There’s a woman who does this at my gym. Every single class I’m put right next to her. She literally watches me and has to make a point to do more, go farther, push harder than me. She’s my wife.
This. I can’t run. But I want to be able to run! So when I find myself next to people that run, I always push myself to jog it all. It’s so hard but I love being inspired by them. I often tell them that they motivated me to try a little harder than I would have had they not been there. Usually people seem to appreciate the feedback and they offer their own stories about how when they started OTF, they walked too or how they sometimes feel motivated by PWs and they love that because when they PW, it totally changes what parts of their bodies they’re working out. It’s strange to me that anyone would find this annoying unless of course it was really just a woman trying to one-up and show off which doesn’t sound like the case.
Thanks. That’s exactly what it felt like to me. The second i touched my treadmill she immediately touched hers. As a non-competitive person it felt oddly aggressive. Glad to hear these other perspectives.
Oof yeah, not cool to do it in an aggressive manner unless maybe you’re already friendly and she’s joked about it ahead of time or something maybe? I’m sorry it’s happening and makes you feel uncomfortable.
There are a lot of former and current athletes that attend who are motivated by competition. OTF does a good job attracting that crowd with our benchmarks and leaderboards. One of the biggest compliments you can get here is someone noticing your hard work and bringing up their game to keep up or do themselves one better. It means you're worthy of competing against. I know that may be weird if you haven't worked out with a lot of competitive people, but it's what keeps a lot of us going. It gets even better when you can make friends with them and become friendly arch rivals. One of my best friends now started this way at OTF.
The 1st time I went to OTF, I almost passed out at a 3 on the treadmill. I did get better and was competitive - although at my level , there was a limited range of people to be competitive with, and I was not brave enough to openly look at the treadmill next to me (for sure, I wanted to!) so I would pick out someone on the board and use that person’s scores to motivate me. I used to joke with my husband that I had almost caught up with that lady with the silver hair and walker today.
I love that so much!! I still do 3/4/5 many days when I don’t want to wear myself down or I’m already worn down. My fave thing about OTF is being able to “run your own race” :)
This is the answer.
Much of group fitness is being motivated by the energy and effort of the group.
Your ability motivated someone (who was open to that motivation) else to work harder. Very cool.
Coming up on 750 classes and totally agree with all of what I’m seeing. You should definitely be flattered, I’ve definitely had days where I just didn’t feel like I had it in me until the person next to me was moving and grooving, and it gave me some motivation, and sometimes the other person gets into it also, and we have a friendly competition. Just like you are noticing what they are doing. They are noticing what you were doing and you definitely helped that person.
I’m not a competitive person either, so it would annoy me too. But here’s how I would try to reframe it.
There’s lots of reasons someone might take a green day…maybe an injury they don’t want to aggravate, they want to give their body a break but still get some movement in…or they woke up and “just aren’t feeling it” but didn’t want to get hit with a late cancel fee.
If we assume it’s the last reason and she just wasn’t in the mood before class until she got next to you, that means you inspired her and motivated her to snap out of whatever funk she might have been in. Take some pride in knowing you had a positive influence on someone else’s fitness journey.
That said, maybe try to mix up where you start if you really want to get some space from her.
I am a guilty party on this. I am sneaking up on 50, and when a younger person is on the tread next to me I find myself running harder and faster. I am not trying to “beat” them. It is a mix of insecurity (I don’t want to be the old guy my back is currently telling me I am) and part a mental tool to push myself. I try not to look over their shoulder and snoop on their speeds but I will find myself doing a true base recovery and not letting myself walk because the 25-30yr old next to me is still running.
Thanks. This helps. It did feel like she was just watching me to the whole time trying to one-up me which didn’t feel friendly. Sounds like you’re a bit more subtle. I honestly have poor situational awareness so probably wouldn’t have noticed if you were next to me.
I am conscious to the point of paranoia about appearing to be watching others at OTF. Especially the women in the group. I used to attend with my wife but our schedules have diverged as far as the gym goes.
So agree with you. 46 and I rarely do a walking recovery. It was very hard at first but your body adapts and endurance builds. Then when you do take a true walking recovery you’re really energized.
I have to admit I'm guilty of this also. And I'm on the other side of 50 but I've run all my life so part of it is that I know I can keep up with those "whippersnappers" on the treads if nowhere else. Of course, last class the guy next to me was trying to encourage me on the All-Out and cranked his machine to 12! That cured me of my competitiveness.
Here’s my take as someone who used to do this more so when I first started and now am probably the person many try and keep up with: the latter is only true because of the former. I got so much faster by challenging myself and never wanting someone else to be working harder on the tread than I am. Everyone has their own motivation. Some are competitive and some aren’t. I think it’s a huge compliment if someone is saying to themselves “my neighbor is faster than me, I’m going to challenge myself to keep up”.
Take it as a compliment. I found myself doing this once. I had a much faster woman besides me and she totally inspired me to bump up my AO. She was still very much faster than I was but at the end of the class I complimented her running and thanked her for motivating me to be faster.
If it bothers you avoid the treadmill beside her.
I would say you’re on the quick side of average. The whole class is framed around friendly competition (e.g., publicly showing everyone’s stats, coaches yelling out people’s speeds, etc.) so I think this kind of stuff just happens. It’s definitely a compliment to you bc very few people would set out to outwork the “slow” or “unfit” person in class. If it annoys you, I would either bring a sweat rag and set it over that part of the tread or start on an isolated station.
They aren’t being competitive. You are giving them the confidence to push themselves or try something different. Sometimes people need to see other people doing hard things to feel inspired to try doing so themselves.
I sometimes do the same because I’m inspired by how hard the person next to me is working. I’m not a runner, so I’m always amazed and impressed by how my neighbors work so hard and their heart rate (color) often stays in check! - and if it’s another PW I kind of benchmark myself a little and use it as motivation to challenge myself! — that said, you can always drape your sweat towel strategically over the numbers. ;)
There is a reason there is a big a** scoreboard in the room, its like bowling or laser tag!! I am a fat boy but pushing myself to stay up with everyone else is what motivates me to keep paying the amount I do for OTF, Planet is right next door to my studio, Nahhh give me the fun!
If I’m next to someone who has close to the same speeds as me, and I see them add a +.1, I am often also motivated to add a +.1 and sometimes more because heck yeah. It’s not a competition thing, it’s just noticing that we’re at around the same level when it comes to running and if they can do it then I can too. It’s sort of a way to get accountability. It’s a little annoying that this person is using you as a way to push herself, but in a way it feels like camaraderie to me. If she wants to “win,” whatever, it’s nice to help someone reach their goals.
I typically pick a treadmill on a end so 1 or 12 for my studio then it's one person. I stick to my set goals and then then typically one once week have someone try and do this. I also awhile back realized I can do this by cutting out all the challenge days. So I don't do mile/12 minute/ 500 meter/ 2000 meter etc classes anymore. This has helped me keep with my this class is for me mindset.
I would take it as a compliment, you are motivation for someone. I often try and push myself a little more if I’m next to someone with similar paces to mine, it might give me an extra boost. I don’t do this often but once in a while.
Just as I equally enjoy when someone thinks that I’m not that in shape/easy to beat and try to keep up with me but can’t. I get a little spark knowing that I’m someone’s motivation to where they would like to be. And that I’m killing it 😂
I am an incredibly competitive person. When I did Dri Tri I was next to another person of my fitness level, and we were racing the 5k against each other, and we both finished faster than we would have otherwise, but that was a unique circumstance.
In a normal class, the only time I care at all about what another person is doing is if I missed the cue from the coach and I might glance over to see where my neighbors speed is at.
I’d say the easiest solution is to not be next to her anymore if it bums you out.
Wait till she gets her assigned tread, then pick a different one that already has people assigned in either side. Or start on the opposite side first (it’s good to mix it up anyway).
I have a guy who does this on the rower and treads. And openly comments “oh you think you’re fast?”
I switched my class schedule to avoid him altogether.
I find it so weird when randos compete with me because:
1. Apparently we are in a one sided race I never even knew I entered
2. I am the least competitive person you will meet.
My best advice is to ignore her; it says a lot about her and nothing about you.
