If someone is trying to race you on your daily runs, do you take the Challenge?

[quote]Name in Hiding wrote:

This was on the bridge between Boston and MIT/Harvard.

quote]

Um, which bridge? MIT and Harvard are not that close so I think you're trolling. And sorry, 800m specialists aren't running max effort along the river.

The Charles River.

The one where you see MIT sail boats on both sides. And then there are kayaks and canoes. Ok ok I wasn't descriptive enough.

You see the Prudential on one side, and then MIT on the other side of the bridge. It's also very windy

Whenever I run on that bridge I run past MIT to Harvard. They're like the same thing. 2 miles between the two make no difference if you're running 50 mpw.

Then if he wasn't a 800m specialist, he is probably 1500 or 5k guy. He has speed. Also he wasn't doing strides. He didn't look relaxed enough

I run entirely at my own pace unless racing.

I was once finishing up an easy run to a trailhead where I was shuffling along like a grandmother and heard someone crashing and gasping behind me in order to finish ahead of me

A few weeks later that person was stunned that I beat them by over 20 minutes in a half marathon. They couldn't understand how that was possible when they had "beaten" me in that training run.

I was doing strides so it was 90% max effort. I never go all out. I do sometimes when I chase bicyclists or run along side the duck tour buses

I never race anyone ever.

Although I do love when I pass a hobby-walker while I'm running, and they then pass me SPRINTING 30 seconds later, like they were on the recovery rep of some workout.

I'm a skinny high schooler and was running really slowly midway through an 8 miler (think 8:00/mi plus for a mid- 4:30s miler)- I was hot and lazy. I was passed by a guy who looked more built/bulky than I was and had pretty terrible form, so I guessed he was pretty slow. This put me into action and I picked up the pace and passed him, at which point he asked to race. Over the next mile to the end of the trail we were on I put a good 45 seconds on him, and he was definitely surprised I was so fast. The rest of my run was even slower than the first part though. I wouldn't recommend it.

If it looks to me like a person is doing an honest run/workout and not trying to behave like a DB, then I'll gladly let them pass and I'll say hello. If they look like they might be a DB or will take unnecessary pride in the feat, then I drop them like a bad habit or alter course. Now on the other hand if I'm going to pass somebody at a consistent pace I will go do so, but if I'm doing something like repeats on the road or am about to alter pace based on my workout and it would involve me suddenly looking like I'm going to kick by a person, then I will alter course or double back a few times to avoid making myself look like a DB. On the rare occasion I feel like I'm actually dealing with a quality runner I'd rather strike up a conversation when one of us passes the other.

This is all relevant in less trafficked or more open areas. Once in a blue moon when I visit a busy path near a city anything is fair game and I don't take offense if people blow by me randomly.

Why are you telling us about your clothes as if we were about to ask if you were wearing red shorts? Are you the same dumbazz who posted about doing sexy stretches? If so, you're a delusional hobby jogger. I'd say borderline personality disorder.You'd like to say you specialize in the 800? Really, have you ever actually raced one? PR? Link to the results.

Of course not

When I run with anyone I tell them before the pace we will be doing. They might think it's easy or not.

Some times people go past us at greater speeds. Always some person that runs with me will increase the pace and I need to remind them that this is not a race, this is training.

Discipline makes for fast runners. Don't be the workout warrior

Here is what you wrote in another thread:

Sounds like you need to make some friends.

Don't worry, bruh, I need to make new friends too.

You're not a weird runner. You're just old. It happens to all of us.

Unless you're trying to win and be #1, you definitely sound out of place for pointing out your age and that you run alone. I do too, man.

I signed up for a marathon and I was the only person there without family or friends waiting. After I finished at around 4 hours xx minutes, I ate the bbq food and then sat with my legs spread out and my ass touching the grass and waited for an Uber.

People were giving me the weird look because I did look out of place because I took up running just about one year ago. No running in HS or in college. Whaaaaaaaat?!?!?!

