Cow Bell (Read 343 times)

I'm trying to figure out what's so bad about "you got this". It's more or less the equivalent of "you can do this", only with the implication that the spectator has made a full assessment of the runner's physical and mental condition and has determined that said runner can successfully complete the race, right?

I could've use a little more cowbell at my last marathon.

 Maybe it's the feeling that maybe I don't got this. Nobody knows your personal goals and if they are presuming that your only goal is to just finish, well, that feels insulting. I try not to think about it too hard. People coming out to cheer at all is good enough. And cowbells are welcome.

Seems to me, "Good job!" might fall into the same category. I use that a lot.

I don't see how anyone could possibly have a problem with cowbell ringing or "you got this".  While I may not respond as enthusiastically to them at the end of the race than in the early/middle miles, it's always appreciated.

Agreed. glad to have support from anyone who chooses to proffer it, in whatever form it takes.

 

"Almost there!" is a whole other story.  Unless I'm 400m from the finish? STFU.

Heh, I barked at a spectator in my last HM.  She cheered "Looking good, almost there!" at mile FIVE.  I shouted back unpleasantly "We've got eight more miles!"

 

Heh, I barked at a spectator in my last HM.  She cheered "Looking good, almost there!" at mile FIVE.  I shouted back unpleasantly "We've got eight more miles!"

Thin skin, I guess.  Once you've raced a few dozen times you don't even notice or care what spectators (spectators? there are spectators out there?) say anymore.  Now if they were yelling stuff like "YOU SUCK!" or "YOU DON'T HAVE THIS!" or "YOU LOOK TERRIBLE!" well, then, I might cry or something but the rest of that?!  Jeez really?

I alternated cow bell with clapping and motivational talk, which gave me and the workers at the business I was standing in front of a break.  I think most runners seemed to appreciate a simple head nod and thumbs up.

 

I did say, "Lookin' good" to at least one runner who did not look all that good.    I also accidentally said, "Almost there" and immediately hated myself for it. 

 

However, I was at a pretty desolate part of the race so several runners thanked me for coming out.   Ironically, without any coordination, a running friend of mine also came to this spot.  We both knew it was soul sucking territory.

 

I didn't get any takers for the Snickers bars (my friend was giving out Peppermint Patties and I think she did pretty well.)  I gave away all the waters even though I was only about 1/4 mile after the water station.  I felt bad that I ran out!

I am sure that people appreciated the cow bell and motivational talk.  I know that at a low point in a race it means a lot to me and can't really ever think of a time when a "looking good" sounded bad to me even if I looked like death warmed over!   Good on you for being out there.

I remember once on a quite hot day I totally bonked around mile 22 of a marathon, and had to walk (very slowly!) until mile 25, feeling like total crap. A lone spectator, who I think really was trying to help, came out with a "Lookin good", but it definitely did not have any conviction behind it. It just made me feel worse, which I hadn't thought possible.

I'm trying to figure out what's so bad about "you got this". It's more or less the equivalent of "you can do this", only with the implication that the spectator has made a full assessment of the runner's physical and mental condition and has determined that said runner can successfully complete the race, right?

When I am grumpy in a race, it's that I know I can finish and I take it as they think I need it.  It's introducing a possibility that one can't do it.  How dare that cross their mind?

Then, when I'm grumpy in a race, I'm going to take everything in the worst possible way because something has gone very wrong.  There's really nothing appropriate to say.  And WOO! gets boring.

Really, I appreciate spectators cheering no matter what they say.   I've lost my voice supporting runners. It's harder than running sometimes.

I figure spectating and cheering you're going to annoy some people, but then it be just the thing some others need to hear.  I know leading pace groups, telling people in the last couple miles to come with me gets me some death glares, and there might be some people who thought some very uncharitable things about me... but others have come and hugged me and taken photos with me and loved it.  Can't please all the people all the time.