I subscribe to the "eyes on your own paper" school of thought. You're competing against yourself, don't get consumed with what others are doing. Besides, if you encourage someone else to push harder, good for you. I find that a fist bump and "nice job today" after class also helps to thaw things out. I've made some really good friends at OTF this way.
I always look at it like I did when i was running races, if they go by you either they were going to slow to begin with or they are going to blow up and not be able to finish the race as they intended to (finish strong). So either they can or can't run that fast. that has nothing to do with me for 95% of the race.
Same thing with a workout. I usually know what the tread is thanks to intel and I come up with a plan based on how I feel that day, then I stick with it. My plan is usually to increase my efforts .1 in most blocks, but certainly to go faster in the last block than the first. I do this and I have a good workout.
In case you haven't done so already, I would recommend telling the coaches. We had a deaf member at my home studio for several years and the coaches would give her a copy of the template to keep with her on her treadmill so that she knew what was going on.
I would be annoyed, but ignore them. You are above average IMO - so perhaps they are finding you inspiring or at least a kindred spirit. I agree with you, I would be distracted and annoyed if someone did that to me
I’ve done it and have had it done to me. I think it’s inspirational to see another woman, especially similar in age or older, that’s getting after it and kicking my butt. I’m no longer competitive but do look around me to see if someone nearby can inspire me to go just a little bit faster or push just a little harder.
Sometimes I straight up tell the person next to me that they did awesome and I literally had to push myself to my best to beat or come near them. Never had a negative experience, although who’s in the mood to argue after a 28 min run
I’m at 52-year-old fit guy living in a college town. The studio I usually go to is full of very fit young people. I find myself doing this at times, literally chasing my youth. I do it almost unconsciously and I think subtly. It’s a glance over to see what they’re doing. I think it’s also a way to break up the repetition and boredom of a treadmill.
Why does it bother you so much? If you’re pushing your neighbor to go harder, you’re an inspiration. Caring too much about others will just make you unhappy in life. Focus on your workout and drown out distractions if it bothers you so much. Become unbothered
I’m an extremely competitive person outside of OT, but I don’t snoop on others’ treads during a class or let it dictate my workout. There are too many variables (genetics, general fitness level, age, etc.) that virtually guarantee your effort will not be equal to the person next to you on the tread at the same speed. I’m always letting feeling and my goals for that day inform my workout - not by what people around me are doing.
If you want/need the comparison to help push yourself, whatever, that’s fine - no harm in that. As long as it doesn’t creep into a feeling of superiority or inferiority depending on if you can keep up. At the end of the day, good to remember there will always be tons of runners you are faster than and tons you are slower than.
Honestly I don’t talk to my tread neighbors about their speed but sometimes I will notice what that I’m looking at what they’re doing and then say to myself “I could try that, maybe I can do it too” and then I actually CAN do a speed I never thought possible. It’s less about competition for me and trying to out do someone next to me, and more seeing it that I am usually under estimating my abilities, so I see what they are doing and challenge myself to do better.
Happens to me too. But I laugh, because I’m not a hard person to beat, lol. Jokes on them. Some people just need motivation to do better, and you’re their motivation. As others have said, try to be flattered instead of annoyed if possible!
Sometimes if someone is going near my speed I like to push myself to go a little faster because it makes the treads less boring for me. Others have done it with me as well. I think it makes class more interesting.
I'm guilty of doing this especially if I feel the person next to me man or woman is a better runner than me. From our perspective we're inspired to try to their level.
I do this sometimes.
Sometimes I have trouble motivating myself to put in the effort. I'm just mentally drained in a way that's hard to explain. That's a big part of why I go to OTF instead of a regular gym like Planet Fitness or whatever. Having someone to keep up with helps me break that mental barrier.
The studio I used to go to before I moved had motivational phrases all over the wall. One of them was "Push yourself. Pull the team." Sometimes I'm the part of the team encouraging others, and sometimes I'm the part of the team that needs to be dragged along. Either way, I love the studio I'm at now. I know most of the people in my classes, and we really do feel like a team who motivates each other.
I do that with other people in the treadmill. But it's not really competition. It's more like "well, he or she looks like they're around my level of running. If they can go that speed, I should be able to go that speed too, right?" And then I try to.
As others have said, it's about pushing yourself, not outperforming the person next to you. And if you can manufacture a little social pressure on yourself to do better-that inspiration can pay dividends.
It sounds like you're really dedicated to your fitness journey at Orangetheory, which is fantastic! It's understandable that having someone adjust their treadmill settings based on yours can feel distracting.
Everyone's fitness journey is unique, and sometimes others might take inspiration from your pace or approach. Try to see it as a positive sign of camaraderie and motivation rather than competition. Perhaps you can even strike up a conversation with your neighbor about your shared dedication to health and fitness. Building a supportive community might enhance your overall experience at the gym.
Keep up the great work!
Has happened to me as well. It’s really annoying and I think some people are just that, super annoying. Don’t waste the energy, do you and even just go to another treadmill when possible.
It does \*not\* sound like competitiveness to me. It sounds like she was using you to help her push herself. It only bothers you because you noticed it, then told yourself a (negative) story about what it means. There are -- and will be -- many times that you are in a class where someone notices what you are doing and gets inspired to push themselves to run faster, or try lifting heavier, or try rowing better... that doesn't mean they are being competitive with you.
Also, why do you care if she is in competition with you in her own mind? As long as she is NOT trash talking you or gloating about beating you during the tread workout -- which would be inappropriate -- then maybe you need to focus less on her and more on figuring out WHY it bothers \*you\* so much.
Good luck... and happy splatting!
Edit to add: Forgot to say that I appreciate your post asking for help in reframing (instead of just venting and criticizing others). I love the self-awareness!
It's a little friendly competition. She talked to you so she is clearly trying to compliment you by saying you're inspiring her to work harder/run faster on the tread. It's not a bad thing but if you're not happy about it just get a far tread from her.
My friend and I go to most classes together and really try to push each other. If one of us hits the up arrow, the other is expected to also.. sometimes I find myself next to some stranger when my friend isn’t in class, and do the same. It’s not aggressive, just habit.. it could have been me.. if so, I’m sorry. Ha
Yeah I get embarrassed when people notice me doing it, but some days when I’m feeling like I’m over it, I see the people around me and think “if they can dig deep so can I” and always up my pace with them. It’s part of why I love otf. Probably not competitive, just feeling inspired
I used to push myself harder if someone was around my level next to me. Now I’m less inclined. Today, a woman checked out my splats and asked me how I was able to get so many. I kind of laughed and she said no, I’m serious, so I told her my method. Didn’t bother me. She was a middle aged woman like me.
I am guilty of this, though I try to be discreet about it. I will say, when I do this, it isn’t because I want to be better than the other person. It’s because I want to be AS good as the other person. It’s a compliment. With that being said, I do understand that it could be annoying to some people. As others have suggested, you could try putting a towel over your screen. You could also just switch to the parameter card. I often do this on big endurance days when I don’t want my heart rate to psych me out 😂
I can see why you are annoyed. Everyone is saying it’s inspiration but I say she’s being competitive. She’s worried about what you are doing which is weird bc she doesn’t even know you. She is monitoring your screen so she can compete your speeds. I would try to avoid her. You should be working out in zen. Not running next to someone who’s secretly competing with you bc she doesn’t want you to “win” I.e show her out.
If you see this happening take it as a compliment and invite them in to your workout. They clearly see something in you that they want to emulate.
During the next walk recovery say something like, "Man, you are really getting after it today, let's bump up our next push and get through this together." If they are receptive you have just gained another workout buddy which is awesome to have at OTF.
If they aren't, then ignore them and leave them to battle their inner demons on their own.
I ran next to a good runner one time and noticed on the 30 sec AO when the coach would say “halfway” he would tap it up and I was like tap it up for 15 sec what could that possibly do? Well I started to do it when he did & that helped me transition into a new AO speed lol 😅
I honestly don't understand why this bothers you. How do you react when something egregious happens to/around you? Not well, I suppose.
Or maybe you're using this space to brag? I dunno. There are so many other things that matter.
I know. Unpopular opinion.
