An Appropriate Race Hug

According to Runner’s World Magazine I failed to give an appropriate Post-Race Hug. In case you didn’t know the etiquette -

Baseline duration: 3 seconds
If the hugger personally knows the huggee: +2 seconds
If the hugger and the huggee are strangers: -1 second
If both parties are sweaty: +1 second
If the hugger is male and the huggee is female: -1 second
If the hugger is female and the huggee is male: +1 second
If the hugger and the huggee are a couple: +3 to 5 seconds
If the hugger and the huggee are a couple, but their spouses are nearby: -2.5 seconds
By Mark Remy
From the November 2010 issue of Runner's World


My first 5K was in September. I was nervous. I had just started running about a month half ago. For me this 5K was a huge. It symbolized my new commitment to not just my physical health but to me. It was something I did for myself. I had no other reason or purpose to run this race except for me. The feeling of doing something for the first time that I could remember just for me overwhelmed me with excitement and joy. When I saw Lavender waiting for me at the finish line I started crying with all of the emotion of the last 3 miles. When I crossed the finish line I embraced Lavender and cried for an appropriate amount of time, like maybe 5 minutes maybe longer. When I run the marathon in October I am sure the appropriate amount of time will increase for me. Sorry Mark Remy but like with most things in life I just don’t fit into a neat little schedule.