Cat calling: good or bad?

I’ve come to realise that my running is something of a spectator sport.

I can be wrapped up in my own little world of ‘come on, you can make it up this hill, distract yourself, legs up, run lightly, pump arms’ when my mantra is interrupted by the voice behind me…

‘KEEP IT UP, LOVE’ or ‘KEEP RUNNING’ and once ‘PUSH IT, BABY’ (I kid you, not).

Now it is a bit irritating, and it can more than put me off my stride, but is it really such a bad thing?

In the past I’ve had a bit of a harrumph to myself, mostly because these comments come from men who look like they couldn’t run for a bus/toffee/a free six-pack of cooking lager.

That and the fact that I’m usually on my last legs, pouring with sweat, bright red and generally looking like I’m about to implode.

But they have actually spurred me on to run a bit faster, which is what I’m aiming for after all.

Clearly I’m not alone and from this Runners World forum most people take it in good humour.

Of course I have the advantage of being past the NED fantasy age and so I don’t have to endure lewd, explicit comments from youths as I’m old enough to be their mother, or possibly grand-mother.

I think most of my commentators are trying to be helpful or identify themselves as ‘friendly’ rather than ‘threat’, and if that helps me run a bit faster, then all to the good.