Do you enjoy racing?

I raced this morning, a pretty trail on a beautiful day, and stayed in a kind of sweet spot between enjoying myself and bringing the pain. I went back and forth between them. It wouldn't have been worth it for me to get that last 2% or whatever performance that would have required punishing myself.

i live for racing. i hate every single day of training.

I get nervous and puke before and after every race. It sucks.

Racing is my favourite part of running. I'm still setting PR's in most distances, and I love seeing what I can do with my training. My favourite race distance is the marathon; I love to mix racing and travelling, and the best way to see a new city or area is by running through it.

mixt wrote:

In the week leading up to the race it's always on the back of my mind, and my gut kind of sinks when I think about it.

The day of the race I can't stop thinking about it.

Warming up I'm a nervous wreck, because I know I have to perform. I just want the race to be there already.

When I'm on the line I'm totally ok with how much I'm going to hurt over the next few minutes, and I can't wait until I'm into the race.

I really hate the day of part.

I like what you said. If it's a good race, I really enjoy once I'm a mile or so in (in an 800 or Mile race maybe the first quarter or so).

After a good race I LOVE it. It's just a good feeling of accomplishment AND knowing that the training paid off.

love racing wrote:

I love racing. Competition is my entire reason for running. I don't really enjoy the day to day of training in the way that a lot of runners seem to. I'm not the type who will keep running every day even if I'm not going to race. I don't run because I love to run. I run because I love to compete and running offers me the opportunity to do so.

Wow....I was about to post the exact same thing.

also, i get a little nervous right before the start but it all goes away once the gun goes off.

Then I just enjoy the strategy, the pain, and the battle that takes place with either complete strangers or familiar competitors.

If it were not for races and the nervousness and adrenaline assciated with them, as well as the ability to see how I measure up against the field, I probably would not run. I also like the pain in a weird way (especially after the race - the feeling of having pushed through and conquered it).

As I've said before, I envy people who love runnning simply for what it is and are ambivalent about racing. Call it vanity or whatever, but racing is what keeps me coming back.

XC player - the nervousness is good. Everyone else is nervous too and most people, while they may not want to admit it, feel a lot of what you're feeling @ the line. Control it and use it to your advantage.

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