I thought I would share my rules for racing since many of us will be running turkey trots, and all of us will surely be running the Team Brenton, Broken, Beat & Scarred, Running Around on Empty 5th and 6th bi-annual charity fun run (this is your second notification that it will be happening again this year (Ann)). I think my rules are pretty much common sense, but after my experiences at several races over the past few years sense apparently isn't so common. Please note that every rule has it's exception, and I will address several here. My general rule is if it doesn't take away from another runner's experience, and doesn't give you an unfair advantage it is probably OK.
1. Be prepared. Do your training, and know you can run the distance. When races start to get longer, like say half marathon or longer, that is not always possible. You may have to walk a water station. Just try not to hold anyone else up.
2. Try to line up with others of similar pace. I always try to line up with the 8:00 milers. I know from experience that is about my race pace. I will look for the guys I recognize from the finish of other races, or ask a few guys what pace they plan to run. If you are a 9:00 minute miler don't line up with the 6:00 minute pace guys. You will only look clueless, and make it harder for someone to run their race.
3. If you are going to move, slow to a walk, spit, or make any other changes look around so you don't collide with another runner. Pretend like you are on a freeway, and you need to look behind you before you change lanes.
4. If the course is a loop where you have to make several laps look for people coming up behind you so you can give them room to pass. This is why I am against walkers in a race. I had a trio of very voluptuous walkers hold me up for quite a while at a trail race. I had to get two laps in to make the ten miles. I came upon them in a section of single track, and there was no good way around them. They saw me, but wouldn't give me any room to pass. I ended up off trail to get around them. I wasn't very happy, and had to bite my tongue to keep from making the pilot car, and warning flag joke I cooked up while trying to get around them.
5. Have fun, and be friendly. You will meet some very cool people with similar interests. You might even learn, or teach, someone something.
Halloween 2010
14 years ago
2 comments:
I wish more people had read and abided by your simple list of rules before participating in the run on Thanksgiving morning.
I saw a violation of everyone of these rules at the Turkey Trot. I think I will print up some "traffic tickets", and start handing them out to people at races. That ought to be good for a fist fight or two.
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