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Without us lot that "just make up the numbers", the sharp end would not look that sharp! I.E. in a race with 100 finishers, we all 'look up' to the top 10. If only those top 10 were racing, finishers 4 to 10 would look like 'duffers'.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbrt
That's impossible to answer. One man's racing is another man's running is another man's jogging. I race, but only with myself and those who may run at my speed or just a little quicker. My 'racing' will appear slow motion to front-of-packers. In their eyes I'll be no'but a jogger.
Yes, there should be a fourth option: none of the above.
I race but I'm not at the sharp end very often. At best I'm in the top 10% of runners - at a big race that may be 50th, at a small one it could be 6th. Sometimes e.g. champs races it's more like 25%, but I have still been killing myself!
I think the majority are the same, there are many ways to run competitively - to beat personal course best times / beat clubmates and other people you know / be in the top n% of the race / hold or improve position through the race, etc.
I know some people don't run races competitivley for various reasons - been injured / just challenging themselves to complete the course etc, but surely the people who enter races and just run round well within their limits is small?
I voted, but I agree that none of the above would have been a better option for me. I'm fairly new to fell running (only done 2 races so far - Anniversary Waltz and Kentmere) and I'm most definitely a back of the pack runner. However, I give the race my all and run the best that I can - which might be pretty rubbish to some people, but for me, that is something to be proud of.
These races are a great experience and I don't want to get to the end and feel disappointed, so if I've given it my all, then that's good enough for me.
As my username suggests, I am merely a Jogger but having said that, I do race occassionaly but not to try and win, not that I would anyway but for the buzz and the camaradiere.
SJ
;)
I love racing. It gives me a massive buzz to set off in the pack. It does bother me a bit when after the first half mile I can see the front runners way up on the skyline while I haven't even started the climb, but then I look round and start thinking "I'll beat him or I've beaten her before." Then I race my guts out trying to do it. It doesn't matter at the end if they beat me and I think it's great the way people in the group you find yourself in all shake hands at the finish. As if we've all been driving each other to do something great.
Sometimes I'll race the course ie can I run every step?or can I crack the hour?(or 5 hours in the case of the three peaks.)
In another mood it's just fine to take off into the hills, but I suppose I'm a racer because I'll always start setting little challenges in a fartlek way.
Great fun isn't it?:)
A racer in my age group
Making up the numbers in the bigger picture
I'd say 2 and 3 - Me turning up to races makes other people feel better as they know they won't be last.... So I'm making up the numbers (option 2) but only because I just like running in the hills (option 3).
I'm not competitive (would be a little pointless as it'd only end up in constant disappointment!) but I do run as fast as I can if I'm racing, and I enter plenty of races (although not the hard ones). Does that make me a racer or a runner?
Looking at most of the answers on here, I think they could be categorised as Racers. A racer could be regarded as anyone who is pushing him/herself to the limit in a competitive event, no matter what the speed. Even if it's walking uphill it's still racing. The only question remaining is who the race is with. The answer to that is unimportant. It's racing, it's enjoyment, it's personal challenge and achievement, it's satisfaction at the end with a cup of tea (or something a little stronger and a different shade of brown) in your muddy hand. :D
Racing is life. Everything else is just waiting.;)