Least favorite things to hear during a race. (Page 2)

Ditto on "you're almost there!" especially during a marathon.

Almost there = mile 26 and beyond.

Almost there =/= mile 18.

True story: first loop at IMCOZ, 8ish miles down, 18ish miles to go, and my mom: "you're almost done!" "no, mom, I'm not" "well, you're closer than you were at 7:00 this morning!"

YOU"RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!!!


... heard more often in mountain bike races... but it's still ANNOYING

Well, I heard this because I was actually yelling it in T1 to a couple of peeps during a race -
"YOUR HELMET!  TAKE OFF YOUR HELMET!!!"

Edited by 1stTimeTri 2010-01-23 9:53 PM

Yeah, I got that in the pool once.



(j/k)

Don't sass your mother, young lady.

For some reason - and I don't know if it is irrational or not -i can't stand it when someone says "you can do it".  I know I can do it.  It's just a matter of how long it is going to take me.
I really hate this during any sport.  To batter's during baseball or softball it annoys me greatly.  I think it is just because it is not the most confidence inspiring thing to say.  It makes it sound like there is question to wether I can or cannot.  I would rather hear something like - you look strong or some such than "you can do it".

The other thing I heard at a race that I would have rather not heard was  at my first tri.  It was kind of like a combination of a wheel rub and clomp clomp clomp.  It was a lady passing me pushing a running stroller.  If I could have caught her, I would have tackled her.   

I just spit up on my keyboard.  Classic!!!

all these comments about not wanting someone say "looking great".  It has never bothered me to hear that.  Sure, I know I am hurting and it shows on my face...but people are offering encourgement.  better than saying "you look like crap!"  Or not saying anything at all. 

what I don't like to hear is unwanted advice at the final mile: swing your arms...raise those knees...shorten/lengthen your stride, etc. 

good point.

I was just a bit tired of it after 50 times and I was a tad cranky at that point...

Anything that sounds like a bicycle hitting pavement.

As a race participant, horrible sound...me or anyone else. As a volunteer at the entrance to T2, you know you're going to hear it. Just a question of how many times and how severe it is.

Right behind that is the SSSssssss crunch crunch.

Stuff people say doesn't really much bug me...spectators and volunteers are trying to be helpful in their own way, and they're (for the most part) pretty positive, I take their positive comments for what they're worth, even if it's a 'lookin good' and I feel like crap.

Some racers can be a-holes, but frankly, none of us are in the best frame of mind while we're busting our arses (except for Stocks) so the other racers get a hall pass.

A couple years ago, I took my kids with me to watch my mother run a half marathon. I think the kids discouraged a few people yelling "GO GRANDMA!"

someone yelled, "catch that guy" about someone who was about a 100 yards ahead of me.  that was motivational...

But alas, this thread is not about that.

a bike/rider going down is one sick sound.  not a fan.

During a particularly hot and humid race, some of the volunteers handing out water were yelling "Hot cocoa! Right here! Get your hot cocoa!" That was the LAST thing I wanted to drink right then... good thing they were just joking, whew!

 

Overheard as I passed the final water station:

"Mom, you think he's the last one on the course?"


As I rounded the corner, a pickup truck was slowly picking up the safety cones for the bike leg.

Someone stood on the side of the road at the Las Vegas Marathon with a tray of beer yelling "Marathon Las Vegas Style!"

Whatever the sound of coughing up blood in the swim leg is. That's my personal least fave.

I have to say that I did like it when the nice lady at mile 11 of a half mary told me I looked strong. "Really?!?" I thought to myself. "Cool. I look strong." <smiles to self while feeling like crapola>  Later I realized she probably said that to everyone. Doh! Now I think of her every time I race.

Having cheered at numerous races and other long sporting events, I gotta say, it gets OLD yelling the same thing all day. So no matter how much you SWEAR you will NOT yell, "You look great!", you do, just for something new to yell.

I will not, however, EVER yell "almost there" unless within sight and reasonable final kick distance of the finish line. I like to yell obviously funny things (I totally would have done the hot cocoa thing! or yelling "cresting the top" at the start of a big hill, or "13 miles to go" at the start of a half mary), but only when it is very obviously a joke.

I like yelling something along the lines of "Kick it!" or "kick that run/ride!" meaning kick this race in the booty, you've got it all under control even if you ARE just about to puke. Alas, though, I don't think racers get what I mean, since it could be misconstrued as final kick (end almost near) or kick it into high gear (run/ride faster). *sigh* It's just hard coming up with 1/2-second phrases, easily understood, motivational, easily pronounced, that go well with cowbell, for 8+ hours. But cheering is so much d@mn fun, who would give it up??