Also, I’m sure the race organizers get the race permit by letting the cops/local government know that they will be cleaning up the cups once the race is over.
This is just how it IS in a road race. Jesus. There’s a large (20,000 or so runners) marathon in San Diego, and I’m not kidding, if you drive the course the very next morning you’d be hard pressed to know that there even was trash on the ground. The volunteers, etc. do a great job of collecting up all the discarded cups.
So I have to ask the obvious question. If garbage is supposed to go on the floor, why do they bother with these hundreds of omnipresent garbage cans?
I once ran the Miami marathon and always threw my garbage in the cans, by the way. My only competition was the pickup bus, so that might make the difference.
I’m confused. I’ve been a volunteer at some racing events and my job, along with dozens of other volunteers, was… wait for it… to pick up cups! :eek:
Races are timed events. You’re not supposed to break your stride. You’re supposed to toss the cup off the race path to prevent other runners from tripping. And as a matter of safety it’s preferable to toss the cup to the side because the bottleneck that could be caused by tens of runners trying to get a position past the trash can could cause people to tangle up.
(Actually, even though the volunteers that hand out the water are staggered, I find the bottlenecks caused at water stations to be a little hazardous. It’s hard to snag a cup when you’re running, but at least volunteers can move with you a little.)
Sorry, The Shroud but you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Clean-up provisions are a part of the event permits and it’s often coordinated with city services too, if the event is huge enough, because spectators can be messy too. So sometimes there are streetsweeping machines post-event. It’s not any different than sweeping up all the streamers and confetti after a parade. There are dozens of volunteers (sometimes hundreds) who are supposed to do clean-up after the event. After the very last runner has past and the race is oficially declared over, so there is no risk of runner colliding with volunteers, the clean-up begins. Everyone gets bags and gloves and all recylcables get recycled even.
You honestly think that special event races, marathons, and “walks for the cure” events would be allowed to take place if there were no clean-up provisions made with the city?
I’ve alway been able to toss my cup into a trash can. Or at least I’ve tossed it near a trash can, I rarely make the shot. I was never much fof a basketball player. I only ever tossed it onto the grass deliberately once, when I was in a big pack and maneuverability was a problem. And in that case, I really, really, REALLY needed a swig of water. I was sure I was going to get tripped up trying to grab a cup, it was a little hairy at the sidelines because there were too many people trying to get water at the same time.
The garbage cans are also good for spectators and volunteers. Many volunteers start picking up the cups that are off the race track right away.
ETA: As overlyverbose said, I too hate it when people litter while training. Listen dumbfuck (littering runner, not verbose), no one is cleaning up after you unless it’s race day! Don’t be a douche. Leave only our footprints behind.
As a veteran racer, volunteer, and one time race director, I will try to explain.
The garbage cans are at the end of the table because there is other garbage besides paper cups, usually produced by the volunteers as a product of working the water station.
Ideally, all the paper cups get thrown to the side where all the water drains out, and they get mostly crushed. Then they are swept up and put into big plastic bags.
At this point you have a big plastic bag filled with nothing but soggy paper cups but not a lot of liquid. These don’t weigh much and can be easily recycled. The garbage cans by the table contain all kinds of garbage and cups, and, usually about 10 gallons of water. They are a hassle to deal with. They weigh a ton, and sometimes they split open when you lift them out of the can and make a huge mess.
It is much easier to sweep up the cups and dispose of them conveniently rather than deal with huge bags of liquid. Because of this, we minimize the number of garbage cans and tell people to throw their cups to the side. We would prefer this if everybody did this.
Some people will drink more than one cup. They like to take one cup and drink it at the table and then drink another as they move away. This happens a lot during longer runs. If everybody through their cup away at the table there would be so many that it would create a hazard, so, we have a garbage can at the end for people to throw cups in, and for our garbage, and for a place to put the cups when we do a quick sweep in front of the table during the race.
It would be much more convenient, easy, and make recycling easy if everybody simply carried their cups past the table and through them to the side. We even ask people to do this in the race instructions, but not everybody reads them or remembers.
Vaseline is for chafing. Personally I prefer Bodyglide as it is clean and lasts.
