>I spent less time running than my average fellow citizen spent in front of the tube

Time watching TV is not time spent sitting "in front of the tube". People cook, eat, clean the dishes, iron clothes, play with their kids, while the TV is on. If you are running, you can't be doing anything else.

Yes and no. People can cook, etc. while the TV is on. They certainly get in some time just plain watching.

Also, some of my running time amounted to commuting: knock 45 minutes off the 90 minute run. Running can be a social activity. Those who care to can run listening to their iPods (then, Walkmans). Etc.

Unless you're on a treadmill in front of a TV, or wearing headphones listening to the radio, TV, podcasts, etc.

I dont have cable at home, so the only time I watch broadcast TV is when i'm watching it on the TV at the gym while running.

Now imagine coming home from a day of hard physical labor on a roadwork crew when it's hot as hadeys outside and then consider how much you may feel like spending your free time running.

Not being rich isn't the same thing as being poor, or being blue collar. Most of us being knowledge workers, have advantages beyond earning power.

Nit (with sincere hope that you'll appreciate rather than feel picked upon):

Hades, not hadeys.