tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post3333875805718504000..comments2023-12-28T21:22:10.935-07:00Comments on Jill Outside: Labeling myselfJill Homerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-56682783888586894532012-04-06T06:32:59.435-06:002012-04-06T06:32:59.435-06:00Not to be the lone voice crying int the woods, but...Not to be the lone voice crying int the woods, but I think there's quite an over-reaction here. I think the ad is aimed at a target audience. You say you saw it on the web, but it's obviously a print ad, so I would wonder if it's from a specific magazine aimed at racing. I don't think PI is trying to be offensive to people who run races for reasons other than a high place, or people for whom a high place is unattainable at the moment. I think they're just trying to capture the feeling of competition and pushing on physical limits for a specific cause and associate that with their shoes. I can see where it might be considered a pretty ham-fisted way of accomplishing that, but I don't think it's any different than those testosterone-laden Under Armour ads where the guys are yelling about protecting their house. It's just marketing.<br /><br />Labels exist only on superficial levels to create association for cataloging people and things. Look to the left of your blog page -- you're doing it yourself. You categorize the bloggers you read as "Rad Runners" or "Avdenture Cyclists". Do you believe these narrow categories capture all these people are? Of course not, but it creates a catalog for you -- an organization, so to speak. Pearl Izumi is trying somethign that's not actually that easy to do -- associate their product with race-performance when it has yet to claim any real podium results. How else could they do this than to foster some notion of serious-minded race-for-results dedication and then tie that to a picture of their product? <br /><br />I actually think it says more about the readers such as yourself that you would have a visceral reaction to this in the way you did. I would think that you would agree that you don't owe PI or anyone else an explanation for why you run and yet a part of you still doesn't want to allow yourself to be associated with a label of "runner" because you have a concern that ... what? You'd have to live up to somebody else's concept of what that is? By denying the label, you're accepting those assessments indirectly. You ARE a runner. You're also an adventure cyclist. The results you seek in any contest are self-defined and may or may not include a podium finish. And being labeled that way isn't a rehash of the grade school mean-girls bullshit you have tucked away in your psyche. It's just a single piece of a larger whole. If someone intriduced you to a third party as "a runner" and the reaction was soemthing that made you uncomfortable, you always have the option to expand on the reality yourself. But the label itself is just a neat and tody way of organizing yourself, your friends, and relationships and interests without carrying around your whole resume.<br /><br />(And, as a non-running- singlespeed-29er-riding-mid-distance-mid-pack-finishing endurance-mountainbiker who specializes in east-coast rocky courses in deplorably wet conditions, I think you should know that being a "runner" in my mind is an embraceable part of your freak flag and should be treated as such.)<br /><br />Great post!1speedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07864040614904315814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-11168117009242581022012-04-05T12:20:17.732-06:002012-04-05T12:20:17.732-06:00I am a ... wanderer. I run on trails, but slowly, ...I am a ... wanderer. I run on trails, but slowly, and I often stop to explore a side path or check out a view. On my bike, my goal is to find new paths to places--so I spend a lot of time on my road bike exploring dirt trails. I like to climb slowly and descend quickly. My idea of hell would be maintaining a constant, high speed out and back on some kind of flat-ish road (e.g. Canada) for 80 miles. <br /><br />I think Pearl is Full Of Shit. But they are a real poser brand, actually--in cycling, they haven't really managed to infiltrate the pro market and I don't think their gear is very high quality. And I didn't even know they made running stuff. This is another case of trying to become popular by creating a culture of exclusivity. Your Guess jeans analogy is not far off.<br /><br />(incidentally, my first pair of Guess jeans was purchased for $3 at a thrift store in 7th grade. I was ridiculously proud of them, and worried that someone might eventually guess their provenance. Fortunately I came to my senses a year or two later and stopped caring about labels.)kbehroozihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15792042908539199354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-73922029148925544722012-04-05T11:33:33.182-06:002012-04-05T11:33:33.182-06:00I think the endurance sports are a large enough te...I think the endurance sports are a large enough tent that they can welcome all types of participants. I don't necessarily object to the "theme" of the PI ads, but I think the execute that theme pretty poorly (especially for a company that is in theory trying to sell more shoes).