Do you know someone who does lots of workouts and miles but only races 3 to 4 xs a year ( not counting marathons)

Just getting back into wrote:

Hbbgnjlll wrote:

Why work yourself hard for no payoff? Life does get in the way, I have a wife, job, and more kids than most people. I still ran dozens of races last year.

If life is that much in the way, it would be in the way of training too.

No it's a big difference between running a workout and a race.Workout is free .There is no stress of all that is involved with a race and it often eats up hours of you're day .Most workouts are all done in one hour or so.

What stress? Most races are done in less than 1h (for 5/10ks).

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Yeah, me.

Me too....though i am no longer that fast.

I've done two races in the past two years....Work, or kids sports on the weekends, so haven't taken the time to race.

I don't think it's a terrible way to live....i have fun with the workouts

Galen Rupp

penpineapple wrote:

I love running hard and used to race quite a bit. Now a days I don't feel I need races to validate what I do. Pay $30 or whatever to drive to a race and go through all that crap. Push through a mass of fat people to get to the front where there are 2 maybe 3 OK runners. Then basically run solo the entire time anyway so at the end I get yet another crappy t-shirt and a medal and then strut around like I'm a big deal. It's just masturbation for your ego. I'll take a bike path or track at sunrise on my own any day.

If I need to feel good about myself I'll put up some douchey post on Facebook or get on Strava.

You are so right.

So I hope you are on strava. I ride my bike and love the segments, and am too old to 'compete' except on Saturdays, but with Strava I can measure myself against the best who have ever ridden the course / segment.

My entire goal is to hammer myself and see if I can still find something at the end. Who needs a T shirt? Not me

U Asked For It wrote:

LOL

Lickety Split wrote:

Jerry's kids at Bowerman TC

They train, train, train & show up to competition prepared for a work-out but not a race like the NOP athletes. 2016 wasn't a great year for the BTC other than Jager.

This describes someone like me.

I have run ~500 races and have a streak going of participating in an official race at least once each year for over 50 years (I am 60 years old).

I still train by running ~ 60 miles a week, including repeats, intervals, tempo runs, long runs, time trials, hills. But I rarely race anymore (just enough to keep the consecutive years streak alive).

Although I have won many races, racing does not excite me any more. Racing is expensive, its a hassle, it involves travel, and I have nothing to prove in official races. I do not need an age group award or public recognition.

Almost 25 years ago I thought I would be ok if all organized public races were eliminated. I would have been totally happy racing myself and the clock.

Even when I was winning races I knew it was because the really good/elite runners were not there. So I ran mainly to improve my times.

Now that I am old, I am not going to set any PRs.

But I still enjoy pushing myself in time trials. I race myself and my time from last week, last month or last year.

I do not need races to enjoy pushing myself and the feeling of laying down a good effort. If anything I have learned to push myself without having other people around through all these years.

Art Vandelay the fake one wrote:

If the local fast guys would race more, local races wouldn't have winning times of 20 minutes.

Back when I was a local fast guy, I'd habitually race 2-3 times month. Sure there were occasions when I ran alone and won by 2 minutes, but there were more where I had some guys to compete wirh. And that's why I was (and still am, although at a slower level) in the sport to start with: competition. It was never my goal to be the best at exercising.

There's your answer, local fast guys. Tired of 5ks being won in 19:30? Then show up and win them in 15:30. Your absence is why road races suck. It's your fault.

Where the hell do you live??? A rural area?

Art Vandelay the fake one wrote:

If the local fast guys would race more, local races wouldn't have winning times of 20 minutes.

Back when I was a local fast guy, I'd habitually race 2-3 times month. Sure there were occasions when I ran alone and won by 2 minutes, but there were more where I had some guys to compete wirh. And that's why I was (and still am, although at a slower level) in the sport to start with: competition. It was never my goal to be the best at exercising.

Yes me too. It's so hard running 15:10 and embarrassing all the losers in this world. I also cannot bench press 500 pounds.

Gee I guess I'll just have to go out and run 10 X Mile in 5:00 w/2minute jogs.

It's so humbling.

I am in 16min shape and most races I enter I either win by 2 mins or place 2nd to a 15:30 guy. Either way I am running solo. I feel some stress from it because winning a race is fun but you can't control who shows up. Putting in the extra work to become a 15low guy to always win isn't worth the return IMO. I just like to run and train knowing rhat I could win 80% of races.

My last race was July 2015 and I was in 17:40 5K shape. I do faster than that as a tempo run now for 10 miles so I'm a lot fitter but the reason I don't race a lot is because they are all in the morning and I'm a total night owl. No way I'm getting up that early. I love training anyways it's more important to me than racing.