BS Rools

Your funny!!!;-)

It is a hard thing to not be competitive. I struggle with it every time a race is getting near. I have so much more fun when i just run without expectations, but that dang green-eyed monster comes out and I get jealous of everyone faster than me and I push, push, push. HATE IT!

Enjoy the run and have fun! Hope to maybe meet you. Rachel sticks out cause she is so darn tall, so maybe you will see us!

I have had to come to grips with a similar situation with my ultrarunning. Quite often I have to set aside some ultras as training days, which goes completely against my hyper-competitive nature. In any given road race, I can generally have a relatively relaxing day and still be somewhere toward the front, but in the long trail races, I have to swallow my pride and accept that I'll be in the back of the pack without putting forth a fairly substantial effort (and, for that matter, no matter how hard I try, there are only a couple of ultras that I could even hope to win, regardless of how hard I run, as opposed to what I got used to before I started ultrarunning of being able to win quite a few races).

In any case, if I'm only in a race to train or am not in good shape, I'll make a point to find someone to talk to early in the race or, as you pointed out, intentionally slow down to take in the day.

When it comes down to it, you and I are both competitive individuals, so we get our jollies by being up front, but at times we both have to take a step back and find out what the non-competitive contingent of the race (aka the majority) enjoys about these races...

My apologies on a ramble, but best of luck to you; I'm sure you'll end up faster than you think. Rock on, not out...

Actually, that non-competitive contingent (um, me) is more competitive than you think! We compete with ourselves and sometimes a few other individuals and we make ourselves miserable.

I just had to add that becasue I am never near the front (unless it is a VERY small race).

I have no doubt that many are very competitive, and I don't mean to slight anyone not near the front. I would say that probably most (if not all) on this blog are competitive in their own way with themselves (I know I am my own biggest competition, regardless of how far back I am in the pack). My point is that there are many, many people who have no time goals, no place goals, and no real ambition of improving, but they keep entering these races for the atmosphere.

Again, I apologize if my previous statement sounded condescending or elitist in any way; that was not my intent at all.

I started running at a 10 mm pace - or more. I LOVED races, because everyone around me was having a good time, I would push myself but just enough to not be the last :) However, Myrtle Beach was my first 'competitve' race. I ran with the 8 mm crowd, and didn't have a good time - no one talking, laughing, cracking jokes about the spectators or runners around us NOTHING. I decided that I like running with the back of the pack, because they have a much better time!!! Just relax, have fun, crack some jokes and see who you can get to laugh, the miles will fly by and you get lots more pictures too, because you can SEE the camera before you get there :) Now that I've been pushing myself I've gotten traped in the 'no talking/laughing/joking' crowd - not as fun, but a little more rewarding at the end to get new PRs (I do have to admit that!). I've decided to wear my riverton 1/2 shirt (black ss with flourescent green lettering) and my black shorts. I am about 6 feet tall with long blonde hair, like Kelli said - you can probably find me :) I also like to start at the back, then I feel faster because I get to pass more people! Hope to see you Saturday!

oh, I also got a new 'headband' thingy at the expo that says "in my dreams I am a Kenyan" - just another thing to look for at the top of the crowd :)

RAD has an excellent point, and running with the talk/laugh/joke-as-much-as-possible crowd like that is exactly what I like to do in ultras (at least most of the time), because, as she pointed out, it's fun.

Rambo, Nevels, K-Power and Devine Miss M - a short running short if you don't mind -

Your not a real runner unless you can run 8 minute miles - those words uttered by myself have haunted me over the last 12 years. Over the years. Being "fool" of myself, I professed that lack of running 8 minute miles must be for lack of training. Well, the finding of my running sole/soul mate, Sylvie, has taught me many things. A race is not measured by time, but, by effort. The heart of a runner is not measured by placing, PRs or total miles, it is measured from within.

At the finish of the St.George marathon last year, thousands of runners had finished, left the park, the last half mile stretch, I thought, I would be the lonely long distant runner. As I neared the finish, there were a few spectators left, shouting encourangement to finish. When I crossed the finish line, an older gentlement, put the finishing medallion around my neck and said in the most sincere voice: "you are a real champion" I will never forget those words.

As runners we are not elitists - we have found the champion, it is us. "George Sheehan" paraphrase.

Stay kOOl, thanks, B of BS rOOls out

Brent, that made me cry. I totally agree.

Now, Nevels, I was not in any way offended by what you said. I must have not worded my reply in the right way. Really, all I meant was that I myself am competitive, even though I am not near the front. That is all. I think some of the people near the front are not competitive, they are just fast and having fun. I hope I did not freak you out by that! I in no way thought you sounded condescending or elitist, I was just adding to the conversation.

We all have our racing demons, whether it is beating ourselves, beating a particular person, placing, winning, whatever! I am at a point in my "racing" where I need to decide if this is really something I want to do, or if I just want to go back to having a good time. I think I have potential if I am willing to work, but I am just not sure that I am. I am a social runner, but I do like to get faster. It is just a question of at what cost, ya know????

Now, coming from a person whose slowest RACING 1/2 marathon is 1:48, I took the opportunity to pace some friends and ran a 1/2 in 2:28. It was a blast, the people near the back were laughing and having fun. But, I tell you, at mile 10 I gained a new appreciation for the back of the packers. I was beat. I started to slow down and lost the desire to finish. Now, I am hoping that I am not sounding condescending here, but those people are RUNNERS!!! They are running at their hardest and they are running LONGER. I was so impressed. And they stayed happy and still had fun. And they joy and pride they had at finishing was probably even more than I felt when getting my BQ. It was very eye opening to me.

Wow, that was a ramble. SORRY. Time to try to get more than 2 hours of sleep in a night.

Brent, I have had to swallow my own words at times, as well.

Kelli, no worries. Your story actually made me think of my experience this year at the Mt. Mist 50k. I had run the course in reverse the night before, so I was beat and was simply trying to make the cutoffs. I spent the entire second loop (the actual race) at the absolute back of the pack and had a blast. Running with those folks was amazing. They were running just as hard as they felt like going and having a great time doing it. I definitely gained a new appreciation for back-of-the-pack running that day, and I hope to carry that appreciation for the remainder of my running career, because we all need days like that, when we can just relax and have a good time. Kelli, you may be onto something with the whole pace a slower group thing...