Here's my situation: I'm basically just running miles and miles and miles, some hard, most easy, taking days off when i feel i need it, and plan on doing that for at least a year, just to work on a super-solid base. But i dont want to completely give up track workouts and racing, even if my times suck, i have no speed base, and i come in last every time. I need some competition to keep it fun. (i.e. i would never try to peak for a meet, or take an easy day before the meet, and would probably even run mies the day of the meet) How much of this faux-racing do you think I could without affecting my base training a whole lot? (would be racing the half or mile, and maybe some 5k local races, but again, not going for the win, just to run)