I get an email now and again from Runner’s World trying to entice me to buy something and today’s installment was a book that included running rules. Now this is a better piece of marketing than that one time I got a mailer that was covered in fighter planes and guns and announced “SUZANNE, YOU ARE WANTED AT THE FRONT!” That was for the military book of the month club. It got me thinking about my running rules. I love order so rules are right up my alley, though I am nice enough to apply my rules only to myself, I’m not the running cop. Rules are good. Without rules it’s chaos, right. So in order to keep running order, I present my running rules.

1. Never pass up a bathroom opportunity. Even if you think you don’t have to go. Go.
2. It’s ok to run (or walk) 2 or more abreast on a trail if you pay attention and move over when a runner approaches from the other direction. It’s not ok to hold your ground and crowd me off the trail, we’re living in a society here people!
3. When crossing a street or approaching an intersection, assume none of the motorists see you unless they give you visual confirmation.
4. Running in place when you are waiting to cross the street is ineffective and makes you look stupid, it’s ok to stand there for 30 seconds and wait, your workout doesn’t become immediately ineffective by a moment’s break.
5. Despite what my brother says, you can in fact eat a pop tart and have a diet dr. pepper before a race and expect to have a PR.
6. What you look like in running gear is way down the list of important things, as long as your shoes fit and nothing is chafing, your outfit is perfect.
7. When you run a race take your race number and wad it up several times and unfold it before you pin it on your shirt. That way if it’s windy, it won’t flap in the wind.
8. Most matters of decorum are out the window when you run, it’s ok to spit and blow your nose a la the runner’s blow, just make sure you aren’t upwind of another runner.

Tomorrow the wee one and I set off for Omaha. I am optimistically bringing my winter running gear. I am hoping that instead of curling up in a ball and crying about how cold it is, I will have the fortitude to get myself out the front door and warm up with some old fashioned exercise. So here’s your holiday mix tune for the day, Another Christmas at Home ,which is in fact about Omaha and the bar where the champagne’s on tap.

Our race photos from Sunday were just posted online and I think this is now a perfect record for my initial thought when looking at them to be “wow, I look terrible, I look like I’m going to fall over and die.”  Flattering, eh? It’s the nature of the beast I suppose, who is going to look cute and refreshed after running so many miles? I always feel like the race photos are kind of blah too, it’s just someone sitting there for hours continuously snapping the shutter from a fixed position. My brother on the other hand has made sort of a side career out of race photography. This is one of his pictures from Ironman Wisconsin a few years ago. It just seems like he’s captured the essence of the runner. Maybe because I’ve done that race but when I look at that picture I get a sense for what that guy is feeling at that moment.

Regardless of how you think you look in your race photos, buy one. I promise when you come across it during a move or look at it years later, you will be inspired by the person you see. No matter how hard the race was, you’ll look at the picture and find yourself flooded with the good memories, with the feeling you had when finally crossed the finish line. When you are having a really bad day or need some motivation, look at some old race photos, it will do wonders to your ego.

Here’s something for your running mix to remind you to smile in your race pics. I just read that instead of saying “cheese” you should say “money” when someone is taking your picture, it’s supposedly more flattering. I think the only “money” that will make my race photos more flattering is the kind paid to a skilled photoshop artisan but my SI Swimsuit Modeling days are long gone anyway so I’m done caring about that.

The one thing I like about running is the sense of community  I feel with other runners.  When I see runners I think “those are MY people!”  If you do most of your running on a running path or trail like I do, you tend to see the same people and develop a sense of familiarity with them.  Runner’s World had an article a few months ago about The Waver’s Dilemma. That is, when you are running and you see another runner, do you wave?  The author essentially found that people are wavers or they aren’t.  I’m a waver.  Well, more of a nodder.  Especially with the people I see nearly every day on the trail.   The irony here is that outside of when I’m running I’m not the type of person likely to randomly wish you a nice day.

I’ve noticed that certain cities are better or worse about waving/nodding/whatever.  Apologies but, sorry Boston, I don’t think a runner EVER acknowledged me on a trail there and I’ve run many miles along the Charles.  Here in Austin, I’d say about half of the runners give me a wave or a “hi.”  There’s one woman who I see quite often, I bet she’s in her 60’s and she is always doing a pretty good pace, she always says something encouraging to me like “you’re looking strong.”  As one of my co-workers would say I’m not an “up with people happy crappy” sort of person.  But who couldn’t do without a little encouragement or gesture that says “hey, good to see you out here again.”

I checked and there does not appear to be a “National Wave to a Runner Day” – really, there’s that dumb “talk like a pirate day” and no runner wave day? So if you’re not a waver, pick just one run and make an effort to wave to every passing runner.  Or say hi or nod your head, something to indicate that “hey, you and me, we’re the same.”  After all, as Elaine on Seinfeld once said “hey, we’re living in a society here!”

Here’s a good reminder for your running mix “Hello.”

A few shouts out to Lauren and Emily who both raced today, way to go ladies!!