So, you have a 4h marathon PR and you didn't run track in HS and college so your 800 PR is a DNS.

If you want you can challenge them to a race, then you will know whose faster.

Who knows, you might even make....a friend

No, I haven't raced any 800s YET.

You ask for links as if I was some NCAA athlete and I will be because I will walk on my team this coming semester.

You'd think that anyone on LetsRun usually starts track in high school and then continues in college. I'm not one of them. But that doesn't mean I won't catch up and beat any of you elitist guys in the next few years.

Instead, I've had 8 years of martial arts and I am a blackbelt. I've already ran a marathon 4:15, but my half was about 1:27. I ran that marathon with an ITband injury that resurfaced starting at mile 9.

My 5k was 21:02 but that was after binge eating and vodka with a few of my friends the other day.

If you're talking about PRs, you'll win. But if you're talking about mental toughness and discipline, you'll lose.

Or better yet you wrote ...

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

So you've never raced an 800 yet you claim you'll run sub 1:50 in a few months. Do you know how arrogant and misguided that is? Especially for a 4h marathoner? A sub 1:50 is rare territory.

Honestly, a sub 2:30 would be an achievement in the 800 for you. You have to appreciate it takes years of training and hard work to develop your running ability. You simply can't run 1:50 in 2 months from nothing.

Best of luck to you - be patient - you need to commit to years to build yourself up and develop.

My college XC team was doing an easy team run in an urban area when this maybe 13 year old black kid jumps out, yells something about how we are slow and sprints ahead of us. We all thought it was hilarious as he was using one hand to keep up his pants, which were sagging way low. However, one of our coaches was with us, who was a d-bag and a hard-a$$. He didn't like it, so he takes off and sprints ahead of him just to "show him".

So personal opinion, ignore them unless you are a d-bag like my old assistant coach.

For the middle distance events, it's more genetics than base mileage.

And I have the muscular development and genetics to say that no, I'm not a long-distance runner. I am built for middle distance, and for speed.

I am confident that I can run sub 150 in a few months because I have the base mileage of 70 miles a week since I started last summer since July. And I have the cross training of strength endurance since I've done martial arts for 8 years. Sub 150 is nothing special. It's college athlete standards and I am in college.

You'd think running doesn't cross over to other sports. All I just need is the base mileage and it'll carry me over to the track team.

I'd like to thank Sage Canaday, Cicirunner, and Nick Symmonds for my inspiration.

I hope you know that I started running last year. Like last June. I used to run 8-12 miles at a time.

Now, currently, I manage 8 miles with a 10 or 14 mile long run in 80 degree weather. Heat training is necessary for toughness.

I didn't just start wearing split shorts and compression gear instantly.

I had to wear cargo shorts and cotton t shirts for like 6 months until I found out about LR.

Thanks for your advice, but you need to be a bit crazy to start running from nothing. I've been using those feels ever since.

Name in Hiding wrote:

For the middle distance events, it's more genetics than base mileage.

And I have the muscular development and genetics to say that no, I'm not a long-distance runner. I am built for middle distance, and for speed.

I am confident that I can run sub 150 in a few months because I have the base mileage of 70 miles a week since I started last summer since July. And I have the cross training of strength endurance since I've done martial arts for 8 years. Sub 150 is nothing special. It's college athlete standards and I am in college.

You'd think running doesn't cross over to other sports. All I just need is the base mileage and it'll carry me over to the track team.

I'd like to thank Sage Canaday, Cicirunner, and Nick Symmonds for my inspiration.

You really are delusional. Sub 1:50 not special? All you need is genetics and muscular development? If it was that easy, loads of people could break 1:50. Last year in the UK, only about 50 people managed it:

But what the heck. You have 2 months. Come back within that time frame and show us the link to the results of your sub 1:50

Btw, are you actually Jay Darrel Ingleton - the treadmill guy claiming he was about to set WRs?

None of OP's numbers make any sense.