I probably have mentioned this before: I started this blog after I told my aunt the distance I was planning on for the long run and it made me stick with it when I wanted to give up. I realized I need to have people watching me to stay honest through the long months of training for Ironman 70.3. It’s basically working and I have a feeling it will get even more important in the months to come, as I will have a long time without payoff in form of a race. So here is to people who help us make it to the finish line.
Your village
A lot of people like exercising with others. Personally, I don’t. I love doing my own thing and I guess that’s what makes running work for me so well: I can go whenever & wherever. I do, however, enjoy an occasional bike ride with a friend. That’s mostly because they make me go faster. I have a tendency to have a very ‘touristy’ pace on a bike. Push I get from company is great. And then there is an issue of more practical support – kids need watching, so you can work out? During a race? How about making sure you have water, energy drinks and food during longer races? Those friends who will support you through your sport adventures are indispensable. I know that majority of races provide water and occasional banana, but it’s not always so and sometimes it’s just not enough. A few years back, I did Luray Triathlon at the olympic distance. It appeared to be an established race, so what could go wrong? As it turns out, they didn’t have water until the running portion. Fortunately, I has water bottles in my bike, so I was able to hydrate. But wouldn’t it be nice to be able to call somebody and have them wait for me…
You may be tempted to bring one of your ‘villagers’ with you on a race. This is where it gets tricky. If it’s somebody who you run with regularly, that may be a good idea. They can push you and help you keep going during the long races. I won’t be talking about short races – there is little threat from company on those. But on the long ones, having somebody next to you may be to your detriment, especially if you are not an experienced distance runner. I tried once bringing somebody with me for a marathon and it went awful. Neither of us was ‘in the zone’, we ended up losing each other in the crowds and lost a lot of time trying to find each other. We did not finish together. It was a mess! I’m not doing that again! On the other hand, I had some luck with finishing a triathlon with somebody, although it was kind of by accident, since we ran into each other on the running portion and just jogged slowly to the end. I have also heard a story of a couple running together a marathon, where the guy was pushing the woman yelling ‘oh, it’s all in your head! Just keep pushing!’ all the way until an ambulance had to take her to a hospital… So just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into when bringing other people along for a long race.
Supporters at the race
This is where I need all the help I can get! During longer races, I need distraction! There is a reason for the home court advantage, with the crowds feeding you positive energy. I was surprised to find out that there are people who don’t care or aren’t particularly into it. One of my coworkers told me that she always plans ahead of time for every little hill, every water station and basically every step. I guess she doesn’t need anything else on her mind? I also know a friend who apparently focuses on listening to his body. Good for them. I need my mind occupied and I am not always great at providing my own entertainment (although sometimes I do). When I did a triathlon a few years back, it was through the middle of nowhere, not much cell service and I didn’t have my playlist thing figured out yet. No spectators, only a couple of medical tents and people pointing you in the right direction (not even a water station!). That bike ride was the longest thing in my life!!! It was olympic distance, so a bit under 25 miles. I have done 5 marathons and a lot of training, but none of it felt as long as that bike ride. And that’s how I learned to value the crowds coming out to cheer for the runners and cyclists. My personal favorite is always looking for new signs. You know, like ‘You run better than the government!’ (true in pretty much every country, regardless of your political stance) or ‘When my wife asked for Disney marathon, this is not what I expected!’. I love them!!! That little smile is exactly what I need. My first marathon (Baltimore) was for some reason particularly mentally draining. Maybe because it was the first one? Anything that could make me smile was very much needed. Since then, I got into a habit of making mental ranking of the best signs I have seen during a particular race.
Signage is not the only source of entertainment and support I have seen during the races. When I ran Vermont City, they had bands playing every couple of miles, giving a good beat. When we ran through communities, people were banging even tempo on trash cans. In various marathons, there were people in costumes standing on the sidelines (and I am not talking only about the paid actors at Disney World). In Baltimore, I ran through the zoo and they brought out some animals and I even got a picture with one. So much entertainment and fun!
Yes, I strongly believe that distractions during a marathon make it easier to finish because I don’t focus on my own misery. But then there are people who just withdraw into some corner of their own head and that propels them through the many miles of the race. Lesson to be had in here: before signing up for a race, check how many participants there are and look up online reviews of spectators. It may make all the difference in your experience!