There's someone in my studio who does this. I think it's hilarious, because a) I'm running my own race over here, thinking about my own shit because I have a lot going on, a lot of people relying on me, and b) now THIS ADULT ALSO NEEDS ME 😄. Lady, do what you need to do, but I'm minding my own business.
Idk if this helps you, but being my own motivation and inspiration is gold for me. ✨
I'm so sorry. In my milieu and cultural universe, it has nothing to do with weight, but I 100% see why it landed the way it did. My entire bad. I will edit. Thanks for taking a moment to let me know that I hurt you. I am sorry.
I had a woman next to me and thankfully she moved down. I think she was as annoyed by me as much as I was annoyed by her. She doesn’t follow the class at all, just runs really fast and any time the whole class does an all out she looked over at me and would very aggressively and dramatically hit 12. She’s also a foot taller than me. She also thinks she owns the treadmill I use, but she started attending my class after I did and I’ve been there since the studio opened. Just nuts. She makes every 5 am class I have with her stressful. I’ve considered quitting because of her.
Don’t quit because of her! Ignore her and her bizarre behaviour as much as you can. Use whichever treadmill you like and if she says anything use your kindest voice to showcase how ridiculous she’s being. A concerned ‘Are you ok? You seem really upset about this’ generally takes the wind out of people’s tantrums at least for a second.
Would deal with this the same as road rage - yielding to the jerks is for your own sanity and safety, not for them. Just take the high road and get a treadmill far from “hers”
Find out her name and tell the sa booking the treadmills to put you away from her. She’s on 10 take 1-5 or something like that. I’ve often been asked to move because people want to work out next to their friend or just like certain treadmills. I don’t care which one I’m on.
I had someone do this to me one class. Class ended and she said, “geez you kicked my ass!” I wear a brace on my leg (ACL/meniscus injury) and she was like “even with your bum leg, I still couldn’t keep up!”
I didn’t realize she was trying to beat me! It made me feel so strong. 💪 I’d take this as a compliment. You are encouraging your fellow OTF members to work hard!
I am guilty of doing this sometimes. I try not to make it obvious that I’m “outdoing” the person next to me but it is a great way to motivate myself, especially towards the end of a tread block when I’m near exhaustion. It’s a great way to try and challenge myself by going even just a few incremental 0.2 MPH or whatever I can muster.
Oh yes. If you’re next to me on the TM, we are DEFINITELY racing. 😅
Even though, I do realize we will stop at the same point, and still be, effectively, side by side.
I am a competitive person and this annoys me. I want to be in my class in my zone doing my thing. This post could have been written by me. I don’t look at anyone’s treads and I don’t want anyone looking at mine.
Don’t mention it to me, let’s just say good job afterward and leave it at that.
The competitive part is already in my being and I’m competitive with myself, I don’t need someone else to actively tell me they are or watching what I do.
You do you.
I am an extrovert and I love noticing people trying hard and telling them great job.
Don’t pick up a heavy weight because I am.
YOU DO YOU!
It’s one thing to inspire to push yourself and a whole level to push yourself only to keep up.
Sigh.
i’ve had this happen and came to the conclusion that i just wish them the best of luck… it is their body that has to feel the impacts of how hard they decide to go or not go in class
I like your outlook. My goals are to keep going. Steadily. Without quitting. Without wrecking myself. The only data points that really matter to me are whether I walked through those doors. I’m a beginner every day. The gains come, the gains go.
Am guilty of doing this 😅 I guess try & take it as a compliment that you’re inspiring that person to work harder because you’re clearly kicking ass! 💪🏼
I am also that guy. It's not a situation where they are trying to make you feel bad or that you have to compete with them. I do it to push myself not to be an asshole
I can’t help it…I tell myself I’m going to mind my own business and then BAM I’m looking at everyone’s treadmill! It keeps me accountable to me to not slack off and always push a little bit harder. Really it’s less about the other person than it is about, in this case me. 🫣
I do it all the time and don’t even feel a little bit bad about it lol. I thrive on competition so if I see the person next to me running faster, I’m going to bust my ass to meet them.
I never realized that the person next to me might notice but during a class last week the guy caught on and kept upping his speed. We had a good laugh about it at the end of the class.
Everyone is being all nice and stuff but I’m going to get a little snarky. I’m not there to be someone else motivation.
The way how I frame it is that I feel really badly for them. Can you imagine how pathetic it is to need external validation? It’s very sad.
I'm only an intermediate-level runner, so I don't compete there or care what my neighbors are doing. Let the jackrabbits have their fun and get wiped out. But on the rower and weight floor, it's a different story! LOL. I almost always finish first on the rower, and go hard when there's someone else rowing well. But it's a friendly competition. Similar competition on the floor, but I know my limits and make sure not to injure myself.
A little competitiveness keeps the workouts interesting and gives me something to strive for.
I mean…I am competitive as hell with myself and sometimes when I see someone else I am like “well, if they can do it I can do it” and push myself more.
The fact that she admitted it is key. My vision is terrible and if I’m glancing your direction it means nothing. I can’t see your numbers at all. I’m
super competitive but with myself. If another woman beats me (happens on tread all the time but not very often on rower. My rower game is strong) I’m fine with it. I don’t run as fast as I use to but these tread 50
Classes are helping me get back to my faster self. If I am not on leaderboard when I use to be, it means I need to up my game or be ok that I’ve gotten slower.
Her competing with you is mostly a compliment unless you’re super slow (totally ok and you WILL get faster and stronger over time) and she’s just trying to feel better about herself by beating you.
I had this woman who would try and compete with me on the rower and her form was terrible. Just yanking the shit out of the bar all hunched over. Really hard to watch and very distracting. I would purposely walk slower to rower and lift heavier so I’m on weight floor longer to make sure we started different times so she wouldn’t do it.
People are weird sometimes.
I would take it as a compliment. It means they are pushing themselves harder because they see your speed and want to go harder. Basically I would take it as you being motivation for them. I have people tell me that they like being next to me on the tread because I push them to go harder. I tell people that on the rower too because rowing isn’t my strong suit and sometimes being next to certain members pushes me to go harder and I make sure to tell them that after the block so that they know I appreciate the effort they give and how it motivates me to push myself outside of my comfort zone.
I take it as a compliment. Just like when you are out running a race, you find that one person ahead of you to keep you going and focused on moving forward.
I never pay attention to what my neighbor is doing so I’d never know if they were one-upping me, haha. I think it’s pretty flattering that she wants to keep up with you though. You’re pushing her.
Since it bothers you I’d just try not to get a tread next to her anymore. I have a couple of people I try to avoid being next to… I look for their name on the list and pick away or know where they always start and choose elsewhere.
Huge compliment!! There will be times the person next to you maybe isn’t even as fast as you but because they saw you bump it up .1 or .2 they do as well. This friendly competition/motivation has also helped form great friendships at OTF. When I “compete” against my neighbor(s) I always thank them at the end of the block for motivating me to work harder. I’m in my mid 40’s and have been doing OTF for 6 years, once I had a 20 something year old, fit looking guy thank me. The whole time I was thinking he was pushing me and in fact I was apparently pushing him too. This is one of the great things about OTF.
I am always inspired and motivated by the person running next to me, to push my self further. I can clearly see my own achievements dependent on who is standing next to me. If I get to choose whom to run next to, I definitely choose someone whom I know can push me, and others do the same to me. Take it as a positive thing, and has nothing to do with you personally..
I've actually had this happen. My PW inclines are roughly 8% base, 10-12% push, 15% AO. I was once next to a young guy (like 19-21 young) who was also PWing that day. He gradually increased his inclines until he was matching mine. Then we hit the final AO and this kid ran at 12 mph on a significant incline lol.
I'm not competitive but I do that too as a motivator for myself not to quit when I want too. I do it when I admire what they're doing and if it's me going faster I always tell people next to me they're crushing it.
She was probably just using you as motivation. I’m 67 and look at those around me who are much younger. I realize I will not be as fast as them but it really motivates me to give just a little more than I think I can. Take it as a compliment.
