RunningAHEAD - Topic: How competitive are you? (Is this a comet thread?)

SimonR

posted: 10/2/2008 at 1:43 PM

Not a "Type A" personality, I am just reaching the end of my second year of running, and am starting to take a more competitive attitude. Some of the "symptoms" I have noticed: While I am happy to have a friendly chat at the start line with other runners I am not interested in anything that wastes energy during the race, I race with a real sense of purpose. I have been checking my goal times against previous years' results to estimate where I may finish in my age/gender. I am trying to plan my training more for specific race distances, and think more about how to reach my time goals. Towards the end of a race I have a strong desire to beat people, thinking things like "That guy is breathing too hard, no way is he staying with me!" or "I'm going to take that big guy on the next hill". Finally, I seem to be able to produce a better performance in a race than I would predict from my training.

PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

xor

posted: 10/2/2008 at 2:50 PM

I'm almost never competitive, so I don't have much to say... except that I don't think this is a comet Smile

. I *do* find myself being competitive in strange situations sometimes. At M26 of the Las Vegas Marathon last year, this dude next to me... who I guess didn't bother to see I was next to him... pulled off some weird compression pack thingy from his back and hurled it top speed - right at me. WHACK. Then he took off to do the "midpacker's sprint" to the finish. Oh hell no. I wasn't letting the dude that nailed me beat me. I outkicked him, but good. Aside from that, I'm only usually competitive against the clock and whatever goals I've set. I'm usually the guy encouraging the others around me to go faster.

lisapurple216

posted: 10/2/2008 at 3:16 PM

I am competetive against my husband, I never let him beat me. The last race we did, there was a women who always finishes 30 or less seconds ahead of me. I pointed her out to my husband, who took off flying past her with me in hot persuit. Everytime she got close we took off again and beat her by over a minute. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you.

Doobry

posted: 10/2/2008 at 3:17 PM

Quote from xor on 10/2/2008 at 2:50 PM:

pulled off some weird compression pack thingy from his back and hurled it top speed - right at me. WHACK. Then he took off to do the "midpacker's sprint" to the finish.

so, he tried to WHACK you off?! that's just plain wrong.

Religion is just a contest to see who's got the best imaginary friend.

Jeff

Why is it sideways?

posted: 10/2/2008 at 3:18 PM

Me, I'm not competitive, no. I'm just your friendly, neighborhood run of the mill run by feel vagabond romanticist hippie. I swear.

Trent

Good Bad & The Monkey

posted: 10/2/2008 at 3:19 PM

Quote from Jeff on 10/2/2008 at 3:18 PM:

Me, I'm not competitive, no. I'm just your friendly, neighborhood run of the mill run by feel vagabond romanticist hippie. I swear.

Valerie: "Liar! L-i-a-r!!!!" Miracle Max: "Get back, witch!" Valerie: "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore."

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby

milerBonnie