The art of the snot rocket

Running is an activity that causes you to redefine your thoughts on acceptable behaviour.  In particular, winter running causes a condition known as 'rhinorrhea'.  In plain English: it's as though a tap has been turned on in your nose that it way beyond the capacity of tissues to deal with.

It will disgust you, a sane reader, to learn that previously my tactic for dealing with rhinorrea has been to blow my hands on my gloves while running.  The heat generated by excercise causes the liquid to dry quickly and there aren't many other options when you are five miles from home and have two silver slug trails running down your face...

You may recall from my Radcliffe 10 race report that I complained about a fellow runner who was 'snot rocketing' on the run, making him difficult to overtake.  Snot rocketing, for the more civilised among you, is the art of covering one nostril and breathing out violently through the other in order to evacuate it of fluid.  Clearly very poor race etiquette (or a very clever race tactic, depending on whether you have an English or an American attitude to sporting behaviour...).  However, also a very useful skill.

The long run is a training ground for running behaviour: hydration, pacing, taking on fuel.  Today, when the tissues ran dry (or should that be wet?) I also used mine to master the art of the snot rocket.  Previously I had assumed that, like getting lids off jars and changing engine oil, this was a skill confined to the male of the species.  However, at an isolated spot near Eccup Reservoir, desperation prompted me to give it a go and I discovered otherwise.

Ah, the sweet sensation of clear airways where previously there has only been congestion.  A word of warning though: be mindful of the prevailing wind.  Otherwise the rocket may find a target a little too close to home...