So, I wanna get a good finish line pic (you know, hands held high with fingers showing “#1” or “Victory” - even if I am somewhere around 400th place…) but also want to hit the Lap button on my watch so I can get a perfect split time as I cross the finish line.
What’s a guy to do? Is there a perfect pose?
As a follow-up: When I pass the race photographers on the course- do I “smile and give a big shaka” or do I “grimace and look determined” as if I’m “in the heat of competition” (despite being solidly in the MOP).
I want it too look like I’m having fun but also make sure everyone knows how “serious” I take this competition stuff (even if I am BOP for my AG).
Just before the end of the run take your watch off your wrist and put it in your hand… then you could stop the timer while raising your arms in the air.
IME it’s much harder to get a good looking grimace pic than a smiling one. The best place for a “determined” pic is on the bike, just smile for the run.
For race photos, just race and let them be natural (Unless you see the photographer and you are not in your aerobars, in which case get in your aerobars!)
Edit: as indicated just above: Blue Steel is also acceptable.
My 2 cents, just stop your watch after the finish line. It’s like 5-10 seconds. Your official time will be available.
You could set up an auto pause feature that stops the watch when you are under a certain speed. Then, all you need to do is walk across the line, strike your pose, and press the lap/ stop button in the chute. This strategy is dependent on you making sure the rest of your run is above that threshold speed, not a guarantee in an IM.
You can’t change the photo, so just pose however you want to appear.
For the time, you can either:
Take the watch off a bit before the line. As you cross, hold it in your hand with finger on the button and click when you cross.
Or, if it creates a GPX file or whatever and that is what you care about, then open the file on a computer as text and edit it.
Also, realize that the course and GPS and timing is never perfect, so aiming for a perfect split doesn’t matter. It’s ok to be a few seconds off. I often cross the line and am so tired that I forget to hit my watch for a few seconds. I can always “crop” the run later with whatever program I use.