· Having to go to the bathroom in the middle of a run.
There is the obvious problem of what you do if there isn’t anywhere to go to the bathroom, but runners also hate this because it will affect their final time. Every runner I know has a story about this. Mine happened at The Berry Half-marathon. There is a three-mile stretch where everything looks exactly the same. There are woods to the right, but it is pretty open territory where it would be hard to hide from the crowd. It was at this spot that my body let me know it was time to go to the bathroom, and I knew it was imminent. I must have run a mile into the brush before I found a log to hide behind. My friend had been far behind me and was surprised at the spot where you can see those behind you to see me shuffling along. He asked me after the race, “What happened?!”
· Someone who stops on a dime right in front of you.
I love to see children running, but I am cautious when they are in front of me because I have had many come to a dead stop without warning, and I don’t want to collide with them.
· Trying to put a race bib on just right.
Putting on a bib should be such an easy task, so why does it take so many attempts before the bib is on just right?
· A race course that is not marked correctly.
We were running a race and when we were around the two-mile mark I looked at my watch and thought how horrible my time was. After the race, the organizer apologized because someone had moved the cones and 3.1 miles turned into 4.
· Ten-year age groups for awards.
As I have aged, I realize that there is a big difference between a runner who is 50 and one who is 59, at least in many cases. The worst was at one race the age groups were 1-20, 21-40, and 41 and up.
· A race that ends with a hill
· Now I know that for those runners who are very fit a hill at the end is a chance to lose a few more runners, but for most of us it isn’t much fun.
· A race without any bathrooms
This actually happened at a 5K. The race organizer said that she had forgotten, but we could use the bathrooms in Target. The only problem was it was 7:30 and Target didn’t open until 8, and there weren’t any woods around us.
· Runners who want to hold a conversation while racing.
I’m actually just jealous of this. I am just trying to breathe let alone talk to the person next to me.
· Someone who tries to teach you how to run during a race.
I was at a trail race, and we were at the base of a huge hill. I decided to walk it when the woman behind me started to tell me how to run a hill. The ironic part was that she walked it too.
· When non-runners try to convince you to do another sport.
I have to confess that each incident happened after I tore my meniscus, but you would think someone would realize how much I loved a sport if I had an injury like that. My chiropractor tried to convince me that swimming should be my next sport. I told him I loved to swim, but what I called swimming wasn’t pretty. The MRI tech tried to convince me that biking was for me. I told him I loved biking, but running was always my passion.
· Injuries
It is so difficult when you know that you have to take time off because you have put so much time and effort into training, but also because running brings so much joy.
· Runners/walkers who stretch out next to each other and make passing difficult.
· When you forget to turn your watch on.
· A bad run.
I hope I’m not the only one who can’t just accept there will be bad runs. I start letting crazy thoughts in like maybe I’m not training right, or I’m not fit enough.
· Runny noses and eyes
The minute I start to run my nose and eyes run too. I always have tissues handy.
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