"I used it just as a workout"

Maybe the race was for charity or some other good cause.

Is it okay to "tempo" a race if you win? What if there is no comp? Are you pissed b/c these guys beat you but weren't all out?

As you stated, a lot of runners use the workout line as a defense. Distance runners are a fragile and cagey species. Similar excuses are training through, not doing any speedwork, not a race of emphasis, blah, blah, blah.

Sometimes it's nice to work out in a race to have some company around. I got my ass handed to me recently by an Oly marathon trials qualifier who was using the race as a controlled effort.

I say loosen up and run your own race.

have you ever had a race entry comped? sometimes a local sponsor or organizer wants some good press and to get their logo out there or maybe they just want to deepen the field up front even if you are "working out". i've seen plenty of guys just go through the motions because the RD wanted them to race. maybe they were pacing a friend. i've done this sort of thing before.

A lot of devoted local club runners may do up to 20 races a year, and might use 3-5 of them as a controlled tempo just to score points for their club. Sometimes college runners double and triple in events to score points at a conference track meet and save something in the tank. Or someone might be coming back from an injury that is newly healed and was instructed not to redline it. Some athletes I know will run a half-marathon at a fraction under marathon pace for a workout in a marathon training build-up.

Or you may be very well correct, there are those who could just be making excuses for their race.

I'm using this topic just as a warm-up for other topics...what's the big deal

I'm just doing this thread as a workout. I haven't even tapered.

the most over used phrase by runners is " oh I;m just building up at the moment"

I haven't even started my speedwork yet.

Once you put the number on, you are in the race PERIOD.

A worse scene: I knew a guy--national class, at least, an all-American--who ran in local races, beat the crap out of all of us, then would say, "I'm so out of shape." Never went up against any big boys at all... We thought he was a prick.

I have to respectfully disagree. These summer 5ks often come during our base mileage weeks, so compare the following schedules I would follow for racing a 5k or treating it as a tempo run integrated into your workouts so it doesn't kill your mileage:

Race Tempo

Thursday 5-6 miles with strides 6-8 miles with strides

Friday Rest 10 miles easy

Saturday 2-3 miles easy 6-8 miles

Sunday 5k race with 2 miles a.m.: 5k tempo with w/u

total warm-up and and c/d

cool-down p.m. 10 miles easy

Total mileage:

Race: ~37

So why would we even bother with registering for the race? Usually we know the race organizer and understand that banditing the race is a huge liability problem since unregistered runners have not signed a waiver. Plus, the proceeds usually go to a good cause, and since running is a social activity, these local races are a good chance to catch up with friends.

I don't mind it. Last year I had a guy who just qualified for the olympic trials(marathon) pace me and block the wind for me for the first half of a windy 10 miler, I was glad he decided to only run the last 5 hard as a workout.

ballsy wallsy wrote:

the most over used phrase by runners is " oh I;m just building up at the moment"

Do you think it could be because they've got injured in the past and are trying to actually build up properly?

It doesn't just take a few weeks you know.

hounddogharrier wrote:

Once you put the number on, you are in the race PERIOD.

precisely - if people want to do a tempo run or find out what shape they are in do a timetrial. If you enter a race no crappy excuses just run your guts out.

Sure, there are wimps out there who will make excuses for running poorly in a low-pressure racing environment like a summer road race.

But odds are if someone places high, regardless of their capabilities, and they tell you it was a workout then it was just that; a planned workout. If they beat you doing a workout and you're "annoooyyyyed" enough to post it on letsrun, then you're the wimp.

When you're running alone 99% of the time, it's a lot easier to be able to do some tempo runs or time trials with other people. If there aren't a lot of other runners of your ability around, the best place to get other people is in a race. Of course, time trialing by yourself will make you mentally tough, but there's no reason to have to do that every time. Still, it's unclassy to brag about how you were time trialing after the race. If you're so good, then next time you're really racing, you'll be ahead of the people who beat you and your results can do the talking.

You are obviously not a very experienced runner. A lot of top runners run a few races as a tempo workout or a half marathon as a marathon-pace run. Why would you care anyway?

sal paradise wrote:

A worse scene: I knew a guy--national class, at least, an all-American--who ran in local races, beat the crap out of all of us, then would say, "I'm so out of shape." Never went up against any big boys at all... We thought he was a prick.

I am confused... If he was an All-American, he must have gone up against big boys.

Do you mean he no longer goes up against big boys?

Maybe he just races for fun now. Just because he beats you doesn't mean he is in shape, though I agree that is not very classy to say to someone that you have just beaten.

I run races as tempos all the time, I haven't paid for an entry at a local road race in years.

The RD usually asks me to run, and I do so for the sake of a hard effort.

I have my goal races every year, and those are the races I go all-out.

Of course I don't walk around saying it was just a workout, but it was.

I am not sure why some of you think you have to shit your pants and blow your load every time to pin a number on your chest.

Most of the time I will be training for a marathon, and jump into a few 10ks along the way to break the monotony of the track workouts. I can also usually help pace someone, improve the quality of the race time, etc.

I try to be respectful and not screw anyone else's race. I wouldn't be that guy who is neck and neck with someone until the end and then claim he only won b/c it was a workout. That is rude.