Superstition everywhere

‘When you believe in things that you don’t understand and you suffer, Superstitions ain’t the way.’- Stevie Wonder

I hate to disagree Stevie but…

If you’re going to race you gotta have superstitions.

When it comes to racing I’ve been a lucky guy.  It must’ve been my lucky shirt.  I had this ratty old race T with a pic of a coke bottle on the front of it.  Whenever I wore it pre race I ran great.  I ran in a snow race and wore it under my tunic.  Best race of my season.

It must have been my lucky shoes.  I bought them an hour before my last home meet, ran in them and lost EVERY toe nail on both feet in the process.  But I set the course record.  I didn’t wear them the next race, had a huge let down.  Naturally I blamed the shoes.  They were back on the following week.  I blistered like crazy but set another course record.  The shoes were magic.  I only lost to one runner wearing them.

After that loss they became a pair of shoes that didn’t fit.

It must have been the music.  Pump up songs like ‘Canned Heat’ by Jamiroquai, ‘Summon the Heroes’ John Williams, ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder (the irony)… I’d listen to them incessantly beforehand to find the mindset.

My HS coach (the great Harold Hatch) told me early on that you must have superstitions.  You must have traditions.  You must have rituals.

The course, the competition, the size of the field, and the size of the crowd will change but you’re still playing the same game.  So prepare the same and don’t get rattled.  You need things to keep your mind set consistent.  Rituals and superstitions remind us that the race is the race is the race.

So race morning through HS and college meant wake up, eat a bagel with peanut butter, drink some water  and then nothing but gatorade or power bars until after the race.  I’d listen to the same pump up songs, warm up the same way.  Rituals are about preparation.  Mindset.

Consistency is key.  You don’t want to be trying new stuff out pre race.  I’ve done that and suffered for it.

I’ve also had some downright stupid superstitions along the way.

strength and honor, Spaniard.

After I saw Gladiator I would bend down at the start line, grab some dirt and rub it in my hands to be like Maximus.  Every race.  And I had a great season.

Momentary side track- I saw Gladiator as a sophomore in College.  Went with a couple friends to see it at like 7, was home by 10 and then went to the campus Pub to watch a poetry slam that two of my friends were competing in.  The magical moment came when this Girl Seena (I think that was her name) read this heart wrenching poem about some asshole ex boyfriend of hers.  I looked at my friend Mike and he was shaking, obviously moved.  I mouthed the words ‘Wow’ at him.  He gulped.  For a week I thought that Mike was really affected by the writing, but it turned out he was the asshole ex boyfriend described in the poem.  And we came in just as she was starting.  What are the odds? I think Mike had it coming.

You’re still a good guy Mike.

Ahhh I miss college.

There are also some cool superstitions out there.  I knew a guy who would grab a leaf off the ground before the first X country practice of the season, keep it safe all season and then crunch it in his hand on the starting line of the season’s most important race.

All of it worked.

And none of it worked.  You run well because you prepare, not because your superstition is magic.

Now- I’ve whittled my superstitions down to 2.  I’ve broken them both in the last 10 years and SUFFERED for it.

Number 1- Don’t wear your race T shirt until AFTER you have finished the race.  Try it on, sure.  But keep it in the bag until you have crossed the finish.  Someone bought me a race t shirt ahead of a marathon and I wore it around.

I did not finish that race.

Number 2- Don’t cross a finish line unless you have run the entire race.

This one is important.  This one is magical.  This is one YOU DO NOT IGNORE.

Don’t touch the finish line.

Don’t go near it.

Don’t get your picture taken on it the day before the race.  This one kills me when I go to the Marathon expo.  People taking pictures on the finish.

A friend of mine who ran Boston last year posted a picture of himself on the Boston finish line a day ahead of the race.  Zoom on the pic and you can find my reaction.  I was genuinely concerned.

‘I’m rooting for you BK but NEVER touch the finish line until you cross it at races end.  I’m hoping I’m wrong but that’s bad karma.  Sending positive vibes to you.’

Bobby is a tough MF.  He finished.  But he’ll tell you it was painful.  Could it have been helped?

The Running Man thinks so.

There exists somewhere in the ether a pic of me doing something similar.  I paid for this BIG TIME!  It’s a story to share over beers (or twisted Teas because drinking beer gives me acid reflux.  FML.).

As a Junior in college my cross country team was poised to grab an upset berth to the National meet.  The night before we toured the course we’d run the following morning.  5 of the 7 members of the team ran through the finish.  I pulled one guy aside and told him that we weren’t crossing the line.  We had to jog through 50 meters of mud, but the next day we were the only ones to run well.  The other 5 crashed and burned.

I have dozens of stories like this.  I believe in superstitions; not in the same way as people who won’t step on cracks, open umbrellas indoors or walk under ladder.  You canntake things too far.

Unless it comes to the finish line superstition.  That one is black magic.