WOP Culture

Well, I did it!  First 5k done and done. 

I am a little disappointed in myself for walking the whole time except for the very end, but all in all I think it was an excellent way to ease into WOP culture.

A recap:

The H, Madame, and three other friends making their debut to the blog (let's call them Middleton, Eastergard, and Pinata) and I all arrived at the start of the 5k.  Immediately, I noticed--and very much enjoyed--the fact that most people in attendance tended to fall into 1 of 5 subcategories of WOP culture.  It turns out, not all WOPs are created equal.  

We'll do a brief rundown of each type:

1)  The Hardcores
These are the folks that I have a hard time believing are actually well-liked by anyone outside of the WOP world.  They are perfectly toned and are most likely going to run the race shirtless. They have every intention of completing all 5 of the k's at a full sprint.   They will trample a grandmother for a chance to start the race at the very front of the line.   They'll circle back around the route after already completing the race because, to them, a 5k is like a before dinner drink--it's just priming the pumps for the real workout later.  



However, even though The Hardcores are more than adequately prepared to physically run the thing, I imagine that psychologically the 5k must have been pretty tough for these folks because they actually have a chance of winning it.  The rest of the groups are there for a sense of personal achievement.  The Hardcores are there for the "W."  I wish I had stuck around afterwards to see the look on the face of the person who came in second place.  I am sure it was priceless.

2) The Pitifuls 
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum are The Pitifuls.  Just as you might see The Hardcores and think, "What are you doing here? Don't you have an Olympics or something to train for?!" you might see The Pitifuls and think "What are you doing here?  Does the hospital staff know you're out of bed?!"

There was actually a person there who completed the race on crutches.   Crutches!   There was also a lady who had to be, like, 10 months pregnant. And a chick with her arm in a cast. And a man who was about 100 years old.   And a 350 pound lady.



But I gotta say, The Pitifuls are absolutely the most inspiring and incredible of all of the subgroups of WOPs.   At first glance, you look at them and think, "You don't have a chance!"  But I am here to say that each and every one of the aforementioned "pitifuls"  kicked this blogger's ass and finished before me---well, except for the girl in the cast....I inched past her at the 11th hour.   But the point is, this is a group that's easy to stereotype and write off as not being able to do it.....and they prove the stereotype wrong.  And if they can do it, SO CAN I.

3) The Normal WOPs

This is the group that I am just not quite part of yet and to which I aspire to become.  They basically can jog the whole thing or jog most of it with breaks.   They've got great running shoes; usually in a bright color. I like to think they bust out a particularly colorful pair for races and save the more boring ones for training.   They're exactly who you'd expect to see at a charity 5k.  They probably have either done or are working up to a marathon or a half marathon.   They were probably athletes in high school and never got out of the habit of working out.





4) The Used-To-Bes
Speaking of people who were athletes in high school, another category of WOPs are the Used-To-Bes.  These are folks who either were athletes in high school and they've gotten out of the habit of working out or people who used to train for marathons or 5ks years ago, but who've been out of the saddle for a really long time.  

These guys are TOTALLY gonna kill the 5k right after these beers.

You can tell who these people are by their cocky attitude and by the fact that they begin the race at a sprightly running pace and within 3 minutes (maybe 5 if they're lucky) they are clutching their sides and walking it out and cursing the heavens swearing that they'll do better next time.  After the race, they'll have a terrific excuse for their poor performance.

5) The Posers
I think this is the group I fall into at this point.   These are the people who have not adequately trained for the race, but who are there for a vast array of miscellaneous reasons.  Maybe they showed up because all their friends were going and they didn't wanna be left out (you can tell by the fact that they showed up in flip flops).   Maybe it's a work thing.  Maybe they're curious about this whole WOP culture thing and they wanted to dive in head first.  Maybe they're just crazy.    But you can tell who they are because they will usually walk the whole thing.  Or walk part of it and then give up and head back to the finish line to enjoy the free beer.

Anyway, all told, I think that each of us who went fell somewhere along this spectrum of WOP culture.  But all snarkiness aside, we each had a great time and felt good about doing something healthy on a Saturday night.

I think I could really get into this WOP culture thing.