Running Phobias
- By Doug Kurtis
Free Press Columnist

Watch the start of any road race, and you will witness rituals. Runners have many habits, superstitions and are not immune to phobias.

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail about the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon course. A runner was concerned about running over the Ambassador Bridge and wanted to know how she could overcome her fear.

As someone who is afraid of heights, I assured her the wide walkway along the bridge would give no opportunities for looking over the edge. Some runners worry about bridges collapsing from thousands of pounding feet. Cables and expansion joints prevent this from having an impact on bridge vibration.

I also asked Dr. Suzanne McAllister, a former psyching team member of the New York City Marathon, for advice. The team members are psychologists who see if runners have concerns or fears, and they try to calm them and prepare them for the race.

"The bridge phobia is an interesting dilemma," McAllister said. "A couple of things come to mind: 1) Find a buddy or someone she trusts to run with her at least until she is over the bridge; 2) do a practice, run/walk (drive) over the bridge with that person or someone else; 3) she can warm up to the crossing by mentally rehearsing running over the junction.

"It might be helpful for her to use a charm, article of clothing, any item that she can easily carry, or attach somehow onto her clothing, that she uses as protection. The key is that she has to confront her avoidance behavior by actually going over the bridge. If she's committed to running the race she'll want that more than giving into the avoidance behavior."

When McAllister was on the NYC Marathon psyching team at the Verrazano Bridge, they handed out tiny swatches of the finish-line tape from the previous year.

"We pinned the swatches onto the shorts of the runners for good luck," she said. "People really got into it. It helped them to visualize crossing the finish line."

Runners can make pinning their numbers on their uniform an art form. Years ago, elite runners were known for trimming their numbers to the smallest size possible. Race directors got smart and required that the name of the race and sponsor logo be visible for identification with the event. But some runners still crumple the numbers to make them feel softer.

Pinning on a number or tying shoelaces has become a comforting ritual. Some runners will always use the same number of pins to attach the number on their chest, stomach and shorts or just on the shorts. A few try to get away with pinning it on their back. Before a race, watch runners retie not one but both laces even if they feel fine.

My sub-2:20 marathon nemesis, Kjell Erik Stahl, was superstitious about wearing the same shorts and socks for his important races. While we were sharing a hotel room, I threatened to throw away his shorts, which were falling apart at the stitching but he would have none of that.

At the starting line of the race, he smiled and pointed to his racing socks, which had holes in both heels. I couldn't stop laughing because Stahl could get all the free equipment he wanted from his sponsor.

Contact Doug Kurtis at Detroit Free Press, 600 W. Fort St. Detroit, 48226