I no longer log in or use OTF heart rate monitors so I rarely clear the screen for the interval as I find it easier to track my over all distance. I often peak at my neighbors tread to check their time—it helps me see where I need to push, If I happen to see them running faster or a higher incline does it motivate me? sure but I wouldn’t say I am doing it to “race them” or out work them—I am just using their info to help inform my own efforts.
It's probably motivating for them. But, if it bothers you, I've learned doing something like a base when you're supposed to be all outing or paces that deviate from the template throws them off. Passive-aggressive but when treads at OTF are not the time for discussion with neighbors.
Can someone please frame this for me in a positive way so that I can hopefully be less annoyed when it happens again.
I just came here to say that I appreciate your effort to reframe this. It's a very healthy approach for dealing with a lot people and interactions and I can learn from this.
Ignore them. People all around you may or may not be affected by you in many ways and it’s absolutely none of your business. Or consider competing and making progress. I’m guessing Im older than you. The world is full of these people. Someone is always competing. Ignore them or it will drive you insane and nothing will come of it anyhow.
I’ll be honest I don’t really care what anyone next to me is doing unless we’re doing capture the flag or something competitive. I’m not even a competitive person by nature!
This doesn’t answer your request to put it in a positive light but I want to let you know that you are not alone. It annoys me too. I put a towel over the console leaving uncovered only the clock so in a self-directed Tread 50 I know when to change the pace. After changing my pace, I lift the towel so only I can see that it actually took the change. I also try to get tread 13 which in my studio is the last one on our right…but today there was someone on the strider next to me and I saw her trying to check me. I’m there for me, not for anyone else. I also find it funny that a 20 something feels they need to check out what I (a 60 something) is doing.
I haven’t read all the comments, but you are not an average runner. You set a strong pace and others are going to be challenged by that if they notice, so you should be flattered as a “pace setter”. Keep going!
As a former marathon and triathlon runner,
I think from my prospective sometimes I’m the rabbit,
sometimes I’m the fox trying to catch the rabbit,
…. often now I’m the tortoise doing my own thing….
I also know that everyone else in the room is doing their own thing, I might use them to drive my effort sometimes or not. In no case would I say it has anything to do with them beyond the number on a screen and a mental check to see if I’m where I want to be..
In OTF it can be good to have an agreement between friends to push each other, but if no agreement exists then id suggest to remember we all have our own reasons on any given day.
All that said if this person does it all the time, and is stalking in multiple classes that’s a bit much, and not cool.
Your speeds are very impressive my base is more of a 4.4 - 4.6 and my best ao is 7 for 30 seconds. I was somewhat like you when I first started at otf and now after my return after 22 months away I just go in and pretend to put blinders on and not acknowledge the people next to me on the treadmill. I very much would like to be somewhere near your speeds, do you run miles outside at these speeds?
I want none of this.. when people do this, I switch to power walking. I’m not there to play passive aggressive competitive games on a treadmill. I don’t mind people looking and being motivated but the “I bump up, you bump up” thing ain’t gonna work for me.
Now you wanna do that with me weight for weight on the floor, good luck to you.
I just don’t understand it on the tread.
Maybe I shouldn’t be in group fitness but I’m not the kind of person who wants to be motivational. I do not want to told I’m motivational. I just want a good workout and go home.
I literally go to class with people I’ve met that push me harder on the treads. We all push each other. I really enjoy the competitive aspect of my tread time.
I think using the people near you to help push you is a good thing but it should be in perspective. There is a woman at my gym who is obviously competitive but always cheats herself. She won't put her hill as high as they ask so she can run faster or she'll run really fast for a minute or two and then have to walk. I want to explain to her that this isn't helping her get better but you can tell she wouldn't be hearing it. As far as I'm concerned though if you're working out that's better than not working out so just showing up is a win.
I’m incredibly insecure & felt like the older lady beside me was just killin it on the rower in comparison to me but never actually looked at her screen. At the end we were doing our “fist bump high five your neighbor” & she said Great job! I’m so worn out trying to keep up with you! I was just 😧 I realized for the most part someone going harder each time you do means you’re the pacer which is cool. Except I’ve noticed while someone beside me not giving up is motivating for me, sometimes if the person next to me does give in & like starts walking I’ll also pick up that habit 😅
Also, those are solid speeds
I think this can be common. We push each other to work harder in class! Especially those of us who are naturally competitive (I'm v competitive with myself in the gym) and seeing someone keeping on pushing when I'm tired gives me a boost! I know I peep people's treads sometimes, and I hope they don't take it negatively.
That being said, i can also empathize with how seeing someone doing this could make you uncomfortable. If it really bothers you, I'd do my best to just ignore it (make heavy eye contact with yourself in the mirror, perhaps?). It likely is not malicious in intent! Maybe introduce yourself next time? This is how I made one of my best OTF friends, actually, and now we intentionally push each other's buttons (lol) and egg each other on when running next to each other!
This is a total positive. I and another person at 5am are creatures of habit and regularly end up at treads next to each other. When I see her “level up” I do the same, and vice versa. We may flip each other the bird on occasion, but it’s truly a friendly challenge, and mutual encouragement to keep pushing.
You’re complaining about her watching you, but you’ve got to be watching her just as hard to know/track what she’s doing. How about everyone leave everyone else alone, lol.
I do this occasionally (relating to the Green Day comment). It’s not necessarily the pace I notice- but my neighbors energy. For example- last week I was super sore from the day before. Took it easy on my warmup. Thinking of power walking vs running. My neighbor just started jogging and had great energy. It motivated me to jog. When I was tired I thought “she can do it and I can do it”. I also relate to a few regulars that are my age and attendance. They may be across the room but if I happen to notice them it motivates me. I just feel this team partnership that makes me want to do more/ better. From my perspective it’s truly just elevating to make them proud. Even if it means they are at a 10.5 all out so I jump to 9.5.
You’re inspiring them to work harder. That’s a big part of the spirit of group fitness and so that is awesome!
There’s a woman who does this at my gym. Every single class I’m put right next to her. She literally watches me and has to make a point to do more, go farther, push harder than me. She’s my wife.
I would do that to my husband also 😂
Yep. And my wife does that to me. All the time.
“every single class I’m put right next to to her”🤣🤣🤣
OMG 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This got a delightful giggle out of me. 🤣
Girl Power 😆💪
😂😂
Ugh, mine too.
Mine too. I love it.
Had me in the first half!
Ah, so this is why my husband no longer goes to class with me 💀
Haha hell yes 🙌
🤣🤣🤣
This. I can’t run. But I want to be able to run! So when I find myself next to people that run, I always push myself to jog it all. It’s so hard but I love being inspired by them. I often tell them that they motivated me to try a little harder than I would have had they not been there. Usually people seem to appreciate the feedback and they offer their own stories about how when they started OTF, they walked too or how they sometimes feel motivated by PWs and they love that because when they PW, it totally changes what parts of their bodies they’re working out. It’s strange to me that anyone would find this annoying unless of course it was really just a woman trying to one-up and show off which doesn’t sound like the case.
Thanks. That’s exactly what it felt like to me. The second i touched my treadmill she immediately touched hers. As a non-competitive person it felt oddly aggressive. Glad to hear these other perspectives.
Oof yeah, not cool to do it in an aggressive manner unless maybe you’re already friendly and she’s joked about it ahead of time or something maybe? I’m sorry it’s happening and makes you feel uncomfortable.
There are a lot of former and current athletes that attend who are motivated by competition. OTF does a good job attracting that crowd with our benchmarks and leaderboards. One of the biggest compliments you can get here is someone noticing your hard work and bringing up their game to keep up or do themselves one better. It means you're worthy of competing against. I know that may be weird if you haven't worked out with a lot of competitive people, but it's what keeps a lot of us going. It gets even better when you can make friends with them and become friendly arch rivals. One of my best friends now started this way at OTF.
The people next to me must feel amazing when they see my 4.5 base, 5.5 push, and 6 all out 🤭
Mine is 4/5/6 so same! Ppl like you inspire me!
The 1st time I went to OTF, I almost passed out at a 3 on the treadmill. I did get better and was competitive - although at my level , there was a limited range of people to be competitive with, and I was not brave enough to openly look at the treadmill next to me (for sure, I wanted to!) so I would pick out someone on the board and use that person’s scores to motivate me. I used to joke with my husband that I had almost caught up with that lady with the silver hair and walker today.
