IF you would get PAID $1,000 for every mile, how far could you go on foot tomorrow?

Beating people in a race is its own reward. You don’t understand that because you have no competitive fire either.

That's not exactly a lot of money.

You never know what you can do under pressure.

I have only been walking between 2 and 6 miles for the last number of weeks.

I'm sure I could cover 20 miles if necessary.

Yes but once I starting winning money it was nice.

I do believe that is correct. I was very good at training and racing consistently but I always lost the close races. Thank goodness I didn't have to make a living as a runner.

What do you mean it is “not exactly a lot of money.” Most seem grateful if they could get $1,000 per mile. But not you?

Would walk sunup to sundown on the Summer Soldier. However far I get, I get.

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.

If you’re going to quote a song lyric, at least have the courtesy to cite the author. Don’t use other people’s words without proper attribution.

I don’t understand why my posts about competitive fire have been downvoted so much. Isn’t the point of racing to win, and if you can’t win, beat as many people as you can? If someone is not going to give it their all to place as highly as they possibly can, then why bother racing?

I believe generically fit people do sufferfest 50 mile days without run/hike training fairly often. So I think most people here could suffer through at least 50 miles as long as they approached nutrition shoes, socks, and chafing properly.

Per the results someone linked above, you were close to 2 minutes back at the finish. One would need more than "competitive fire" to close that kind of gap in a mile and change. A bicycle might have done it. :)

Thanks for sharing, though.

I didn’t say competitive fire would be enough to close the gap. I said it would be enough for the motivation to try.

$1,000 per mile? Rojo wouldn't do it for less than seven figures per mile.

I can guarantee you that if I gave Rojo $10,000 for walking 10 miles he would do it. The man likes to wager.

I know this board has been infiltrated by hobby joggers who never ran competitive track or cross country, but I’m still shocked by the negative reaction to the notion that competitive fire is all that’s needed for the motivation to try to beat other runners in a race. Did you people not ever race your friends for the fun of it when you were kids?

Yeah there is competitive fire and then there is money too. It is “hobby joggers” like you who apparently weren’t able to get prize money. You are also making too much of this. Toward the end of a marathon a runner may think of things to motivate them. The fire can burn out after mile 23 or so. Please don’t be so naive.

I’ve won prize money and gift certificates for shoes in my younger days, and these days I almost always place top 3 in my age group, but extrinsic rewards were NEVER a motivation. My motivation has always been beating as many people as I can in as fast a time as possible.

I think participation medal culture has harmed society.

Well I can respect that but competitive fire can burn out, especially if it was intense. I burned somewhat brightly when young but I cannot relate to those who remain competitive as they get older. Money is just one factor. I remember during my first collegiate 10000m race I was doing well but thinking about dinner at a certain restaurant the last few laps. So the other runner thought about money but racing a marathon is really hard and so people can think of almost anything to motivate them toward the end.

Canadian welfare is apparently more generous