I have probably run 30 or 40 races and I’ll state pretty categorically that the porta potties at races tend to be in better shape than most public restrooms. I can’t recall encountering a single peed on seat. It’s usually pretty heavy traffic and a line, so if you soil the porta potty the next person in line is going to know you did it, and may embarass you.
People tend to be pretty cheerful at these things. Runners and volunteers tend to be pretty nice and polite and friendly.
So is it normal to use the bathroom during a race, or is it just for emergencies? Scylla mentions there are often lines, making it seem like it’s pretty common.
Thurlo socks. Expensive, but worth it. They claim to be sport-specific, but I’ve worn the running socks for walking and they help there too. Although I’ve never walked for three days.
I know it’s a hijack, but may I mention that Bodyglide is not just for runners? I do not run unless I’m being chased, and I love that stuff. I have thighs that, no matter how much weight I’ve lost, rub together. Bodyglide has made wearing cute skirts in the summertime a real option for me, for which I will be eternally grateful. And it’s great for breaking in a new pair of shoes. The stuff doesn’t stain anything and it works like a dream. It’s the best thing since gift bags and online shopping.
Nice, thanks for the tip. I’ll be doing it again next year, and anything that keeps my feet in better shape is very welcome.
Generally speaking, people hydrate seriously before a long race, usually a little to seriously, so there’s always a line at theporrta potties at the start. Usually during a race there willie additional porta potties placed sparsely. Usually during a marathon, I’ll need to stop at one of these.
I make a pretty concerted effort to get up early before a race, spend some quality time on the john and make sure I’m not carrying any excess solids.
Question: Can someone explain the chaffing? I’ve never experienced any chaffing of any body parts. And I’ve never gotten around to asking anyone. It is from your thighs rubbing together?
ETA: Scylla I will make more of an effort to keep my cup out of the bin. It never occured to me that any undrained water would be a problem. Although I usually squeeze my cup into a tight ball to drain it.
I always got nipple chafing. I went to high school in New Hampshire and our last race was always in mid-November. Cold nipples + loose racing top = ouch.
Oh, I see. That makes sense. That’s why I haven’t worn any mesh fabric since highschool. But I’ve never had any chaffing from clothing otherwise. Of course, now that I’m mmore aware of it, I’ll probably notice and it will drive me crazy.
From a female perspective, there’s also sports-bra chafing, chafing if you wear shorts with a thicker seam against your thighs (sometimes you get so sweaty your shorts are practically stuck to you, but they move slightly with each step), and if you’re not holding your arms correctly and you’re wearing a tank, they might rub against your sides. Basically anywhere there’s a possibility for flesh to meet anything other than air, there’s a potential for chafing. And, while not particularly fat, I don’t have the stereotypically stick-thin runner’s build, either. I used to, but I kissed that physique goodbye when I had a kid.
How about a shave before the big race?
At least it wasn’t hot tea.
My Wife is a triathlete/IronMan, you also get chaffing on the back of your neck from the wetsuit. This is from turning your head back and fourth a couple thousand times to take your breath.
It’s called the wetsuit kiss.
Interesting. Aside from mesh fabrics, which I had totally forgotten about, I’ve never experienced any chaffing at all. But then I rarely try to run anything more than a half-marathon.
I think my fiancee has had a red band around her ribcage from her sportsbra, but it usually fades not long after she showers. I’ll have to ask her.
It also depends on the quality of your gear and how well it fits. I used to have this sports bra that I absolutely loved. I was training for my first marathon, and I was losing weight like crazy (this was before I got lumpy from having a baby and suddenly, weight only comes off kicking and screaming). My sports bra was getting looser and looser, so it was rubbing more and more against my ribcage, but mostly against my chest because I was losing weight there also, much to my husband’s chagrin. I was in total denial that I needed a new one until I got home from a 14-mile training session and realized I had bled through my bra and my t-shirt. Showering that morning stung like holy hell.
Been there, done that, screamed in the shower.
It’s difficult to find a good sports bra, IME. But that’s a whole 'nother pit thread.
Yep, screamed AND cried in the shower from the sports bra band chafe.
Keep in mind that there needs to be a porta potty along the race course periodically because…um…running makes the stuff in your bowels move along down the track a little quicker. So even in a short race, you might have to stop and take the crap of your life.
Ah, the runners trots. I believe there’s a poop thread around here with a fun story of mine in it.