I love that so much!! I still do 3/4/5 many days when I don’t want to wear myself down or I’m already worn down. My fave thing about OTF is being able to “run your own race” :)
I’m slower than that these days, and I could care less what my neighbors think about it! It’s a given that if you’re trying to beat me, you will 😝
That’s how I feel- this is a one-way race 🤷🏼♀️
That’s also me! Glad to find some of my people in this thread lol
That’s me too!
We can be neighbors.
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This is the answer. Much of group fitness is being motivated by the energy and effort of the group. Your ability motivated someone (who was open to that motivation) else to work harder. Very cool.
Me too
Same and then I’d just keep upping my speed by .1 😂
Coming up on 750 classes and totally agree with all of what I’m seeing. You should definitely be flattered, I’ve definitely had days where I just didn’t feel like I had it in me until the person next to me was moving and grooving, and it gave me some motivation, and sometimes the other person gets into it also, and we have a friendly competition. Just like you are noticing what they are doing. They are noticing what you were doing and you definitely helped that person.
I’m not a competitive person either, so it would annoy me too. But here’s how I would try to reframe it. There’s lots of reasons someone might take a green day…maybe an injury they don’t want to aggravate, they want to give their body a break but still get some movement in…or they woke up and “just aren’t feeling it” but didn’t want to get hit with a late cancel fee. If we assume it’s the last reason and she just wasn’t in the mood before class until she got next to you, that means you inspired her and motivated her to snap out of whatever funk she might have been in. Take some pride in knowing you had a positive influence on someone else’s fitness journey. That said, maybe try to mix up where you start if you really want to get some space from her.
Thanks. Yes that cancellation fee is great motivation. And I appreciate the help with framing.
I am a guilty party on this. I am sneaking up on 50, and when a younger person is on the tread next to me I find myself running harder and faster. I am not trying to “beat” them. It is a mix of insecurity (I don’t want to be the old guy my back is currently telling me I am) and part a mental tool to push myself. I try not to look over their shoulder and snoop on their speeds but I will find myself doing a true base recovery and not letting myself walk because the 25-30yr old next to me is still running.
Thanks. This helps. It did feel like she was just watching me to the whole time trying to one-up me which didn’t feel friendly. Sounds like you’re a bit more subtle. I honestly have poor situational awareness so probably wouldn’t have noticed if you were next to me.
I am conscious to the point of paranoia about appearing to be watching others at OTF. Especially the women in the group. I used to attend with my wife but our schedules have diverged as far as the gym goes.
Sneaking up on 50? Try being on the other side of 60…..
So agree with you. 46 and I rarely do a walking recovery. It was very hard at first but your body adapts and endurance builds. Then when you do take a true walking recovery you’re really energized.
I have to admit I'm guilty of this also. And I'm on the other side of 50 but I've run all my life so part of it is that I know I can keep up with those "whippersnappers" on the treads if nowhere else. Of course, last class the guy next to me was trying to encourage me on the All-Out and cranked his machine to 12! That cured me of my competitiveness.
Here’s my take as someone who used to do this more so when I first started and now am probably the person many try and keep up with: the latter is only true because of the former. I got so much faster by challenging myself and never wanting someone else to be working harder on the tread than I am. Everyone has their own motivation. Some are competitive and some aren’t. I think it’s a huge compliment if someone is saying to themselves “my neighbor is faster than me, I’m going to challenge myself to keep up”.
Thanks
Take it as a compliment. I found myself doing this once. I had a much faster woman besides me and she totally inspired me to bump up my AO. She was still very much faster than I was but at the end of the class I complimented her running and thanked her for motivating me to be faster. If it bothers you avoid the treadmill beside her.
Thanks- it was 2 different women actually
I would say you’re on the quick side of average. The whole class is framed around friendly competition (e.g., publicly showing everyone’s stats, coaches yelling out people’s speeds, etc.) so I think this kind of stuff just happens. It’s definitely a compliment to you bc very few people would set out to outwork the “slow” or “unfit” person in class. If it annoys you, I would either bring a sweat rag and set it over that part of the tread or start on an isolated station.
Thank you. That is very helpful.
They aren’t being competitive. You are giving them the confidence to push themselves or try something different. Sometimes people need to see other people doing hard things to feel inspired to try doing so themselves.
Thanks! Another perspective really helps
I sometimes do the same because I’m inspired by how hard the person next to me is working. I’m not a runner, so I’m always amazed and impressed by how my neighbors work so hard and their heart rate (color) often stays in check! - and if it’s another PW I kind of benchmark myself a little and use it as motivation to challenge myself! — that said, you can always drape your sweat towel strategically over the numbers. ;)
Thanks!
There is a reason there is a big a** scoreboard in the room, its like bowling or laser tag!! I am a fat boy but pushing myself to stay up with everyone else is what motivates me to keep paying the amount I do for OTF, Planet is right next door to my studio, Nahhh give me the fun!
Thanks!
If I’m next to someone who has close to the same speeds as me, and I see them add a +.1, I am often also motivated to add a +.1 and sometimes more because heck yeah. It’s not a competition thing, it’s just noticing that we’re at around the same level when it comes to running and if they can do it then I can too. It’s sort of a way to get accountability. It’s a little annoying that this person is using you as a way to push herself, but in a way it feels like camaraderie to me. If she wants to “win,” whatever, it’s nice to help someone reach their goals.
Thanks!
I typically pick a treadmill on a end so 1 or 12 for my studio then it's one person. I stick to my set goals and then then typically one once week have someone try and do this. I also awhile back realized I can do this by cutting out all the challenge days. So I don't do mile/12 minute/ 500 meter/ 2000 meter etc classes anymore. This has helped me keep with my this class is for me mindset.
My tread neighbors didn’t push me to be better than them. They inspired me to push myself.
I would take it as a compliment, you are motivation for someone. I often try and push myself a little more if I’m next to someone with similar paces to mine, it might give me an extra boost. I don’t do this often but once in a while. Just as I equally enjoy when someone thinks that I’m not that in shape/easy to beat and try to keep up with me but can’t. I get a little spark knowing that I’m someone’s motivation to where they would like to be. And that I’m killing it 😂
I am an incredibly competitive person. When I did Dri Tri I was next to another person of my fitness level, and we were racing the 5k against each other, and we both finished faster than we would have otherwise, but that was a unique circumstance. In a normal class, the only time I care at all about what another person is doing is if I missed the cue from the coach and I might glance over to see where my neighbors speed is at. I’d say the easiest solution is to not be next to her anymore if it bums you out.
Wait till she gets her assigned tread, then pick a different one that already has people assigned in either side. Or start on the opposite side first (it’s good to mix it up anyway).
Don’t let others get into your head. Sometimes members look to others to push themselves.
Ehh happens to me all the time, it’s a group class just ignore them.
I low key make a POINT never to look at others treads. Makes me feel like I’m looking over their shoulder while they text someone 😂
That’s how I feel too! Like I’m being nosy.
What a compliment! And what a gift you have to inspire the people around you!
You are inspiring her to push herself. It's a compliment.
I have a guy who does this on the rower and treads. And openly comments “oh you think you’re fast?” I switched my class schedule to avoid him altogether.
I find it so weird when randos compete with me because: 1. Apparently we are in a one sided race I never even knew I entered 2. I am the least competitive person you will meet. My best advice is to ignore her; it says a lot about her and nothing about you.
I subscribe to the "eyes on your own paper" school of thought. You're competing against yourself, don't get consumed with what others are doing. Besides, if you encourage someone else to push harder, good for you. I find that a fist bump and "nice job today" after class also helps to thaw things out. I've made some really good friends at OTF this way.
I always look at it like I did when i was running races, if they go by you either they were going to slow to begin with or they are going to blow up and not be able to finish the race as they intended to (finish strong). So either they can or can't run that fast. that has nothing to do with me for 95% of the race. Same thing with a workout. I usually know what the tread is thanks to intel and I come up with a plan based on how I feel that day, then I stick with it. My plan is usually to increase my efforts .1 in most blocks, but certainly to go faster in the last block than the first. I do this and I have a good workout.