<br /><br />I think everyone who participants in endurance events does so to scratch some personal itch, and if they keep doing them they are generally striving to to achieve some personal accomplishment or goal they had set - whether that is a finish time, to complete another epic distance, to raise money for a charity, to have fun in the event with friends, to see a new part of the world, etc. IMO these are all valid goals since they come from the participants heart. <br /><br />Yes there certainly are runners who compete to push themselves for speed, and if PI feels that there are enough of them to consitute a market then their ads make sense, as they are positioning themselves as the shoe for that niche; but I agree that doing so with the ad campain you cite seems uncessarily hurtful to those competing to meet a different personal challenge.<br /><br />EricAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-9886552511332482052012-04-04T18:47:47.099-06:002012-04-04T18:47:47.099-06:00Lighten up folks...JHCLighten up folks...JHCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-12155384847701120292012-04-04T16:00:10.593-06:002012-04-04T16:00:10.593-06:00Like Durango Joe says, diesel. I even conjured up ...Like Durango Joe says, diesel. I even conjured up some <a href="http://teamvelveeta.tom-purvis.com/2012/02/hot-rod-jeep-freightliner.html" alt="freightliner" rel="nofollow">top tube stickerz</a> to clarify my identity.Tom Purvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618754717562698898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-78427504306593017432012-04-04T14:00:40.998-06:002012-04-04T14:00:40.998-06:00Never really thought about labeling myself...maybe...Never really thought about labeling myself...maybe "Lone Ranger" (I ride alone a LOT...not because I'm antisocial or anything, just don't have anybody handy who wants to do my rides when I want to do them).<br /><br />Or maybe "wuss-rider" would be a good label. Whatever. I just like to ride. I do it purely for fun. If I'm not having fun, what's the point? After 5 or 6 hours in the saddle, my fun-O-meter has pegged out and I'm really wanting to be done.<br /><br />I guess I'm just not like you at ALL Jill...can't imagine riding days on end (however I must tell you how much I enjoy reading about YOUR exploits!). I'd say you can label me pretty much anything but "late for dinner".MattChttp://inane-asylum2.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-5730082654235792422012-04-04T12:45:23.611-06:002012-04-04T12:45:23.611-06:00Yeah, I agree with the consensus that the ads suck...Yeah, I agree with the consensus that the ads suck. Of course, I'm not fast, never have been fast, never will be fast, so I'm a bit biased. But it seems trebly silly - first, assuming that speed is the only value important to folks, and second, given the need to get more folks out and moving, anything that puts a damper on that is crappy. And for a lot of folks starting out, who might be insecure about themselves and their athletic abilities to begin with, this kind of message really stinks. <br /><br />And last, I have to wonder whether this ad campaign has hurt Pearl Izumi at all. I mean, now that I've seen it, I don't feel any desire to support them - evidently I'm not fast enough for them to want my business! (And I, too, love Nike's Just Do It campaign. There have been more than a few Nike running quotes that have been written on my refrigerator -literally, in water soluble pen! -- or stuck onto my front door for when I needed that one extra little push out the door! I don't wear their shoes anymore, but some of their clothes work for me.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-68319805886726073472012-04-04T12:22:17.226-06:002012-04-04T12:22:17.226-06:00I recently saw a sign outside of a bike store that...I recently saw a sign outside of a bike store that said, "Money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy a bike, and that's pretty darn close." That is the closest to the truth that I have heard in advertising. I also imagine that you could substitute running shoes for bike and it would be pretty much the same. <br /><br />I guess I would label myself as someone who likes to have fun, be it mashing the pedals or plodding the trails.Karlee Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06626020365427534844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-91412863214311439812012-04-04T10:30:42.031-06:002012-04-04T10:30:42.031-06:00I would never waste time worrying about a label fo...I would never waste time worrying about a label for myself. Too busy trying to get outside and have fun, whether on skis, a bike, a kayak or on my own two feet. What's all this talk about labels? Why create a problem where there is none? If other people want to label me, that's their problem, not mine! Relax and enjoy the ride - or run (smile)Alaska Classichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16268049337328983595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-60131550932792499872012-04-04T06:46:09.947-06:002012-04-04T06:46:09.947-06:00Danni your comment is awesome!
