To Pee or Not to Pee
If you're serious about making time, let `er rip
Seasoned distance runners know that relieving themselves publicly and in their clothes is just a fact of the life ...
New runners are shocked and repulsed when they hear about it, but seasoned distance runners shrug nonchalantly, immune to embarrassment. They know that relieving themselves publicly and in their clothes is just a fact of the distance runner's life. Though the practice is less common in races longer than marathons, those racing to the finish line or dueling with a competitor in ultra-distance races are known to forgo seclusion as well. Ultrarunner Krissy Moehl, 30, recalls her first ultra race, the 2000 Chuckanut 50K, where she found herself on course-record pace and needing to urinate: "I came from a track background where every second counts, and I didn't want to take the time to stop."
Stepping primly off the trail to do your business in private could cost you at least a minute or two. Multiply that by several stops in a marathon and you can realize the potential time savings. Ladies especially have even more to lose—they've got to pop a squat on exhausted legs. And although men can just turn their backs and take aim, that doesn't stop many of them from keeping their pace and relieving themselves in their running briefs.
TR