Don't call it jogging!!!

So, I have this thing that I need to get off my chest.

I hate hate hate hate hate when people call running "jogging."  More specifically, I hate when people act as though there is even a difference between the two things.

The way I see it, if you're moving faster than walking, you're RUNNING.  If you make an effort to lace up some athletic type shoe, put on some sort of athletic type outfit, and get outdoors or on a treadmill and start moving at faster than a casual "walk to the mailbox" pace, you're running.

To put a distinction between the two makes it seem like those who fall into the "jogger" category aren't out there kicking just as much ass as the person who falls into this mythical "runner" category.

I.RUN.

It may not be fast.  It may not always be pretty.  But each and every time I slip on my Asics Gel Kayano shoes (which, I might add, are sold as "running" shoes, not "jogging" shoes), I go out there with a purpose.  Sometimes the purpose is to clear my mind.  Sometimes the purpose is to soak up some sunshine.  Sometimes the purpose is to go fast.  Sometimes the purpose is to go long.  Always the purpose is to be better than I was the previous day.  Always the purpose IS.TO.RUN.

I recently had a Facebook convo with a friend of mine who believes there is a distinction.  We've had similar (all in good fun) "arguments" about it before.  He says this regarding the difference between running and jogging:

This is the same silliness as biking or cycling. I will bet you anything I beat many skinny tire people next weekend who claim to be "cyclists" While I am rocking my mountain bike looking hybrid. :) Usain Bolt runs. We jog. Calling everybody a runner is like giving everybody a trophy for showing up. Silly...

It IS silly.  Probably silly that it bothers me so much, but speaking as a person who, if we were to follow some definitions of "running," would not be fast enough to be considered a "runner," I take offense to it.  I did some Googling around on the interwebz and found that to be a "runner," I would have to run 9:00-10:00 min/mile pace.


I'm not sure who decided upon those terms, but I imagine it's somebody who finds a 7:00 min/mile to be a walk in the park.  


I'm not the only one it seems who bristles at this "running vs jogging" argument, and actually it seems as though there are a fair number of articles out there that are more aligned with what I believe.  I found a good one that kind of sums up exactly how I feel about it all.  


http://theruniverse.com/2012/05/running-or-jogging/

So, debate away!  What do you all think?  Maybe you don't care as much as I do about it, but it's just one of my pet peeves.  Comment away if you have strong feelings (or even mild feelings) either way!