It's especially hard because today is packet pick-up day for the race I'm not running tomorrow, Baltimore's Survivor Harbor 7, and there's a little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me to just give it a shot and see what happens. I'm not going to do that, but I am still going to get my packet because I paid to run and I decided way too late in the game to not run for me to defer or transfer my bib, if either is even possible with the SH7, so I want to collect my goodies.
What I won't be running this weekend. Sniff.
But I have a conundrum. The premium for this race is a pair of socks. I got a pair from this same race a couple years ago and I loved them. I also paid extra, like a dummy, for a tech t-shirt. Obviously, I'm not going to ever wear the t-shirt because it's bad juju to wear the shirt of a race you haven't run, but does the same apply to a pair of socks?
To wear, or not to wear. That is the question.
I'm leaning toward wearing them. Who really notices socks? I've never, in 41 years on God's green earth, been approached by either friend or stranger who's made a comment pro or con regarding the socks I had covering my feet.
The one thing that does worry me is if I'm setting myself up for failure by wearing the socks and then having them to blame for a setback in the recovery from my injury if one occurs. I'm ridiculous enough in my thinking to believe that might be possible, even though I'll probably never wear these socks to run in, no matter how healthy I am. To me, they, just like the other pair I got a couple years ago, are strictly casual wear.
But if the time comes I'll be looking for an excuse somewhere, and an innocuous pair of socks is probably a good place to start.
I bought the shirt two years ago and had to miss the race to injury - and last year, I noticed they were selling the same shirt for purchase in 2010. Maybe that is the case this year? (The shirt I bought in 09 was a red technical T with the logo on the front, and it's not dated or otherwise affiliated with the 09 race.) So, it's possible the tech shirt you bought is acceptable as representative of the event as a whole, and it's ok to wear it since you've run the event before?
ReplyDeleteYou know what? You're right. I have that same red shirt from '09 and the black shirt from last year (that I didn't really like), and there's nothing that indicates when the race was held on either. Thanks for helping rationalize that I'll not wear a shirt from a race I haven't run, but I'll be wearing the a newly designed shirt from a race I've run in the past.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for giving me another thing to blame if there's a bump on my road to recovery: you! ;-)
Definitely wear the socks, but only after you've recovered. And, is there any chance you could do the walk instead, that I note is on the logo for the race? Then you could wear both with pride! Hope you can do Baltimore next week!
ReplyDeleteJoyce, that is an excellent suggestion right there; wear them after recovery. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to attempt to walk because a) 7 miles is too darn far to walk, and b) if I feel good I don't think I'll be able to keep myself from trying to run.
(Un)fortunately, I got my deferment form in in time for the Baltimore 10 Miler, so I'm sitting that one out completely this year and won't have to worry about the premium conundrum.
Wear the shirt proudly, you've run this distance before and this race before...if it doesn't have the year on it, not even a question.
ReplyDeleteGood decision not to run, too. Frustrating as hell, though. I set myself back several times trying to rush back from ITBS, and I had what felt like a sprained ankle for over a month because I just wouldn't take time off. (I just realized that I hadn't really noticed it on my runs this week.)
I say just wear the socks unless you really believe in karma. If I paid for a race I would just ware them in the house
ReplyDeletewow... I would never wear either :)
ReplyDelete