The runners in my family lined up at the start for the big race this morning. Each race has it's own unique characteristics~ sponsors, food, set up, and course, but most races have a few things in common.
The goodie bags. Any decent race is going to have a bag full of stuff for each person registered. This stuff ends up in the junk drawer or the bottom of my purse. You don't really need or want the stuff, but you feel ripped off if you don't receive it.
The crowd. Runners like their shoes. And their shorts. And their socks. And their latest gadget. So when a bunch of runners get together you can see them sort of checking each other out....how do that guy's shoes look, or wonder how good that heart rate monitor is, or I think I can take that guy off the start line and beat him the whole race.
The passion. People want to run fast. (Fast is relative.) They want to do well. They want to hang with a crowd that will push them to run as fast as they can without ending up sprawled on the sidewalk. (My guys wanted to be in the 50 minute crowd.)
The food. There will always be bananas at any race you ever go to. No question. Bananas are the ultimate race food.
The finish line. It will always look good. Big or small. Sunny or rainy. Cold or hot. The finish line always looks good.
More from the Cajun Cup 2008 in the next few posts.