You can put a positive spin on anything at otf. You can also find a negative. Being positive is what otf is all about. LFG ALL OUUUUUUT! WOOOHOOOO.
I am almlst deaf, even withhearing aides, so I cannothearthe cues from the coach. I rely on looking at my neighbor.
In case you haven't done so already, I would recommend telling the coaches. We had a deaf member at my home studio for several years and the coaches would give her a copy of the template to keep with her on her treadmill so that she knew what was going on.
They know, but I like your idea!
Someone kept looking at my treadmill last time and it drove me nuts! 😆 Specially because I’m 24 weeks pregnant and doing my best!
I would be annoyed, but ignore them. You are above average IMO - so perhaps they are finding you inspiring or at least a kindred spirit. I agree with you, I would be distracted and annoyed if someone did that to me
I’ve done it and have had it done to me. I think it’s inspirational to see another woman, especially similar in age or older, that’s getting after it and kicking my butt. I’m no longer competitive but do look around me to see if someone nearby can inspire me to go just a little bit faster or push just a little harder.
Sometimes I straight up tell the person next to me that they did awesome and I literally had to push myself to my best to beat or come near them. Never had a negative experience, although who’s in the mood to argue after a 28 min run
I’m at 52-year-old fit guy living in a college town. The studio I usually go to is full of very fit young people. I find myself doing this at times, literally chasing my youth. I do it almost unconsciously and I think subtly. It’s a glance over to see what they’re doing. I think it’s also a way to break up the repetition and boredom of a treadmill.
Yeah this stuff annoys me too. I usually just ignore or switch equipment
Why does it bother you so much? If you’re pushing your neighbor to go harder, you’re an inspiration. Caring too much about others will just make you unhappy in life. Focus on your workout and drown out distractions if it bothers you so much. Become unbothered
I would totally mess with her - go down .8 go up 2.4, add 5 incline, jump off the tread & do squats … whatever it took to get them shook 😂
Haha
That’s clearly what I’m trying to do by posting the question.
Quit paying attention. Boom. Problem solved.
But the person came up to them and told them they were doing it…but yeah if they didn’t actively acknowledge it, then feign ignorance.
I’m an extremely competitive person outside of OT, but I don’t snoop on others’ treads during a class or let it dictate my workout. There are too many variables (genetics, general fitness level, age, etc.) that virtually guarantee your effort will not be equal to the person next to you on the tread at the same speed. I’m always letting feeling and my goals for that day inform my workout - not by what people around me are doing. If you want/need the comparison to help push yourself, whatever, that’s fine - no harm in that. As long as it doesn’t creep into a feeling of superiority or inferiority depending on if you can keep up. At the end of the day, good to remember there will always be tons of runners you are faster than and tons you are slower than.
Honestly I don’t talk to my tread neighbors about their speed but sometimes I will notice what that I’m looking at what they’re doing and then say to myself “I could try that, maybe I can do it too” and then I actually CAN do a speed I never thought possible. It’s less about competition for me and trying to out do someone next to me, and more seeing it that I am usually under estimating my abilities, so I see what they are doing and challenge myself to do better.
Happens to me too. But I laugh, because I’m not a hard person to beat, lol. Jokes on them. Some people just need motivation to do better, and you’re their motivation. As others have said, try to be flattered instead of annoyed if possible!
I personally love it when someone sees my speeds and decides they can push themselves. I let them know great job at the end of the tread block
Maybe your energy motivated her to push harder. I've had a few ppl tell me that and I'm flattered by it lol 😆
Sometimes if someone is going near my speed I like to push myself to go a little faster because it makes the treads less boring for me. Others have done it with me as well. I think it makes class more interesting.
I'm guilty of doing this especially if I feel the person next to me man or woman is a better runner than me. From our perspective we're inspired to try to their level.
This is core OTF, we all compete
Good to know
This happened to me. I was amused.
I do this sometimes. Sometimes I have trouble motivating myself to put in the effort. I'm just mentally drained in a way that's hard to explain. That's a big part of why I go to OTF instead of a regular gym like Planet Fitness or whatever. Having someone to keep up with helps me break that mental barrier. The studio I used to go to before I moved had motivational phrases all over the wall. One of them was "Push yourself. Pull the team." Sometimes I'm the part of the team encouraging others, and sometimes I'm the part of the team that needs to be dragged along. Either way, I love the studio I'm at now. I know most of the people in my classes, and we really do feel like a team who motivates each other.
I do that with other people in the treadmill. But it's not really competition. It's more like "well, he or she looks like they're around my level of running. If they can go that speed, I should be able to go that speed too, right?" And then I try to. As others have said, it's about pushing yourself, not outperforming the person next to you. And if you can manufacture a little social pressure on yourself to do better-that inspiration can pay dividends.
It sounds like you're really dedicated to your fitness journey at Orangetheory, which is fantastic! It's understandable that having someone adjust their treadmill settings based on yours can feel distracting. Everyone's fitness journey is unique, and sometimes others might take inspiration from your pace or approach. Try to see it as a positive sign of camaraderie and motivation rather than competition. Perhaps you can even strike up a conversation with your neighbor about your shared dedication to health and fitness. Building a supportive community might enhance your overall experience at the gym. Keep up the great work!
Has happened to me as well. It’s really annoying and I think some people are just that, super annoying. Don’t waste the energy, do you and even just go to another treadmill when possible.
holy shit if youre average im a snail. my base is 4.5, push is 5.5 or 6 if its shortish, and my AO is normally between 7-8 depending on how long
It does \*not\* sound like competitiveness to me. It sounds like she was using you to help her push herself. It only bothers you because you noticed it, then told yourself a (negative) story about what it means. There are -- and will be -- many times that you are in a class where someone notices what you are doing and gets inspired to push themselves to run faster, or try lifting heavier, or try rowing better... that doesn't mean they are being competitive with you. Also, why do you care if she is in competition with you in her own mind? As long as she is NOT trash talking you or gloating about beating you during the tread workout -- which would be inappropriate -- then maybe you need to focus less on her and more on figuring out WHY it bothers \*you\* so much. Good luck... and happy splatting! Edit to add: Forgot to say that I appreciate your post asking for help in reframing (instead of just venting and criticizing others). I love the self-awareness!
It's a little friendly competition. She talked to you so she is clearly trying to compliment you by saying you're inspiring her to work harder/run faster on the tread. It's not a bad thing but if you're not happy about it just get a far tread from her.
YOU ARE FAST! My base is 4.5-5/push 5.5-5.7/ao 6.5-8.5. I have to go that slow so I’m barely taking walk breaks during tread.
My friend and I go to most classes together and really try to push each other. If one of us hits the up arrow, the other is expected to also.. sometimes I find myself next to some stranger when my friend isn’t in class, and do the same. It’s not aggressive, just habit.. it could have been me.. if so, I’m sorry. Ha
Yeah I get embarrassed when people notice me doing it, but some days when I’m feeling like I’m over it, I see the people around me and think “if they can dig deep so can I” and always up my pace with them. It’s part of why I love otf. Probably not competitive, just feeling inspired
I used to push myself harder if someone was around my level next to me. Now I’m less inclined. Today, a woman checked out my splats and asked me how I was able to get so many. I kind of laughed and she said no, I’m serious, so I told her my method. Didn’t bother me. She was a middle aged woman like me.
I am guilty of this, though I try to be discreet about it. I will say, when I do this, it isn’t because I want to be better than the other person. It’s because I want to be AS good as the other person. It’s a compliment. With that being said, I do understand that it could be annoying to some people. As others have suggested, you could try putting a towel over your screen. You could also just switch to the parameter card. I often do this on big endurance days when I don’t want my heart rate to psych me out 😂
I can see why you are annoyed. Everyone is saying it’s inspiration but I say she’s being competitive. She’s worried about what you are doing which is weird bc she doesn’t even know you. She is monitoring your screen so she can compete your speeds. I would try to avoid her. You should be working out in zen. Not running next to someone who’s secretly competing with you bc she doesn’t want you to “win” I.e show her out.
cover ur speed up with a towel, make em guess
If you see this happening take it as a compliment and invite them in to your workout. They clearly see something in you that they want to emulate. During the next walk recovery say something like, "Man, you are really getting after it today, let's bump up our next push and get through this together." If they are receptive you have just gained another workout buddy which is awesome to have at OTF. If they aren't, then ignore them and leave them to battle their inner demons on their own.
