Running Etiquette, Part 2

(On Talking, Lining Up, and the Movement of Bodies Through Space)

Hello! It’s the Ranting Runner again and, feeling more relaxed than ranty today – must be this stupefying heat we're experiencing.  Again. --

I’m here to talk about flow.  No, not the gross kinds like before (though I still maintain, and everyone who bothered to comment on my inaugural post agreed with me on this point, that there are certain, well, bodily fluids that should be kept to oneself.  Or at least out of the water fountain.)

No, the flow of which I write today is the flow of traffic.  Human traffic. Specifically, the flow of runners making their way along a racecourse.  The bottom line? Go with that flow. Now, of course, this doesn’t mean you should force yourself to run beyond your capabilities or let yourself get carried away by a faster runner’s current. In fact, just forget the chaos of Central Park on race morning for a moment and picture a mountain stream. The water does not flow straight from its source, as through a pipe, but rather has to negotiate obstacles that nature or humankind may have put in its way – boulders, fallen trees, a fledgling kayaker... Still, the water keeps going, not stopping, but efficiently working its way downstream around or over the obstacles in a graceful, continuous flow.

This flow is not random in its artistry, though, but is governed by laws of physics, or at least I’m fairly certain it is. (Having failed high school physics, I am uniquely unqualified to elaborate on this.)  In a similar fashion, there are rules that can keep runners moving efficiently and continuously (and maybe even gracefully) to the finish line.  So think babbling brook, not stagnant pond, and remember the following Rules of the Flow:

Flow is important in any race.

1. Lining Up for races. This is Flow 101.  If you’re a walker or a slower runner and you line up at the front of the race, well, people will pass you.  Is that what you want?  Really??  Line up at the pace you can legitimately expect to run, and you won’t be an obstacle to the runners behind you.  And if you end up being faster, great – you’ve managed to pass others and that usually feels good. (Of course, the NYRRC has somewhat resolved this issue by imposing its extra strict – though practical – corral system at the start.  There’s still a lot of lining-up leeway within your particular corral though, so while it's good to reach, be realistic.)

 No need to be embarrassed about lining up with the 10- (or 11- or 12-) minute milers, by the way; between you and me, the runners in the back of the pack have more fun.  (Kind of like the back of the bus in high school.  That could be why I failed physics...)  Or at least they have more time to enjoy the scenery.  But remember that racing is serious business, and that many people have trained long and hard to be there on the road with you and may have specific goals in mind.  So don’t line up in a way that makes you an impediment to someone else’s PR.

 2. This is not to say that a race is all about the finish.  A running event can be a great opportunity to meet up with friends or an excuse to hang out with them over mimosas later; surely no one knows that better than the Flyers.  But during a race at least, don’t let your socialization get in the way of others.  I’m sure some of you have had this experience: there you are, race morning in Central Park in all its verdant splendor.... the birds are singing, the tourists gawking at the mass of runners going by... Your hamstring pain recedes as you feel yourself being hypnotized by the cadence of determined footfalls scaling Cat Hill.  And then it happens.  A shrill, “Oh my GAWD!!” and that’s it – your reverie is shattered, your concentration: crushed, as you are forced to listen to a loud recounting of a fellow runner’s failed romantic escapade. Or stock loss. Or digestive ill. (You can talk about THAT after you cross the finish line.)  Chat if you have to during a race,* but don’t force everyone around you to have to pick up their own pace to avoid being your audience.

 3. As you’re running, and possibly conversing – quietly – with the person next to you, be aware of the runners around you. Is it a narrow course? Running two abreast might force a passing runner into the path of an oncoming horse-drawn carriage, or worse. Even on a wider roadway, avoid lining up with your friends and forming a rolling roadblock that keeps others from getting around you.  That’s impeding the Flow.

 There are other racing “rules” that are good to follow of course, and they usually mirror basic traffic rules (indeed, “act like a car,”  I advised in my last post – don’t come to a sudden stop, look around and signal your intent before passing or moving over to the side, and don’t use your cell phone while driving, er, running.  And if you're a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker who never had to learn to drive, just exercise some common sense and a little consideration of the people around you and you’ll master the Art of Flow.

He may not finish running, but at least Brian H. doesn't come to a sudden stop!

* What? There's no talking in running? I'm sure there are some of you who think so, nay – insist so!  Let's hear from you: is it O.K. to talk during a run?  During a race? Ever??  Husband-who-spits-in-the-fountain-though-of-course-I-still-love-him-dearly agrees with me on this one.

What do you think?? - The Ranting Runner