Long time lurker/f...Danni your comment is awesome!<br /><br />Long time lurker/follower here... I drifted away from the world of triathlon because there were too many labels and boastings about speed and people more concerned with time than enjoying themselves.<br /><br />That being said I do call myself a runner, as similar to your biking that's where it all started. Running is my stress-relief, my therapy, where I go to get away or find inspiration As someone who has once run Boston, I suppose I had some speed at one point, but as I stubbornly "run-hike" up the steeps of the Wasatch training for my first 100, speed doesn't even enter my mind. I think you just go and you just do, because you liberate yourself, whatever you do and with any hopes, you get some spectacular scenery, amazing physical and mental challenges, good company and good beer and food afterwards!<br /><br />I am now an outdoor enthusiast who is just happy playing outside and after reading your blog wants to train to ski Susitna next year and get a fatback! And as a lurker, I think whether you're a runner or biker, or mule, or jogger, or a hiker, or whatever else you may call yourself doesn't make a difference at the end of the day because you're strong, a wonderful writer and story teller who is badass and very inspirational!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-3092638495300036572012-04-04T00:39:58.675-06:002012-04-04T00:39:58.675-06:00Nice blog topic, Jill! Thank you!
In my early ...Nice blog topic, Jill! Thank you! <br /> <br />In my early teens, I'd draw little blue squares on the heels of $3 Keds knockoffs, and painted "Esprit" in white letters on a huge cotton book bag because I couldn't afford the overpriced, snotty, preppy-kid crap. By the end of high school, I realized I'd never win a popularity contest, and then it didn't matter anymore. As an adult, I still don't care when some weekend warrior hulk on a $4000 roadbike sneers as they zip past, while I plod along on my commute in jeans and Keens (hey, that rhymes!). <br /><br />Those shoe ads are directed towards the elite 'winners' (a.k.a. those with the most money and better-than-thou reputation to maintain). I'd like to say I don't get offended, since I don't give a rip what people think, but there's something else that is still bothersome... don't know what it is?<br /><br />-RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-81620845194697655942012-04-03T22:17:14.410-06:002012-04-03T22:17:14.410-06:00I am a weekend warrior! Who drinks too much! Yay...I am a weekend warrior! Who drinks too much! Yay!Dannihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02201053516148787578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-42145752170121457362012-04-03T16:08:16.045-06:002012-04-03T16:08:16.045-06:00Wow. Those ads are infuriating. The first activity...Wow. Those ads are infuriating. The first activity I ever got into was mountain biking, and the first racing I did was cyclocross. I still would say I align myself more closely with mountain bikers, and I certainly don't go around calling myself a runner. Still, I have been running regularly for nearly two years now. In fact, I've run in many races, not because I think I'm fast, but because I enjoy goal setting and accomplishment. In a little less than three weeks, I'll be running my first marathon, and I won't be breaking any records. But one of the things I like about running is that it's not just for superhuman people with single digit body fat percentages anymore--anyone can do it, and you see all kinds of people at races. I may not be fast, but I am a perpetual finisher and constantly striving for improvement. There are many out there like me and I think we have just as much business running marathons as the fast people.Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618588855379067255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-48112501709955016402012-04-03T14:46:25.045-06:002012-04-03T14:46:25.045-06:00I don't think Nike's heard of LSD (Long St...I don't think Nike's heard of LSD (Long Steady Distance).Durango Joenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-14996731445779099002012-04-03T14:21:52.679-06:002012-04-03T14:21:52.679-06:00I was never a runner, always just a guy who ran......I was never a runner, always just a guy who ran....now I'd never consider myself a cyclist (those are the skinny, fast guys) I'm just a middle aged guy that maintains my sanity by being outside and riding my bike.richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02604447326957705684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-79878885335891401252012-04-03T11:13:16.526-06:002012-04-03T11:13:16.526-06:00The main thing that irks me about this ad campaign...The main thing that irks me about this ad campaign is the general sentiment that the only valuable component in any physical activity is speed, and the only improvement we can make is to "go faster." That's fine if that's what you want, although I'm of the opinion that culture-driven speed obsessions lead to more injuries than if active people were willing to just listen to their bodies and follow a more natural path. The point I was illustrating with my mule drawing is that we can be very different types of athletes doing the same activity. Labels like Pearl Izumi's "Runner" campaign try to convince us we are all the same.Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-57777984858118579442012-04-03T10:36:51.206-06:002012-04-03T10:36:51.206-06:00That picture would have been perfect if you put a ...That picture would have been perfect if you put a runner skirt on the mule :)Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12810860898861942980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-78223292394793194482012-04-03T10:00:32.849-06:002012-04-03T10:00:32.849-06:00Had to comment on this one. Love your mule rider. ...Had to comment on this one. Love your mule rider. I might have to steal it. I really like your idea about traversing real terrain – this makes good sense. And making it through life without running a marathon [or a century]. So many people ask me if I run marathons or if I’m training for one. Or they assume I’m fast because I run a lot. I guess there are just a lot of different approaches to being active with/in this world and it takes time to share our version of it – hence the years of blogging. Oh, and nice coyote pic!<br />(a.k.a. Jonah)mindful mulehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04351688583487129714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-7305549980658182232012-04-03T09:39:44.895-06:002012-04-03T09:39:44.895-06:00The only people who have to run (or ride) fast are...The only people who have to run (or ride) fast are professionals. They get paid to perform. The rest of us, even amatuer racers, are just doing it for whatever personal motivation. So don't sweat the labels. On another note, as one slow-twitch diesel to another, a diesel who learned to ride fast, the beauty of group road riding is that even diesels learn how to adapt and ride at a wide range of speeds, how to spin easy and put down power at the same time, how to recover at high speed/effort levels. You'd never morph into a sprinter, but you develop more leg speed and what the French call "suplesse" which would then trickle over to mt. bikes and running and other pursuits. I'm sure you've heard former US Olympic cycling coach Eddie B (and others) say a good cyclists works on her weaknesses, not just her strengths.Durango Joenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-1054598037800952222012-04-03T07:41:49.081-06:002012-04-03T07:41:49.081-06:00Jill--"freak flag"--I love it! Now that&...Jill--"freak flag"--I love it! Now that's a label to live by. I, too, was picked on in high school by the fashionistas. Labeling others made them feel better about themselves. Being on the receiving end of teasing was a big deal then, but not important now. It makes sense that ad writers target people in their gullible teens. With experience, education, and (especially) maturity, we learn that labels have little value.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-34050963568291948602012-04-02T22:22:06.388-06:002012-04-02T22:22:06.388-06:00I AMI AMHarry Legge's Cycling Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11530039585900330115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-53677525832503285042012-04-02T21:56:54.496-06:002012-04-02T21:56:54.496-06:00How about the ad guy for Pearl Izumi line up in Fe...How about the ad guy for Pearl Izumi line up in February for the Iditabike/run and see how they do?<br /><br />Put your money where your mouth is Pearl Izumi.Dan Vhttp://thewhiteroom.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-28862176082489961612012-04-02T21:46:50.699-06:002012-04-02T21:46:50.699-06:00Getsopked ... this is the kind of dialog I was hop...Getsopked ... this is the kind of dialog I was hoping to spark. That's why I used my Guess jeans analogy (ah, the 90s.) Labels are meaningless, and yet we make them so important in our own minds and also in our interactions with others. <br /><br />That designer label jeans incident actually happened. I spent like $80, which was about 30 hours of babysitting and a whole lot of money in 1991, and never wore them again after those girls accused me of counterfeiting. Incidentally, by high school, I was exclusively shopping for my punk rock outfits at thrift stores and gleefully letting my freak flag fly.Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-21838968956444667302012-04-02T21:32:16.051-06:002012-04-02T21:32:16.051-06:00Roan, you're not lazy. Labels are lazy, becaus...Roan, you're not lazy. Labels are lazy, because they're the easy way to describe a person and the many knots and twists that make us who we are. I don't do labels well for that reason. I just yam what I yam, and that's all there is to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-50487300409179703252012-04-02T20:50:52.333-06:002012-04-02T20:50:52.333-06:00Yes I have a label for myself. Even though I'v...Yes I have a label for myself. Even though I've cycled between about 5500 to 8400 miles/year for the last 15 years, mostly commuting. My label is LAZY ! make that !!!roannoreply@blogger.com