Today’s post is brought to you by the one and only Croutons Stuck in Futons blogger , also known as my boyfriend, Ian. He cheers me on at all my races, hears more than he probably wants to about my training schedules and writes about his experience as a race spectator below. Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Ian Gallagher

Ian in serious coaching mode.

Hello Heart and Sole readers!

Before we jump right into the ins and outs of being a seasoned observer of running, I thought that I would tell you a little about myself. I am different from my significant other in many ways. I do not run recreationally or competitively, but I would run hypothetically depending on the scenario*.  I played Lacrosse in college and still coach the sport. In the past year I have been accused of time travel, coached in and won a National Championship, moved halfway across the country, and had my car pummeled with pig feces.

Let’s talk running.

*For example, I am afraid of snakes.

Living with the Author of this blog (I have been solemnly informed we are not roommates) means that I have gotten to know quite a bit a bit about fitness with the benefit of not having to participate myself. I do a lot of shuttle driving to and from various events, stand at a lot of finish lines, and take pictures of my girlfriend’s shoes so she can display them online. (And I get accused of being the weird one!) Rest assured that there is little glamour in the fitness blog creative consultant market.

Colleen wrote yesterday about competing in her first race back from physical therapy. Obviously a big achievement for her and I was not surprised at how well she did considering how much effort she  put into getting back to form.

I was ecstatic. Once again I was able to lace up a comfortable pair of shoes and participate in a 5K in my accustomed manner, being a fan.

Post Race at Pentagon Row Ice Rink

3 Tips on being the best athletic supporter possible:

1. Bring a camera. This is essential! I take pictures for this blog but whenever you hold a camera up everyone gets out of your way. Instant front row seats. The bigger the camera the better. For Colleen’s next marathon I am bringing a tripod.

2. Understand the event. Runners know roughly how fast they are going to run a race. Ask and do some quick math. Colleen ran a looped four mile race on New Years. Took pictures and cheered at the start and away they went! I was able to efficiently eat a plate of cheese fries at a local sports bar and be back yelling for the finish. Standing in the cold doesn’t have to part of your race experience.

3. Cheer on random people. Being a race fan can be a lot like the golf fans in Happy Gilmore .  You can tailgate, yell for strangers, and goof around while anywhere from a handful to thousands of strangers wear their hearts on their sleeves in competition.  The runners even seem to get a kick out of positive reinforcement! I know, it is a little surprising considering their brutal idea of ‘recreation’.