Tuesday, August 3, 2010

What to do when you come last in a race?

Hope like hell you'll get faster!

I had a 5km race tonight, one that runs weekly until April. So no doubt, I will come last again at some time during the remaining races.

I missed a 5km PB by 30 seconds, however it's now overshadowed by coming last.

I'm thinking for the series just to concentrate on improving my time, rather than my place at the finish.

Thoughts?

3 comments:

SteveQ said...

I've finished last in a race exactly twice: my first 100 meter hurdle race (1978, fell) and my first 100 mile run (2009, fell repeatedly). They tend to stick with you.

I've also won a number of races and I've always gone back over the course and ran with the last place runner until she (always a she, so far) gets to the finish, usually with that runner being embarassed by the attention. It's an accomplishment. And I, for one, know the last runner works a lot harder than the first.

You beat everyone who didn't start the race. That's about 6 billion you beat.

If you did all you could do that day, what more could one ask?

Kathryn said...

I think the key is to find someone slower than you and encourage them to run!

Is it a small race? Because I'm figuring if it's a larger fun run you'd be far from last. I used to do some of the fun runs at the running club in Coburg and always got my best times in those because the number of entrants was so small, there was a real danger of coming last.

Sue said...

Hell yeah - forget them and just work on your time - it'll still make you go faster than if you were running on your own. They're not beating you, they're your own personal motivational pack!