Rituals

The first race of the year is upon my training group and me. With the normal, “I hate to taper” talk on today’s run. I started thinking about the rituals I use before and after races. Most rituals I do are for my “A” races, but sometimes I do them just because its fun or a superstition I have.


In my triathlon days it was the whole body shave down, and I mean WHOLE body. One time I did my eyebrows. During my MTB and road racing days it was hair color. I’ve done blonde, red, orange, and purple. I seem to have a personal affinity for hair rituals. Besides color I’ve done, long hair, the buzz, bald and the ubiquitous Mohawk. Facial hair is another favorite, I’ve done the full beard, goatee, you name it. My personal favorite was my 7wk old full beard I started when my daughter was born and kept till I returned to work. The final week before returning to work I shaved it into lamb chop sideburns, sweet!

More recent big race rituals have been shaving my legs and arms, (I’m 20sec faster over a 50 mile run this way). My daughter painting my toe nails has become an annual ritual, we do it whenever she wants to (a pre-WS100 must do).

I used to listen to the same few songs before every race, but I gave that up recently as I moved away from music while running. If you’re interested try “In the air tonight” by Phil Collins when you’re just getting ready to go to the start, good stuff.

Other rituals I enjoy are the post AR50 body dunk in the canal behind the finish and the post race Carls Jr. Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

My worst ritual, No Pre-Race SEX.

What’s your ritual(s)?

AB