Monday, August 22, 2011

Scratch ‘n Sniff

97% of the time I hate my race photos. Or, I think they’re really funny. I always look considerably dorkier than I feel. I’m just glad the photos aren’t scratch and sniff because…oh, lordy. Just because.

These are from my half marathon last weekend.

I like this picture because I am winning the race:

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This picture reminds me that I should be running shirtless like the cool kids. Or, at the very least, be shielding myself from people who are running shirtless beside me and exuding buckets of sweat. I should have tweaked his nipple. Or least pulled out a chest hair with my teeth.

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Oh, I’m sorry. Am I boring you? Or maybe you’re worried you won't beat the cheetah. Grrrwlll.

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This picture proves that if only I was four seconds faster I would be beating the guy in the headband. For some reason, this makes me think of Bacon.

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This is the start of the race and clearly I am distracted. What? Who farted? Nope, wasn’t me. Nope. Nope. It must have been that guy to my left wearing his race day t-shirt. Who does that? I do like the shirt the girl has on behind me though.

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Stupid headband guy. Doesn't even look like he’s wearing pants. He should be disqualified.

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This reminds me. The other day I got an email from my friend Clair aka Queen La Queefa. This was the subject line: “I love my hair and my face.” I opened the attachment to see this – Clair running a 10K:

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Clair’s words: “I wish they’d stop trying to sell me this shit.”

I think the photographer captured perfectly the moment when Clair hated running.

Do you ever buy your race photos? Me? Never. Except my first marathon because you have to no matter how dorky you look.

Do you ever stalk people by looking at their race photos? Yes. I have done this once or twice. Or 90 times.

SUAR

37 comments:

  1. I LOVE race pics. My first 1/2 marathon pics were awful. Lets just say I was fresh off having my second kiddo and the mom flap was peeking out from under my shirt in like every pic! If you want to see an awesome race photo, scroll down to the bottom of this post (hint: nose picker) http://thebitchyrunners.blogspot.com/2011/06/evidence.html

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  2. I absolutely can't stand how I always seem to be caught during the most awkward times during my races! In the 5k I did, one pictures looks like I'm sleeping while running. Awesome. (Not.)

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  3. Did my first tri in July with my sis, her husband, his cousin, brother, dad and sis-in-law. Sis voted me "most photogenic" because every time I saw a photographer, I smiled and pretended I was having fun. My 7 year old daughter did the kids' race and the pic was SO awesome it was hard not to spend the money to buy it. She looked like she was having a blast and both feet were off the ground as she ran! Rock star!

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  4. I paid for the Loveland Turkey Trot last year. They were $1, none of this $9BILLION for a digital file crap.

    And I love stalking other racers.

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  5. I bought the cool photos like Spartan Race, but only for the purpose of putting them on my blog. And I love looking at everyone else's race pics! Makes me feel less like a dweeb. Why do they enjoy taking our photo at the worst possible moment??

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  6. You look very focused. Race pics are so fun to look at...and that's about it. Purchase? You'd have to pay ME to take them! I like it when they have number identification issues and get me mixed up with another runner. Sometimes I'm a man. Sometimes I'm a 60 year old woman. Keeps it interesting.

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  7. I was originally going to run the St. George. I particularly liked it because it was all downhill and in prime weather. You make me seeth with envy every time you talk about it!

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  8. Do you help beginners with a running program?
    Where did you get that adorable running skirt?

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  9. My triathlon pictures are always hideous. The wetsuits pics should have the word BELUGA stamped across them....

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  10. Did you know the chick with the "cool" race shirt behind you? Surely you had to!

    I've done that race about 15 times and I've never received a race photo pic. Ryan ran it last weekend, too, and he didn't get a race pic either. I guess we're too dorky for the camera! Unlike Claire, who clearly rocks!!

    I buy race pictures from races that mean something special. My first marathon, my first BQ, my first Boston....the others I steal!

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  11. I only buy pics that make me look much better than I am in real life. I don't stalk other's photos because as long as I look good, who cares? My mantra.

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  12. I rarely like any of my race photos. but, from my last half, I have an awesome in action photo.

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  13. I have NEVER EVER purchased one single race photo!

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  14. Headband guy made me laugh out loud! I love it! My race pictures have been limited to the ones my mom/sisters have taken throughout the course, they're awful but I love them.

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  15. I try to buy race photos from the races that mean something to me or it was my 1st attempt at it but lately they have gotten so crazy expensive I don't think I will be buying them anymore. The triathlon ones are always to prettiest, hahaha.

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  16. I didn't even buy my first marathon photo…I just have the proofs (long enough ago that they sent actual prints). I always wanted to buy my rowing race photos but was always too broke :P. I finally went through that sports photo company's archives about 5 years ago and bought all the photos of my races I could find!