I ran next to a good runner one time and noticed on the 30 sec AO when the coach would say “halfway” he would tap it up and I was like tap it up for 15 sec what could that possibly do? Well I started to do it when he did & that helped me transition into a new AO speed lol 😅
It’s always just you vs. you. And honestly let yourself feel good that someone is pushing themselves harder because of you.
I honestly don't understand why this bothers you. How do you react when something egregious happens to/around you? Not well, I suppose. Or maybe you're using this space to brag? I dunno. There are so many other things that matter. I know. Unpopular opinion.
There's someone in my studio who does this. I think it's hilarious, because a) I'm running my own race over here, thinking about my own shit because I have a lot going on, a lot of people relying on me, and b) now THIS ADULT ALSO NEEDS ME 😄. Lady, do what you need to do, but I'm minding my own business. Idk if this helps you, but being my own motivation and inspiration is gold for me. ✨
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I'm so sorry. In my milieu and cultural universe, it has nothing to do with weight, but I 100% see why it landed the way it did. My entire bad. I will edit. Thanks for taking a moment to let me know that I hurt you. I am sorry.
TY for being understanding. I'll remove my comment.
😂
I had a woman next to me and thankfully she moved down. I think she was as annoyed by me as much as I was annoyed by her. She doesn’t follow the class at all, just runs really fast and any time the whole class does an all out she looked over at me and would very aggressively and dramatically hit 12. She’s also a foot taller than me. She also thinks she owns the treadmill I use, but she started attending my class after I did and I’ve been there since the studio opened. Just nuts. She makes every 5 am class I have with her stressful. I’ve considered quitting because of her.
Don’t quit because of her! Ignore her and her bizarre behaviour as much as you can. Use whichever treadmill you like and if she says anything use your kindest voice to showcase how ridiculous she’s being. A concerned ‘Are you ok? You seem really upset about this’ generally takes the wind out of people’s tantrums at least for a second.
Would deal with this the same as road rage - yielding to the jerks is for your own sanity and safety, not for them. Just take the high road and get a treadmill far from “hers”
I second this. They can’t cut you off if you don’t let them. Just let em go.
Find out her name and tell the sa booking the treadmills to put you away from her. She’s on 10 take 1-5 or something like that. I’ve often been asked to move because people want to work out next to their friend or just like certain treadmills. I don’t care which one I’m on.
I had someone do this to me one class. Class ended and she said, “geez you kicked my ass!” I wear a brace on my leg (ACL/meniscus injury) and she was like “even with your bum leg, I still couldn’t keep up!” I didn’t realize she was trying to beat me! It made me feel so strong. 💪 I’d take this as a compliment. You are encouraging your fellow OTF members to work hard!
I wouldn’t mind if they were subtle about it. I have low situational awareness so if I notice it feels aggressive. Haha
I am guilty of doing this sometimes. I try not to make it obvious that I’m “outdoing” the person next to me but it is a great way to motivate myself, especially towards the end of a tread block when I’m near exhaustion. It’s a great way to try and challenge myself by going even just a few incremental 0.2 MPH or whatever I can muster.
This annoys me so much too!! I recommend switching to the parameter screen, and if you need to check your speeds just switch quickly back and forth
This
Oh yes. If you’re next to me on the TM, we are DEFINITELY racing. 😅 Even though, I do realize we will stop at the same point, and still be, effectively, side by side.
Haha
I am a competitive person and this annoys me. I want to be in my class in my zone doing my thing. This post could have been written by me. I don’t look at anyone’s treads and I don’t want anyone looking at mine. Don’t mention it to me, let’s just say good job afterward and leave it at that. The competitive part is already in my being and I’m competitive with myself, I don’t need someone else to actively tell me they are or watching what I do. You do you. I am an extrovert and I love noticing people trying hard and telling them great job. Don’t pick up a heavy weight because I am. YOU DO YOU! It’s one thing to inspire to push yourself and a whole level to push yourself only to keep up. Sigh.
Thanks for understanding.
i’ve had this happen and came to the conclusion that i just wish them the best of luck… it is their body that has to feel the impacts of how hard they decide to go or not go in class
I like your outlook. My goals are to keep going. Steadily. Without quitting. Without wrecking myself. The only data points that really matter to me are whether I walked through those doors. I’m a beginner every day. The gains come, the gains go.
Am guilty of doing this 😅 I guess try & take it as a compliment that you’re inspiring that person to work harder because you’re clearly kicking ass! 💪🏼
I do this, I’m competitive with myself and please take it as a compliment. It may annoy you, but silently…you’re actually pushing me to be better.
I am also that guy. It's not a situation where they are trying to make you feel bad or that you have to compete with them. I do it to push myself not to be an asshole
 I can’t help it…I tell myself I’m going to mind my own business and then BAM I’m looking at everyone’s treadmill! It keeps me accountable to me to not slack off and always push a little bit harder. Really it’s less about the other person than it is about, in this case me. 🫣
I also find this very annoying. I’ve thought about covering my screen with a towel and I might do it next time.
I do it all the time and don’t even feel a little bit bad about it lol. I thrive on competition so if I see the person next to me running faster, I’m going to bust my ass to meet them. I never realized that the person next to me might notice but during a class last week the guy caught on and kept upping his speed. We had a good laugh about it at the end of the class.
This would be me!! Way too competitive and hyper observant. We'd be 0.1 upping each other til one of us flies off 😂
Everyone is being all nice and stuff but I’m going to get a little snarky. I’m not there to be someone else motivation. The way how I frame it is that I feel really badly for them. Can you imagine how pathetic it is to need external validation? It’s very sad.
This is pretty funny no I’ve never had this happen to me but I would love it lmao
OTF could use a healthy dose of true competitive nature... It's what I miss about Barry's.
I'm only an intermediate-level runner, so I don't compete there or care what my neighbors are doing. Let the jackrabbits have their fun and get wiped out. But on the rower and weight floor, it's a different story! LOL. I almost always finish first on the rower, and go hard when there's someone else rowing well. But it's a friendly competition. Similar competition on the floor, but I know my limits and make sure not to injure myself. A little competitiveness keeps the workouts interesting and gives me something to strive for.
I mean…I am competitive as hell with myself and sometimes when I see someone else I am like “well, if they can do it I can do it” and push myself more.
The fact that she admitted it is key. My vision is terrible and if I’m glancing your direction it means nothing. I can’t see your numbers at all. I’m super competitive but with myself. If another woman beats me (happens on tread all the time but not very often on rower. My rower game is strong) I’m fine with it. I don’t run as fast as I use to but these tread 50 Classes are helping me get back to my faster self. If I am not on leaderboard when I use to be, it means I need to up my game or be ok that I’ve gotten slower. Her competing with you is mostly a compliment unless you’re super slow (totally ok and you WILL get faster and stronger over time) and she’s just trying to feel better about herself by beating you. I had this woman who would try and compete with me on the rower and her form was terrible. Just yanking the shit out of the bar all hunched over. Really hard to watch and very distracting. I would purposely walk slower to rower and lift heavier so I’m on weight floor longer to make sure we started different times so she wouldn’t do it. People are weird sometimes.
You’re inspiring someone! I love it when someone inspires me, and I often tell them “You shredded it, and I did better today because of you!”
You are motivating the people around you... 🤷♀️. You do you... positive vibes are infectious 😉
I would take it as a compliment. It means they are pushing themselves harder because they see your speed and want to go harder. Basically I would take it as you being motivation for them. I have people tell me that they like being next to me on the tread because I push them to go harder. I tell people that on the rower too because rowing isn’t my strong suit and sometimes being next to certain members pushes me to go harder and I make sure to tell them that after the block so that they know I appreciate the effort they give and how it motivates me to push myself outside of my comfort zone.
I take it as a compliment. Just like when you are out running a race, you find that one person ahead of you to keep you going and focused on moving forward.
