I am still challenged by 5K to half marathon distances. Comparing my 5K times to longer distance using calculators, I have room to improve.

Good discussion

quote:

---

Originally posted by RRainey:

Maine, I've run one 100k on that amount of training, 8 50 milers and 18 other odd distance ultras down to 50K. As well as 24 marathons. that was running wednesday and sat/sun.

I have a new plan increasing to tues/wed/thurs/and sat/sun

I guess my way of thinking is "how do you know you are challenging yourself when its always possible to complete the task? Even Tiger Woods dosn't win every tournament

[http://This message has been edited by RRainey (edited Apr-10-2007).|http://This message has been edited by RRainey (edited Apr-10-2007).]

---

 

I've pulled a DNF in two races (50K and 100M(miles that is).
The 50K because I was racing it and ended up turning the same ankle three times over 20miles. The 100M because of dehydration issues at 50 miles.

And you know what! I'm glad that I did. Sure I felt an immediate rush of failure, but learning from your mistakes and correcting them is more important to me.

Why risk injury?

quote:

---

Originally posted by RRainey:

I guess my way of thinking is "how do you know you are challenging yourself when its always possible to complete the task? Even Tiger Woods dosn't win every tournament

---

 

Completing or finishing a race/event is totally unrelated to actually winning.  Just like Tiger can close with an 80 and still finish the tournament out of first place.

The only race I ever DNF'd was a 5K. It was on July 4th, and was way too hot and humid for me, and even after just a mile I knew that my time was far slower than it should have been, that I was overheating quickly, that I was having a tough time breathing with it being so humid out, and that I just wasn't having any fun at all. In retrospect, I never should have started the race. I've raced in pouring rain and wind, and with snow and ice on the ground, and never considered quitting those races. But this body just can't deal with heat and humidity. That July 4th race confirmed it, and now I just stay away from hot-weather races.

Jay

I have yet to DNF a race, but have stopped a couple training runs that have gone bad. It is hard for me to grasp the concept of stopping a particular run/race as quitting or dishonorable. There is nothing wrong with accepting that today is not your day, learn from what went wrong, and then race another day.

Well, let me just tell you what happens when I DON'T finish a race.

I was supposed to run in the Big D Texas Marathon on April 1st,
2007. I fully prepared for this as it was going to be my first
marathon. Though I've been running for 10 years, this is the
first time I was actually able to take the time to train like I needed
to. I was trying to finish in 3 hours 30 minutes, which left me 10
extra minutes to finish for my age qualification and get to go to Boston
on my second marathon. I found a training program (and it works, I
suggest others use it. it's Hal Higdon's marathon guide), changed my
usual night-owl routine the last two nights before the race in order to
be prepared to wake up at 5:00 the morning of the race (the race started
at 7:30), and I stayed in a hotel 5 minutes from the starting line, which,
if anyone knows the Dallas area, I stayed downtown right on the cross
where I-35 meets I-30, because the race started at the Cotton Bowl
5 minutes away. I even went and found where the starting line was
going to be, just to be sure I knew. I made sure my husband, who had
gone with me, and my parents, who had traveled 6 hours to watch me, and my 3 friends that were planning on being at the race knew
where the finish line was and what time I would be there. They also
had spectator points where they were going to try to see me during
the actual race. I pinned my bib on my shirt the
night before, put my chip on my shoe on the night before, laid out
my clothes, and went to bed at 10 pm. I didn't fall asleep until
around 11, but then I slept straight through until my alarm went off.

I was fully prepared when I woke up. I never felt stronger or more
awake and ready to go. I left the hotel at 6:30 in order to get to the race
at least 45 minutes early (Remember, the starting line was only 5
minutes away). Well, when I left the hotel, and began driving
down I-30 to the race, there was a wreck on the highway that had
happened earlier that morning. That was at 6:30 am, and to make a
long story short, I was still sitting in the same spot at 8:00 am. It took
that long for the wreck to be cleared and the traffic to continue.

I missed the race and the clock.

I was so devastated that I didn't sleep for 2 weeks afterwards. I even
went to my therapist and she said that it could be compared to a
mother who had given birth to a stillborn on her first pregnancy.
I had all this support from friends and family, it was the first
marathon for me, and I felt like I had let EVERYONE down.
Finally, after two weeks of sleeping no more than 3 hours a night,
I was exhausted. I don't know what changed, but I started sleeping
again. I think it just took that long for me to get over the grief.

Needless to say, I plan to run a marathon this year if I die doing it!
I'm not going to let myself get discouraged over what happened.

----

Tonya[/URL" target="_blank">
My Log[/URL" target="_blank">

I've DNFed two races. Well, actually the same race two separate years.
One I was taken off in the ambulance for dehydration (no hospital though, thankfully)

The other I was just too discouraged, race course was closing down (marathon had 5 hour finish limit), and had blood down my legs really bad from the chafing on my thighs

I won't drop out of a race just because it's not going well, but I'd rather run tomorrow than finish today...