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Race day etiquette
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I'm trying to tie down the post cross country drinking this season...to 6 maximum.
Good official rehydration
Mick W - not offended in the least - just relieved it wasn't me after all
LOL cake
OK I'm going to throw a hissy fit now, WTF is wrong with you that you can get so upset about someone carrying a water bottle??? I WILL be carrying mine when I do my 1st 10K in a couple of week and I will still have it in my hand when I finish as its my sports bottle that I take out on all my longer runs. I am not an experienced runner so haven't mastered the art of chucking water down myselt at the water stations and as I will be nervous as hell prior to the race I will have peed out every bit of hydration that I've taken onboard before I even get to the start line.
Get over it, as long as they aren't whacking you in the face with said water bottle what does it matter???
I don't know why, maybe it's my advancing age, but I admit to finding the sight of youngsters (and it is mostly younger folk) carrying water bottles everywhere they go just slightly irritating, I'll put it no stronger than that.
Entirely irrational on my part and there's no earthly reason why they shouldn't. It's certainly not bad manners or anything. At least runners have more need for water than the average joe in the street.
I've no problem with people carrying their water in their first few races - it does mark you out as a newbie - but so what - we were all new once ?
I've never had the energy to warm down on the course - but there have been a few occasions were I have walked back down the course - once it was point to point, so I'd have been stuffed if I hadnt.
I'd always give runners a clear path and I'd usually give them a clap or encouragement. If you dont like that or think its condescending - then frankly thats your problem and not mine ?
;-)
I think running down the actual course when people are still finishing might be considered a little rude. If they're behind the spectators, I don't see a problem with it, especially if they make it obviously a really slow warm down jog, I think if they started going in the same direction faster than me on their "warm down jog", I might have something to say about it though.
I'd rather not think about snot rockets, but oddly enough spitting would probably annoy me more.
Drinks bottles do slightly annoy me, but more in a "you'd be faster if you weren't carrying so much water around with you" kind of way, I guess I want everyone to do their best in a race.
Slow people going too near the front annoy me. I was sorely tempted the other week to go at the front of a race because I had the number 1, but I resisted because I wouldn't even be able to sprint away fast enough for some of them.
Groups running along with ipods in, next to each other, so they can't here people warning them of cars or bikes on the same route, but block the path as well. Maybe this is one the race organisers should get tougher on, but people don't have to have both earphones in do they, even if they're using it for pacing?
Blimey what an interesting thread! Really pleased to see "warming down" back round the course getting an airing as, I confess, I really don't like it for all the reasons others have posted about.
That said, I LOVE anyone who smiles/waves/cheers/chats at or with me at any point and I always thank marshals (on the way round, god, I'm not going back to do it, I can't move!)
But here's my pet peeve, and yes, I'm prepared to be flamed but what about spectators who give no acknowledgement whatsoever to anyone other than the ONE person they know who is racing? Really, standing there for an hour or more scanning the horizon as everyone else trundles by.
Drives me nuts. Like the sky would fall in if they clapped someone they didn't know. I don't get it.
Athough this may be because I have no friends and am merely a sad jealous old witch
Even worse are the marshalls who stand chatting to each other and let you go the wrong way! I'll make it clear that these are few and far between, most marshals are r*nners themselves and absobloodylutely great, but I have encountered a few of the other persuasion.
I lurve marshalling and supporting (which is just as well cos I haven't been able to r*n all year!) - it's great to see someone's face light up when you give them a cheer.
That's got to be the ultimate excuse for not getting a PB.
Water Bottle = Newbie...
Now see, I would've said the fact that I was at the back of the pack panting away like a pervert outside an all-girls school would've given it away that I was a newbie...
I love it when marshalls cheer you on and agree that people stood on the sidelines waiting for the one person they know to come along before they cheer are just miserable sods.
I am often a miserable sod of a spectator (not always, but often). Possibly because I don't personally like people yelling at me so I assume the same for others, but mainly because I am a miserable sod of a human being.
If you don't need water on a 10k why do they have water stations? And if it is easier to drink from your own bottle than a plastic cup then what is the problem? And if you have travelled to a run by yourself (it happens - my wife would rather watch paint dry) you often have nowhere to leave stuff! And as for it being against IAF rules the day I trouble the first page of results I'll call myself on it!
And stop using "and" all the time...
And you are right, you shouldn't need the fluid but I was never breastfed so leave me alone...
Agree and PMSL!
Right at the beginning of the race I'm guessing when it was full and packing a punch? Not good!
Lee, I think you're possibly taking the water is not necessary thing a bit far if you think you don't need water stations on a 10k, presumably because you're fairly quick, so you get round before you get thirsty, the rest of us do need water stations, especially if the race happens to be a lot warmer than the temperature you're used to running at. If someone was out walking for over an hour they would probably want a drink, so why not when running.
Race organisers cannot assume everyone has had perfect training and preparation before doing a race, especially the shorter distances, because the HSE would be on their backs if something terrible happened, rare as it may be.
That said - if you are a beginner - I cant see the harm in taking a bit of water on the run. But its more for comfort than a medical necessity.