Talking to people before races

For sure, you get a lightning bolt between you that gives you an immediate runners high and you are guaranteed a PR. That's how I went from 4:32 to 3:57 in three days. Runners World should be coming out with a feature on it next issue

Right. Who could possibly talk to their teammates on the starting line before an xc race?

You can definitely have some camaraderie with your competitors, even people you never knew before the race. I disagree that it is unique to the track though. I've had it happen in the marathon where it's easy to say a few words to someone going the same pace/shooting for the same goal and work together for some miles.

Well in XC you're in the chute with your team mates whose race strategies and ability you're hopefully already aware of.

In more individual races like in track and in road races, I do find it helpful to chat people up to get an idea of their goal time, strategy, etc. Sometimes you do end up working together to achieve that similar goal time.

It's somewhat true. I've had great track races where I've briefly talked to the guys before the race. Takes the tension off. Was always more nervous around my teammates b/c I was competing against them for top 7.

I just like to talk shit to the #2 seed

I like this, too. A few of the guys I race against regularly and I will whisper soothing words into each other's ears as we stand at the line. That plus a quick hair tousle and I'm calmed down and ready to roll.

hot at the line wrote:

I like this, too. A few of the guys I race against regularly and I will whisper soothing words into each other's ears as we stand at the line. That plus a quick hair tousle and I'm calmed down and ready to roll.

I was going to write something similar, but you beat me to it. It's all about the tousle. I'm a mad tousler. I tousle friends, strangers, race officials, dogs, whoever. Once you've tousled, you never go back. It's a shame that ever since Jesse Owens tousled Hitler in Munich, it's been verboten at the international level. Because IT WORKS.

I like talking to the women at the start line (competing as an adult in mixed gender track or road races). It gives me a quick pre-race boost of testosterone.

In a marathon I like chatting a bit while running alongside someone.

But if it's a shorter race and someone comes up to me at the starting line, f that. I'm trying to get in the zone, getting ready to go hard, and you're yammering about what races I did recently or some other BS. Get out of here.

#verbalgame #colorrun #textappeal #100

Yeah for sure.

All it takes is all you got

I was trying to break 16 once for 5K, always finished near this other guy who I never knew. One week I really wanted to break 16 and I came up behind after 500m I shouted "We are breaking 16 today, come on!" we both smashed through to 15:45.

ohyesitsgood wrote:

I was trying to break 16 once for 5K, always finished near this other guy who I never knew. One week I really wanted to break 16 and I came up behind after 500m I shouted "We are breaking 16 today, come on!" we both smashed through to 15:45.

A+

Great to have a finger on the pulse of HS attitude.

Thank you.

kod3200 wrote:

I just like to talk shit to the #2 seed

I've been in two collegiate races where I felt confident enough to tell my teammates and any one standing around that I'll pace it right, just latch on if they want a PR.

I like to tell people they have a nice ass on the start line and then run behind them

antisocial dkhead wrote:

In a marathon I like chatting a bit while running alongside someone.

But if it's a shorter race and someone comes up to me at the starting line, f that. I'm trying to get in the zone, getting ready to go hard, and you're yammering about what races I did recently or some other BS. Get out of here.

Great minds think alike. In a 5k I'm trying to get myself ready for the pain about to begin, not trying to find out what people run or their goals. I'm here to be miserable and edgy, i didnt sign up for this to be calm and social, if i wanted that I'd meet up at a bar.

Once, at a big invitational, someone on my team told a member or our rival team that their school and team "sucked." It escalated from there, and 30 seconds after the start, 3 members of each team were throwin' it down in the middle of the pack on a golf course. Highlight of my career. One of those other guys went home with a cast, one of my teammates got a bloody nose.

So, if you must talk, keep it on a positive plain, unless you can back that shit up. We could.