    Clair's photo is AWESOME!

    How do you stalk someone by looking at their race photos?

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  17. I actually have been wishy washy on buying my 5K photo two weekends ago. Last year, they didn't put up any photos. I just look like I'm reving up for something, but not in a good way. It looks weird. But I will buy my half marathon photo no matter how bad it looks.

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  18. I love my race pics 90% of the time. Even when they're bad. I'm kind of obsessed with them.

    Love the commentary on yours!

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  19. All the pictures I have say "proof" through the middle! Way too cheap to buy them, although there is one from my last marathon that I wouldn't mind getting. I look good even though I felt like utter crap. Oh, and I so stalk people's pictures. Glad I'm not the only one!

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  20. OMG: Queen La Queefa.....I am rolling on the floor and have a meeting in two minutes......hilarious.

    And I can totally see her making that comment about the picture.

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  21. So Funny!! I NEVER like my race photo's. Every time I look at them I think, if that is what I look like while I am running, perhaps I shouldn't do it in public! Ha

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  22. I bought the finish photo for my first triathlon. (stalkers can follow through to my most recent post, and see the link to it. Who am I kidding, nobody stalks middle aged guys!)

    The only other photos I bought were from ironman Canada. I figured I'd need all the proof I could get, and that I wasn't likely to have another go at it.

    Photos of me are usually hideous and I try to avoid having it done. Conversely, I like looking at photos of other people. I have been known to stalk photos of friends.

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  23. I meant to buy my the pics from my first half marathon but let time slip and now refuse to pay the ungodly prices. So, my friend has some super cool computer software and I now have illegal copies. lmao Shhh. Anyhoo...
    I totally stalk other people by checking out their race photos.

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  24. I love race pics! but no I dont buy them..way tooo $$$$ I am lucky I have a good husband who comes to all my races with the camera!!!

    I did buy the ones from my first half marathon and if there's a marathon in my future, I hope so, I will buy ALL the pics..good or bad!!!!

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  25. I did buy my photo's from my first marathon. What can you say the first one is always priceless!!!!

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  26. OMG ! There must be a 'Headband Guy' in every town !!! There is a guy in my hometown as well and he looks like a dork too !
    Yep - race photos always look bad on mye nd - but yours are good ! LOVE the Race Skirt ! =)

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  27. I usually hate my race photos, unless they're the ones taken from a distance. Ang and I have one of us holding hands while running the San Fran half -- that one is pretty sweet.

    I love your captions! Do you know the girl with the SUAR shirt? I am jealous of her.

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  28. Most of the time I don't like my pictures. There has only been 1 that I purchased. I ran the Air Force half-marathon in Dayton and wore a blue running skirt, white tank (with flag decals) and a red hat (yup-I'm a dork).

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  29. I haven't yet BUT I came super close to buying them this past June for our Tough Mudder pics. The photographer took a series of pics while we got electrocuted at the end---they were pee-yourself funny. The expressions on our faces were absolutely priceless!

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  30. I've never purchased a race photo. Usually the photographer only gets 1-2 pictures of me and they're nothing that great. Definitely not worth $20 or whatever they charge!

    I also wanted to tell you that I was in Colorado on vacation this past weekend and I saw the reservoir where you run (now doesn't that sound creepy?). I recognized it from photos you've posted before. What a beautiful state you live in!

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  31. Heh. Awesome. I keep meaning to do a post featuring all my most bizarre race photo facial expressions. It would be about as hot as no-pants man. :)

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  32. I'm addicted to race pics. They're like porn. I keep clearing my browser so my hubby won't see that I've been looking at those marathon finishes again.

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  33. Oh my God you are so funny. People watching at races totally trumps the airport. Great post!

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  34. I bought a pic from my 1st marathon (like you said, you have to) but neither of my 50Ks had professional photographers. The only other picture I bought was from a 10-miler and that's because it was a rare photo where they caught me and my friend together. So I bought two and framed them and gave one to her as an Xmas gift one year.

    And I have stalked ppl through pics. I saw this guy I thought was hot, found out his name and looked for other pic to confirm it was him. I also confirmed he was a total fatty the year before.

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  35. I did buy pics from both of the half marathons I ran this year.. one was my first! The ones from the first race made me realize I should pay more attention to the photographers in my second race! First race pics look like I've had a stroke or that I'm in one of those gravity rides at the fair, with everything sliding down towards the ground!! Second race pics looked muuuch better.

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  36. This is funny. I like to look at my race pics and I stalk my friends race pics but I also think it's funny when the companies keep emailing you like don't forget to buy your picture!!! Last chance to buy this horrible ugly picture of yourself!

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