If races went away forever, would you consider quitting running?

LRCUghh wrote:

What?

What? Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Yes.

Crapgame wrote:

As long as there are places to run there should always be opportunities to race. Why isn't anyone using Facebook or Strava to organize a group meet-up at a local park, cemetary or long stretch of road and race from a pre determined start and finish?

I have done this. Racing my friends on the track next weekend. Racing is important to me and makes running fun.

No.. But i am guessing it will be mostly easy runs i suppose

If this was the prime of my life where I was training for an Olympic Trials qualifier, that would be something to consider.

I can't imagine I would train the same way without races.

I could always make goals for solo time trials. But I wouldn't surpass my PRs without racing, so it would not be very satisfying.

So, yes, I would quit running in the same manner I was.

Big hitter the Lama

Big hitter the Lama..

(better with reference)

Loving the variety of perspectives! Great to hear what makes people tick re: running.

As I get older, running has become more and more about my overall quality of life. On the young end, I ran all my training runs as fast as I could to prove something. I found motivation from a looming race. On the older end, it feels like everything has flipped. I can run consistently for months with no goal in sight, just because steady consistent running makes my life so much more manageable. It's like there's two people inside me: one guy when I'm running pretty consistently - possesses equanimity, humor, and playfulness. The other guy, who I become when I don't run consistently because I have "too much to do", is anxious and nihilistic.

I've always seen races as a necessary drag to assess my fitness, just because I enjoy working on the craft of running. I typically feel like I am competing against myself from the past, with a good crowd to keep me motivated. The people running the race alongside me are united in this goal to see what we can do with the equipment we were given. I like the post-race feeling and really enjoy standing at the finishing chute cheering. I miss the wonderful feeling of walking around the big party after a marathon, soaking up all the energy of people who have just gone through an emotional crucible. There's something special about that.

Until that all comes back, I think I have to pretend it's gone forever. I have no sense of what to expect anymore. It's time trials for me.

Honestly, I think I would run 3-5 every morning just for the fun of it if races went away for ever, but I definitely would never do a speed session again in my life

Trail Zealot wrote:

Just a hypothetical.

It seems like a lot of people are losing meaning without races. I figured more people were primarily motivated by the intrinsic joy of running. It got me curious about two distinct perspectives:

Is there anyone here who would just stop running if they didn't have a chance to compete against others?

Is there anyone here who wouldn't mind if they never raced again?

Are we talking 'organized racing' or just all racing? I could imagine a world where small groups get together for 'race you around the lake' type events even if timing mats and RDs didn't exist. That kind of stuff has been around since the dawn of humanity.

I would definitely keep running. I probably wouldn't run marathons for time anymore. I doubt I'd run half marathons for time. I might (maybe) run ultra distances for some solo entertainment (like large portions of the AT or something like that). I would probably keep time trialing shorter distances like mile to 5k even if there was nobody to race.

I might quit running, but I started running to stay in shape so I would probably take up jogging sort of as a hobby instead.

Already moved on from racing a while back. Now just run, cycle, ski etc.

No races ever again? Guess just getting out and running for fitness sake. Not going to see many hammering at 12x400 though.

I simply love running. At my age racing is just an occasional diversion.

I would not quit running. I enjoy the training and the process. Plus, I can always do time trials and just try to be the best I can be. Additionally, I had a serious injury a few years ago and couldn't run a step for seven months. It really made me appreciate each and every day just for the opportunity to do it.

malmo wrote:

LRCUghh wrote:

What?

What? Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

As the letsrun WW2 go to poster I have to correct you. It was the Japanese in Pearl Harbor

I'd go back to other sports I enjoy more than running. Races give me a reason to train, but running isn't all that fun to me. I'd probably just do easy runs to maintain some sort of pure aerobic fitness.

Define a race.

A. Is it the 5K's put on by the local private school that is nothing more than school members plodding through a course around the school?

B. Is it the 5K timed by someone(charmcityrun) that charges you 45$ and convinces you the finishers medal will make you a whole person, but is really nothing more than (A)

C. Is it the highly competitive 5K or 10K where runners set as a goal race (with or without) prize money?

Well C no longer exists anywhere in the MD area and don't say Corrigan Sports where their events are just money grabs where half the field starts off walking.

Malmo, when was the last race YOU ran?

I run two or three 5K (or so) races annually, just for something to do. I can get on somewhat of a schedule racing every 4-5 months - and feel like a top US runner at the same time!

I'd run like 20 miles a week for fitness. Other than that I would spend my time lifting weights and maybe biking. Running itself isn't that fun.