Would you run a race knowing you would finish last?

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  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    Can't say honestly that I would go into a race with the mentality that I'm going to finish last. Even if the odds were slim that I would finish first, I would keep telling myself that I am going to finish first...even if others have crossed the finish line before me. If I go in with the "I'm gonna finish last mentality" then the odds are that I'm not going to push myself nearly as hard as I would if I'm trying to win. How we deal with actually losing demonstrates our strength of character more than how we start...in my mind anyway. Don't know if this makes much sense to anyone else, but I personally compete against myself more than against anyone else. IMO, if I start with, "I'm going to lose" then I've lost before I ever started...to be all zen about it. :p


    I think you hit the nail on the head. For the majority here; not the few competitive runners that responded; it's not a competition to us. Running is a passion and fun to me. If I competed; it would take all the fun out of it for me similar to the way doing a figure/fitness show years ago did regarding lifting for about a year. I'm running to accomplish something and better myself. I could not give a rats *kitten* who's first or last or how many medals someone has won. That's not why I do it. I rather be dead last then sitting at home wondering what if.
  • 22colin
    22colin Posts: 31
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    of course ! I don't enter to beat somebody/everybody else, I enter for the challenge & that's me against the distance & elements & maybe my own PB. I would be concerned if I didn't finish or didn't hit one of my goals (e.g.: no walking), but apart from that I can seriously say I don't care if I come 1st or last - the challenge & reward are the same :-)
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    i have. still a great feeling to finish. one of the race directors was about 50 yards behind me b/c he was in charge of following the last person. as i passed side streets, they were re-opening them for traffic.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    Sure I guess.
  • nphillips0124
    nphillips0124 Posts: 72
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    Heck yes I would! Embarrassingly enough, I was last at my first few cross country races in high school... totally last!

    It depends on your goal, but if you're just there to better yourself it doesn't matter if your first or last. Just do it!

    (Btw, I usually finished in the middle after that first year of cross country! Not the best, but definitely not the worst
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    You are such an INSPIRATION!! I hope that you can continue to run and keep those knees healthy!!!

    :blushing: Thank you! I really try to be inspiring to people, and let them know that if you set your mind to it, there are many ways to overcome your obstacles. As I told my trainer, I used my "disability" as an excuse for nearly 12 years. NO MORE! If you're curious, there's a picture in my photos of me before my last race with my braces.
    My first official 5k last summer...I finished behind a 5 year old. :blushing: But I still finished!

    Haha yep, I finished behind a dad and his like 7 year old kid my last 5k. I hadn't run in a while and had some severe knee pain very close to the start, so I was extra, extra slow to avoid injury. The whole time I had the quote "run if you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, JUST NEVER GIVE UP!" going through my head.
    "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
    -John Bingham

    This is my RoadID dog tag that I wear when I'm out for runs :smile: :
    2012-05-15_18-37-49_483.jpg

    Edit: Dangit, sorry about the size. It won't resize for me :(
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    You are such an INSPIRATION!! I hope that you can continue to run and keep those knees healthy!!!

    :blushing: Thank you! I really try to be inspiring to people, and let them know that if you set your mind to it, there are many ways to overcome your obstacles. As I told my trainer, I used my "disability" as an excuse for nearly 12 years. NO MORE! If you're curious, there's a picture in my photos of me before my last race with my braces.
    My first official 5k last summer...I finished behind a 5 year old. :blushing: But I still finished!

    Haha yep, I finished behind a dad and his like 7 year old kid my last 5k. I hadn't run in a while and had some severe knee pain very close to the start, so I was extra, extra slow to avoid injury. The whole time I had the quote "run if you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, JUST NEVER GIVE UP!" going through my head.
    "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
    -John Bingham

    This is my RoadID dog tag that I wear when I'm out for runs :smile: :
    2012-05-15_18-37-49_483.jpg

    Edit: Dangit, sorry about the size. It won't resize for me :(



    Hey question for you!! I actually almost ordered a set of those dog tags last night but I wasn't sure of I would like them. I can't stand stuff on my wrist or shoes so I wasn't going that route. Do you find when you run if they annoy you bouncing? I'm sure I would stick them down my shirt or bra but wanted wasn't sure if they would move around too much.
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    Hey question for you!! I actually almost ordered a set of those dog tags last night but I wasn't sure of I would like them. I can't stand stuff on my wrist or shoes so I wasn't going that route. Do you find when you run if they annoy you bouncing? I'm sure I would stick them down my shirt or bra but wanted wasn't sure if they would move around too much.

    The black thing around the outside is to make it "heavy" and keep it from bouncing. I stick it down my bra :laugh:

    I actually wear the arm band, too... the dog tag is more for the inspirational quote than the ID part (more of a chance of the dog tag flying off if something were to happen than my wrist flying off - and easier for the EMTs to see). I had a gift card, so that's why I have both :P
  • walkwithme1
    walkwithme1 Posts: 492 Member
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    Yes, I would.
    I ran a 10k and finished dead-last! I felt that I had enough left in me for a final push to the finish line and make myself 2nd-to-last by passing, but I didn't have the heart to do it. It was a little boy, about 7 years old.

    That's awesome! I bet it made his day. You may never know for sure but THAT may be something that will push him to race again!
  • walkwithme1
    walkwithme1 Posts: 492 Member
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    yep. Its not about finish first or last. Its about going out there and giving it your all. You aren't there to race against everyone else, you're racing against yourself.


    Unless of course you're fast enough to actually podium and then you are in fact racing everyone else. :tongue:


    I ran my first 5k Saturday. My goals were to not walk and to finish, that's it. I didn't care where I finished, or that my time wasn't great, or that people in their 60s and 70s finished before me. I set a goal and met it!
  • bert16
    bert16 Posts: 725 Member
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    Can't imagine ever thinking I would finish last. I'm not fast... just can't imagine giving up on the hope that I could beat just one person.
  • pluschek
    pluschek Posts: 8 Member
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    Sure thing it is not all about winning it is about the accomplishment of finishing!
  • Cooriander
    Cooriander Posts: 2,848 Member
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    If I qualified for Boston I would probably be last, but I still would do it
  • Cooriander
    Cooriander Posts: 2,848 Member
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    DNF is worse that being last. I have done DNF - twice, ugh, once because of injury and once because I was a wimp, I am still ashamed for the wimpy performance.
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 57 Member
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    DNF is worse that being last. I have done DNF - twice, ugh, once because of injury and once because I was a wimp, I am still ashamed for the wimpy performance.

    DNF is 100 times better than DNS (did not start), if you try you win!
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    If I qualified for Boston I would probably be last, but I still would do it

    If you qualify for Boston, you wouldn't be DFL. They allow charity runners. :wink:
  • jallen1955
    jallen1955 Posts: 121
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    nope...but I have a disorder that keeps me from doing ANYTHING unless I will finish in top 5 or 10%
  • iAMaPhoenix
    iAMaPhoenix Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Who wants to run a race to finish first. Last is the only way to go baby...or at least that is what I keep telling myself.
  • imbanter
    imbanter Posts: 72 Member
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    yep. Its not about finish first or last. Its about going out there and giving it your all. You aren't there to race against everyone else, you're racing against yourself.


    Unless of course you're fast enough to actually podium and then you are in fact racing everyone else. :tongue:

    IronManPanda... your pic freaked me out for a second. As I was glancing down the screen I thought you had a dirty pic! I'll just say I saw thighs and a piercing. Oh how the mind can screw with you.
  • Jay0hwhy
    Jay0hwhy Posts: 63
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    all the races i've done have been run/walk. as long as i kept jogging, i wouldnt be last because a walker would be last.

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