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Slow and steady loses the race

ALEX HUTCHINSON

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:26 PM EDT 28/03/08

A higher risk, higher reward approach may be right for those who've already run several races ...Read the full article

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  1. CD W from Canada writes: 'Pride goeth before the fall.' Fitness is very important, but there are just some days, you aint going to beat the guy beside you who has been a champion all of his life in running.
  2. Stude Ham from Outremont, Canada writes: Is it absolutely necessary to compete to win to get a medal for everything one does? Does anyone believe in doing something... just because it might be good for them... and not because their egos hang in the balnce?

    What a joy I've found in just doing the running, the swimming, the cycling, and so on, totally unfettered and unworried about the finish line, totally involved in the actions because of their benefits.

    Exercising, if you can do it, has to first and foremost be for the physical benefit... and once you chuck the 'winner circle' mentality it becomes a very pleasurable activity.

    So... unless you're focussed on beating the competition, this article has the kind of advice that only unleashes neuroses.
  3. Tweev D from Halifax, Canada writes: I think the distinction is that elite running are operating at their physiological limits while recreational runners are not. A lot of recreational runners can 'dig a little deeper' which would explain the difference.

    Interesting to think about.

    To Stude: A bit of healthy competition makes it fun. You could ask why bother keeping score in hockey or other sports. In running, the score is the time so of course you want to do your best. Having benchmarks is what keep people motivated.
  4. Puntal Puntal from Calgary, Canada writes: Stude Ham: MAN, those grapes taste sour, don't they?
  5. Mia Culpa from Togo writes: When I'm running in a recreational 5k / 10k, the person I'm trying to beat is me, more specifically my previous personal best time. I don't pay any attention to who's at the starting line beside me. These type of races aren't about crossing the finish line first.

    My experience has been exactly as stated in the article. My best times have come when I've started off a little quicker than my targeted pace.
  6. J R from Vancouver, Canada writes: My best 5K time so far (17:46) was a week before my first Ironman. Because of that, I had decided that I would race it, but I would be sure not too overdo it or hurt myself. I needed to be fully recovered for next week's race. I concentrated on style while still racing it at a high aerobic effort. A lot of people who usually beat me, even people I always beat, got ahead of me. Then suddenly I kept moving up, steadily. Passed a lot of people I had not beat before. Probably had a faster last mile than the first mile. And I felt great at the end. Nonetheless, in a 10K or shorter, the best strategy if you are fit is to go hard at the begining, go hard in the middle, and go hard at the end. In all racing, there is no reason why you should suffer in a race if you have done the work beforehand.
  7. Ivan K- from Toronto, Canada writes: I'm with Mia Culpa. You race against yourself to try to improve on your own previous performances. You might also see how you do in comparioson to your age group.
    I'll never win a race, but I can still aim at finishing in the top 25% of my age group, or try to take a minute off of my best time. It's about pushing your limitations and seeing what you can do, not 'winning' in the usual sense of the word.
  8. Clive Gingell from Canada writes: My running days are over, (knees), but 5Ks were the races I always liked least........you have to push right from the gun and never get to catch your breath.
  9. H B from Canada writes: Stude, I run a community 5k that sees participation from the 16:30 guys to 80-year-old men and women walking the route. Pretty much without exception, every single one of them checks their time. Only about 6 of them are actually racing each other. They see each other every weekend at races around the city, and are in a year-round competition. But everyone wants to improve, and time is the best way to measure it. With the exception of those six guys, every one of our runners and walkers is in at least some kind of competition with themselves. It's just human to strive to be better. I have to miss ATB this year, but I can't wait to go back with the lessons I learned from my first one. It's not a matter of pride - it's a matter of knowing I can be better.
  10. Jack Rip from Vancouver, Canada writes: Competition is a good motivator to stay in shape and train at your best. As most people, the person I try to beat is myself.

    Hey Stude, don't make it bad, don't be afraid, and anytime you feel the pain, hey Stude, refrain. Hey Stude, don't let me down, so let it out and let it in, hey Stude, begin, you're waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that it's just you, hey Stude, you'll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder.
  11. Albin Forone from Canada writes: Again, Mia has it - no accident that horse race jockeys (controversial as it may be) use a whip on race day. I don't run these things, but do try to put faster music on my player some days to get the habituated lead out.
  12. Boreal Moose from Canada writes: I smoked for 25 years. Running helped me quit. I ran Hamilton's `30K Around the Bay' for my 5th year. I decided to go harder in the first 15K than ever before. I beat my old personal best by 10 minutes. But a word of caution: my right knee paid a price on the downhills, and I must admit that I actually enjoyed the other 4 races (the people and the fun) more when I didn't push it so hard.
  13. Richard Hawrelak from Canada writes: Did you folks see the recent CBC bit about the guy in London, England, who is over 100 years old, and training for the London Marathon? He still works cleaning cars, still smokes, and has a few pints of beer everyday. During his past marathons, he stops every hour and has a pint of beer to replenish his body fluids. He trains at a punching bag in a gym and does regular strtching execises. Now, there's my inspiration for the day, minus the smoking.
  14. Clive Gingell from Canada writes: Richard Hawrelak: Yes, but did you see his dad?!
  15. My sentiments exactly from Canada writes: What a useful article! It gave me the strategy I needed to post a personal-best time at a 5k race on the weekend. Thanks, Alex Hutchison, and more more more like this, please.

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