you have a small child with book bags and PE kit etc with you. Neither is running to work if there's no shower. Neither is running to the shops and back if you're going to have bags of shopping. I don't think you've really thought this through, OP.

Pollyputthepizzaon · 07/07/2020 16:13

Walking isn’t a substitute for running. I run outside 3-4 times a week but then drive to the school and drive to swimming lessons and drive to kids birthday parties. I can’t carry the children on my back and run, we need the car.

But also even if I didn’t have children, when I finish a run I stink. I’m literally dripping sweat into my eyes and I’m bright red. I can’t turn up somewhere like that!!

Using running as a form of transport would be ridiculous. I wouldn’t even pop to the shop after a run as I’m so sweaty and smelly.

BogRollBOGOF · 07/07/2020 16:23

I'm fortunate to live 200-300m from the school so do walk it since I became a SAHM.
However when I was still working, I'd leave work at 5:30. Drive 6 miles to pick up DS2 from nursery at about 5:45 then drive past my house and park up in the empty school car park to pick up DS1 at 5:55.

I did not have a spare 10 minutes to park up at home to go on foot witha knackered 3 year old slowing me down.

Knackered 3/ 5 yo pace for 250m is hardly HM training.

Sometimes I drive to run because I live on the crest of a hill and sometimes my legs need a flat run or just a change of starting point so that I don't have to finish every single run with a trudge uphill.

I will admit with a school catchment area of 500m that I don't understand the number of parents parked up along the road 45 minutes before the end of the school day. That is not a time issue for fitting in a 10-15 minute walk.

PineappleBun · 07/07/2020 16:41

While I agree with the general idea that we should walk more where possible, in reality we all have different circumstances. People can be judgmental without knowing anything about ppl's life.
I live only 20 min walk from dd school, but I drive most of the time. It's because I work from home and I would be late logging in to office if I walk back home. Not to mention DS nursery is 2 miles away which I have dropped to him off before taking DD to school. Ppl can comment I am lazy but it's just not practical to walk to school for me.

Flip

1 2