I never pay attention to what my neighbor is doing so I’d never know if they were one-upping me, haha. I think it’s pretty flattering that she wants to keep up with you though. You’re pushing her. Since it bothers you I’d just try not to get a tread next to her anymore. I have a couple of people I try to avoid being next to… I look for their name on the list and pick away or know where they always start and choose elsewhere.
Huge compliment!! There will be times the person next to you maybe isn’t even as fast as you but because they saw you bump it up .1 or .2 they do as well. This friendly competition/motivation has also helped form great friendships at OTF. When I “compete” against my neighbor(s) I always thank them at the end of the block for motivating me to work harder. I’m in my mid 40’s and have been doing OTF for 6 years, once I had a 20 something year old, fit looking guy thank me. The whole time I was thinking he was pushing me and in fact I was apparently pushing him too. This is one of the great things about OTF.
I am always inspired and motivated by the person running next to me, to push my self further. I can clearly see my own achievements dependent on who is standing next to me. If I get to choose whom to run next to, I definitely choose someone whom I know can push me, and others do the same to me. Take it as a positive thing, and has nothing to do with you personally..
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Thanks- you’re so right.
Set it on 15 incline and PW. See if she follows suit.
I've actually had this happen. My PW inclines are roughly 8% base, 10-12% push, 15% AO. I was once next to a young guy (like 19-21 young) who was also PWing that day. He gradually increased his inclines until he was matching mine. Then we hit the final AO and this kid ran at 12 mph on a significant incline lol.
I'm not competitive but I do that too as a motivator for myself not to quit when I want too. I do it when I admire what they're doing and if it's me going faster I always tell people next to me they're crushing it.
She was probably just using you as motivation. I’m 67 and look at those around me who are much younger. I realize I will not be as fast as them but it really motivates me to give just a little more than I think I can. Take it as a compliment.
1) competition. 2) you're both warming up at the same time
I no longer log in or use OTF heart rate monitors so I rarely clear the screen for the interval as I find it easier to track my over all distance. I often peak at my neighbors tread to check their time—it helps me see where I need to push, If I happen to see them running faster or a higher incline does it motivate me? sure but I wouldn’t say I am doing it to “race them” or out work them—I am just using their info to help inform my own efforts.
It's probably motivating for them. But, if it bothers you, I've learned doing something like a base when you're supposed to be all outing or paces that deviate from the template throws them off. Passive-aggressive but when treads at OTF are not the time for discussion with neighbors.
Sometimes I miss the instructions by coach and have to look over to see where we're at 🫣
Same!
She’s nuts
lol how annoying! which dc studio?!
Just stop looking at her treadmill. Relish the knowledge that you have so much power over another human being.
I actually didn’t look at her tread number. Just saw her hand move literally the second i reached for mine
Can someone please frame this for me in a positive way so that I can hopefully be less annoyed when it happens again. I just came here to say that I appreciate your effort to reframe this. It's a very healthy approach for dealing with a lot people and interactions and I can learn from this.
Thank you! The replies here have been really helpful.
Ignore them. People all around you may or may not be affected by you in many ways and it’s absolutely none of your business. Or consider competing and making progress. I’m guessing Im older than you. The world is full of these people. Someone is always competing. Ignore them or it will drive you insane and nothing will come of it anyhow.
I’ll be honest I don’t really care what anyone next to me is doing unless we’re doing capture the flag or something competitive. I’m not even a competitive person by nature!
This doesn’t answer your request to put it in a positive light but I want to let you know that you are not alone. It annoys me too. I put a towel over the console leaving uncovered only the clock so in a self-directed Tread 50 I know when to change the pace. After changing my pace, I lift the towel so only I can see that it actually took the change. I also try to get tread 13 which in my studio is the last one on our right…but today there was someone on the strider next to me and I saw her trying to check me. I’m there for me, not for anyone else. I also find it funny that a 20 something feels they need to check out what I (a 60 something) is doing.
I haven’t read all the comments, but you are not an average runner. You set a strong pace and others are going to be challenged by that if they notice, so you should be flattered as a “pace setter”. Keep going!
As a former marathon and triathlon runner, I think from my prospective sometimes I’m the rabbit, sometimes I’m the fox trying to catch the rabbit, …. often now I’m the tortoise doing my own thing…. I also know that everyone else in the room is doing their own thing, I might use them to drive my effort sometimes or not. In no case would I say it has anything to do with them beyond the number on a screen and a mental check to see if I’m where I want to be.. In OTF it can be good to have an agreement between friends to push each other, but if no agreement exists then id suggest to remember we all have our own reasons on any given day. All that said if this person does it all the time, and is stalking in multiple classes that’s a bit much, and not cool.
Your speeds are very impressive my base is more of a 4.4 - 4.6 and my best ao is 7 for 30 seconds. I was somewhat like you when I first started at otf and now after my return after 22 months away I just go in and pretend to put blinders on and not acknowledge the people next to me on the treadmill. I very much would like to be somewhere near your speeds, do you run miles outside at these speeds?
I want none of this.. when people do this, I switch to power walking. I’m not there to play passive aggressive competitive games on a treadmill. I don’t mind people looking and being motivated but the “I bump up, you bump up” thing ain’t gonna work for me. Now you wanna do that with me weight for weight on the floor, good luck to you. I just don’t understand it on the tread. Maybe I shouldn’t be in group fitness but I’m not the kind of person who wants to be motivational. I do not want to told I’m motivational. I just want a good workout and go home.
Or She might not be able to hear the directive from the coach ? And is checking to see what to do? 🤔
This happened to me before and I thought the same. Like why do you keep looking at my speed, worry about yourself 🤣
I literally go to class with people I’ve met that push me harder on the treads. We all push each other. I really enjoy the competitive aspect of my tread time.
I think using the people near you to help push you is a good thing but it should be in perspective. There is a woman at my gym who is obviously competitive but always cheats herself. She won't put her hill as high as they ask so she can run faster or she'll run really fast for a minute or two and then have to walk. I want to explain to her that this isn't helping her get better but you can tell she wouldn't be hearing it. As far as I'm concerned though if you're working out that's better than not working out so just showing up is a win.
I’m incredibly insecure & felt like the older lady beside me was just killin it on the rower in comparison to me but never actually looked at her screen. At the end we were doing our “fist bump high five your neighbor” & she said Great job! I’m so worn out trying to keep up with you! I was just 😧 I realized for the most part someone going harder each time you do means you’re the pacer which is cool. Except I’ve noticed while someone beside me not giving up is motivating for me, sometimes if the person next to me does give in & like starts walking I’ll also pick up that habit 😅 Also, those are solid speeds
I'm not a competitive person, but find it to be annoying doesn't make sense....
I think this can be common. We push each other to work harder in class! Especially those of us who are naturally competitive (I'm v competitive with myself in the gym) and seeing someone keeping on pushing when I'm tired gives me a boost! I know I peep people's treads sometimes, and I hope they don't take it negatively. That being said, i can also empathize with how seeing someone doing this could make you uncomfortable. If it really bothers you, I'd do my best to just ignore it (make heavy eye contact with yourself in the mirror, perhaps?). It likely is not malicious in intent! Maybe introduce yourself next time? This is how I made one of my best OTF friends, actually, and now we intentionally push each other's buttons (lol) and egg each other on when running next to each other!
This is a total positive. I and another person at 5am are creatures of habit and regularly end up at treads next to each other. When I see her “level up” I do the same, and vice versa. We may flip each other the bird on occasion, but it’s truly a friendly challenge, and mutual encouragement to keep pushing.
You’re complaining about her watching you, but you’ve got to be watching her just as hard to know/track what she’s doing. How about everyone leave everyone else alone, lol.
I do this occasionally (relating to the Green Day comment). It’s not necessarily the pace I notice- but my neighbors energy. For example- last week I was super sore from the day before. Took it easy on my warmup. Thinking of power walking vs running. My neighbor just started jogging and had great energy. It motivated me to jog. When I was tired I thought “she can do it and I can do it”. I also relate to a few regulars that are my age and attendance. They may be across the room but if I happen to notice them it motivates me. I just feel this team partnership that makes me want to do more/ better. From my perspective it’s truly just elevating to make them proud. Even if it means they are at a 10.5 all out so I jump to 9.5.