Would you let fear of placing last keep you from competing?

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  • pkinblue
    pkinblue Posts: 140 Member
    I've placed last many, many times before in a variety of events and you know what?

    My name was not announced on the nightly news as "The Loser".
    No one posted mean things to my Facebook page.
    My mother didn't call me up and chew me out.
    My kids still rode home with me in the car--although this isn't a given with teenagers no matter what happens.
    My boss didn't fire me.
    I didn't have to wear my time on my t-shirt as a brand.
    I didn't lose any sleep over it, I didn't blush, I didn't feel bad.
    I didn't lose any advertising endorsements. (Ok--I wasn't offered any either)

    Do the race for you and no one but you and enjoy every second of it!
  • czardastx
    czardastx Posts: 127 Member
    To give into fear would be worse than coming in last. You will always know you quit without trying. Coming in last would give you the motivation to improve to better yourself. And you would know you gave it your best shot, not that you gave up without trying.

    I'm not the fastest, I'm not the strongest but I am out there, doing 5K's, 10K's (soon 1/2 marathons), and Triathlons. I'm proud of every race I've done, no matter where I finish. It's not about the finish, it's not about a medal for age group. It's about challenging and bettering myself.

    Run the damn race. Finish it and be proud that you'll have done more than 99% of the people your age. Be victorious in your accomplishment. It's not always about where you finish, but that you started.
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
    NO! I walked a 5k in April and came in dead last, and I didn't feel bad about it. The people running and walking all were very supportive as they came toward me because they had already got to the turn around. It took me 63 minutes, I would of done a tiny bit better but it was wet due to earlier rain and I didn't want to risk slipping or falling and spraining or breaking something, it was for fun. I do intend to get faster and finished higher than last lol, but last still means I DID IT!!! :smile:
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
    No. That kind of insecurity is for high school kids.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    You know what they say...er, write:

    DFL>DNF>DNS

    (Dead Effing Last is greater than Did Not Finish is greater than Did Not Start)

    Get out there and do it!
  • pobalita
    pobalita Posts: 741 Member
    To give into fear would be worse than coming in last. You will always know you quit without trying. Coming in last would give you the motivation to improve to better yourself. And you would know you gave it your best shot, not that you gave up without trying.

    I'm not the fastest, I'm not the strongest but I am out there, doing 5K's, 10K's (soon 1/2 marathons), and Triathlons. I'm proud of every race I've done, no matter where I finish. It's not about the finish, it's not about a medal for age group. It's about challenging and bettering myself.

    Run the damn race. Finish it and be proud that you'll have done more than 99% of the people your age. Be victorious in your accomplishment. It's not always about where you finish, but that you started.

    This exactly. You are never going to finish a race and wish that you hadn't started it.

    Honestly, I think most who have ever completed in a race have felt this fear at one time or another. I felt this way before my first 10K, my first half marathon, and especially my first trail runs....and now I'm feeling it about a local track and field series I'd like to participate in.
  • pobalita
    pobalita Posts: 741 Member
    No...My personal fear, and the reason I have not signed up for tough mudder, is the fear of not finishing.

    sign up! You will finish. I did my first one last year at age 45...ALONE. The great thing about Tough Mudder is the amount of support that fellow Mudders will give you on the harder challenges. Total strangers lifted me to the tops of walls, pulled me from mud pits, and encouraged me when I was tired. You can do it!
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    When my wife ran her first marathon, he picked the wrong one. We live in Ottawa, and it is not hard to find a race in the area that has thousands signed up for it. This marathon is a double loop, that is uphill for half of it.She picked the one that had 120 signed up. No typo, just one hundred and twenty people . 15 people dropped out. Ten percent.

    My wife was not one of those people. She ran. Past the official cut off. They asked her time and time again, do you want to quit. She kept saying no, partially because I think she was delirious at this point. But she kept going. When she got to the finish line, they had taken it down. But she still crossed the line. She still got her medal that says FINISHED. Not last, but FINISHER. That is what matters. She did more than she thought she could. She did more than a sane person would have. She did do it. And that is something that can't be taken away. You think someone is going to question her place?

    Now, what is your fear again?
  • TJMiddaugh
    TJMiddaugh Posts: 67 Member
    if you are scared of placing last you will never accomplish anything. its not about what place you come in. its that you competed at the best of your abilities and enjoyed doing so! the old saying, if at first you do not succeed try try again!!! have fun while you still can, you might not get the chance to again. life comes at you fast they say. if you want a good level of competition, compete against yourself. each time out try to do a little better/more. most of us have never been nor will ever be Olympic medalists. we just your average Joe's out acting like world champs!! nothing wrong with that. 169th place? ohh yeah whos a badazz now!!
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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  • cupcakes_and_cardio
    cupcakes_and_cardio Posts: 369 Member
    I would love say that I could do it, but in all honesty, I'm not too sure my confidence level, as it is this point in time, would allow me to do something like that - it would make me feel even worse and make my paranoia kick in, wondering if people are talking about me :x

    Although, another part of me says I probably would just give it a go, hell with it!
  • charlena48
    charlena48 Posts: 192 Member
    Just do it for youself. Being out there and moving is a huge success in itself. I'm in a similar situation. I just started biking with a group of people and so far, I've been the last one in every time. Some of them have been riding for about 2 yrs. now. I haven't been that far behind them getting back in though. I also just had surgery 11 wks. ago. I surprised myself and rode 24 miles on Sunday [after riding 10 miles on Saturday] - I have never ridden that far before in my life! I can't wait to see how I progress as the summer goes. Good luck and keep pushin' on!! :smile:
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    Wow...I sit here with tears trickling down my face......so many people with great words of wisdom. I can't thank you enough for the swift kick in *kitten* and all the encouragement. Tonight I did sign up for the Wine Glass 1/2 Marathon in October. Now all I have to do is grow a "set" get out the credit card and JUST DO IT!! Thanks again...you all rock

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