Do you really need to moan? You got yourself into this
The start line of a race line can be the best place in the world – or it can totally suck. If you know you’ve done the training and it’s a race you’re prepared for, you’ll be fizzing with anticipation.
If, in your heart of hearts you know you haven’t done the work, if you haven’t run the miles, cold, hard dread will be flowing instead of adrenaline.
And the mood can be dictated by those around you.
Most often, there’s a real buzz, and it’s infectious.
One of my favourites is the Tarawera Ultramarathon, where I’ve stood on the start line for the 100-kilometre race three times (I’ve only reached the finish line twice, but that’s a story for another day).
At Tarawera, runners are squeezed into the starting pen, doing last-minute checks, adjusting straps on hydration packs that don’t need adjusting, making sure for the 100th time that their GPS watch has connected to the nearest satellite, smiling nervously at coffee-clutching supporters.
It feels like you’re all about to embark on a spiritual journey – something about setting off on such a long race can’t help but stir the soul.
But I’ve also stood on plenty of start lines where the vibe is anything but uplifting.
People complaining about how early it is. People complaining about how much it’s going to hurt. People complaining about...oh, everything. Wah, wah, wah.
I get it. I’ve wallowed in selfpity myself. I remember during one marathon, trudging up a hill that seemed like it would never end saying, ‘‘Whose f….ing stupid idea was this?’’ much to the surprise of the runner’s around me.
None of them had an answer, of course, because it was my idea. No one else was to blame.
And that’s the thing. Whenever you enter a race, the number one thing to remember is that you’re there because you want to be there. No one is making you do this.
So, find a way to enjoy it. And quit your moaning.
On the Dirt Church Radio podcast this week, co-host Matt Rayment and I talk to the
Australian elite trail runner, Majell Backhausen.
He knows all about that whole downer vibe at race start lines, but he has a far more laid-back, zen-like attitude about it.
Recently, in his role as global content and community manager for Salomon Running, he went to China to film a video about the growth of trail running in the country.
And what he saw at start lines blew him away: people doing star jumps, wearing 80s glam fluoro – it looked like a 1980s music video. ‘‘These people were all really happy to be there,’’ Majell tells us.
‘‘It’s sometimes the case in our culture that you go to a start line and it’s, ‘I haven’t run for three weeks’, or, ‘this is going to be hard’. Actually, why are we saying this?
‘‘We’re here voluntarily to do something we should be grateful to do. We bring it down a level from what it should be.
‘‘It should be a celebration.’’ It’s not surprising Majell has that attitude. He believes in the importance of kindness. (Which doesn’t mean he’s not a savage on the trail, blitzing along at a pace that would draw extremely unkind words from me if I dared to try to keep up).
He believes in the importance of respecting running for what it is, not any laurels that may come for those who get to the end quicker than the rest of us.
So next time you’re on a start line, smile. Be happy that you’re about to embark on something that should bring you joy, and pride. Maybe even star jump.
Eugene Bingham and Matt Rayment are hosts of a trail running podcast Dirt Church Radio. Learn more at dirtchurchradio.com or get in touch via email dirtchurchradio@gmail.com
‘‘We’re here voluntarily to do something we should be grateful to do.’’ Majell Backhausen