What Type Of Poser Are You?

It is a question that lingers in the minds of all runners throughout most half-marathons and all marathons. On occasion, the question may even present itself in a shorter race. To acknowledge or not to acknowledge? Put a different way, to pose or not to pose? I know that T,H,E K,I,D and I differ on the correct answer and I'm sure there are many runners who would side with each of us. To be honest, it is a question that, on occasion, even I will answer differently. When it comes down to it, the question of whether to not only acknowledge a race photographer but to also pose when you know a picture is being taken of you, is one of personal preference based on how you, as the runner, want to remember your running accomplishments. In a past post, I wrote about how I like to give a shout-out to my dopeness wife CVSW in race photos as I cross the finish line by placing my right hand over my heart. However, aside from that one-time acknowledgment of the race photographers snapping away, I generally tend to run past them without any indication that I am aware of their presence. T,H,E K,I,D, on the other hand, has taken to smiling at the camera giving a little thumbs up (little because he has little hands) as he prances by.

Funny enough, according an article Strike A Pose published on the Complete Running Blog Network, T,H,E K,I,D's reaction to the race photographers is one of the seven most common poses a runner will engage in while being photographed during a race. Termed the 'Ebert & Roeper', this pose connotes that the runner is feeling good and that their race is going well, "The paper Gatorade cup is always half full for these runners who probably have smiling, bubbly personalities even when they’ve just woken up." Among the other poses is the "Hi Mom", the "Ignore," which indicates the runner is "too focused on the pace of their race and the heat of the chase to be concerned with the contortions of their face. Or they’re just simply too tired to exert any extra effort", the "Vanity Ignore," which is similar to the Ignore except it is obvious that the runner does in fact see the camera but want to appear incredibly focused and determined, the "Mardi Gras," which is done by those runners who "pulled a shirt or jacket on over their bib and then realized that they wouldn’t find their race pictures without their bib number being visible, the "Tsunami," which is a version of the Hi Mom only much more exaggerated and, finally, the "Muscle Beach," for runners who prefer to flex at the camera.

Three Sundays ago, there came a point during my running of the Brooklyn Half Marathon where I realized I would not be finishing in under 2:00. With that goal clearly out of reach, I relaxed a little and tried to enjoy the remaining miles of the race. As we passed the 13-mile marker on Coney Island's boardwalk and with the finish line clearly in sight, I noticed that there was a hot dog vendor to my right. As a big fan of hot dogs and as a very hungry runner, I contemplated whether or not I should quickly stop and devour a delicious little treat which I felt I had earned after running 13 miles. I quickly put the thought of out my head when I pictured how my crossing the finish line photo would look with my right arm placed on my heart and my left hand holding a hot dog. I wonder what they would have called that pose?!?!