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Daily Question part 2
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 2004-08-12 11:21 AM |
Elite  3235     San Diego |  Subject: Daily Question part 2Ok, some of the responses yesterday got me thinking of a new question. Same race, different scenerio. No prizes and no awards for last place. For whatever reason you are again neck and neck with the last place person. Through the course of your run with your new running partner you find out that this is their first tri and all of their family and friends are here to cheer and support him/her. You get near the finish line and see that the only people at the finish are the volunteers, waiting to go home and this other person's family, with signs and banners. Now, the same question, do you sprint it out and take second to last, or tank and let them enjoy the moment of finishing and beating somebody? I'm am interested in if anybody would change their answer from yesterday depending on the situation. Sorry if my questions bother anybody. My boss would prefer that I bug you guys all day with my questions and not him.  |
| 2004-08-12 11:24 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Veteran 540 Philadelphia, PA | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I missed yesterday's question but my answer would be to go all out and not finish last ....i am just too competitve by nature |
| 2004-08-12 11:28 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Champion 5495 Whizzzzzlandia Silver member | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I race him all the way to the end. If he beats me, it will have to be fair and square. (!) |
| 2004-08-12 11:29 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Extreme Veteran 531 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 this is a tuff one.... My initial reaction would be that theres nothing wrong w/ 2 people finishing together instead of each trying to beat out the other for 2nd to last place... who says the mid-race comradarie has to end before the finish line? |
| 2004-08-12 11:30 AM in reply to: #46873 |
| Expert 786 Princeton, MN | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 |
| 2004-08-12 11:34 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Champion 6285 Beautiful Sonoma County | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Exactly... she'll have to sprint too. But I'll likely say something like, "here the finish chute, time to haul some boo-tay!" |
| 2004-08-12 11:37 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Extreme Veteran 508 Kennesaw, GA | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Unless the other person is one of my children (who I don't even let beat me in checkers) he is going to have to earn the Spot. A race is a race. |
| 2004-08-12 11:39 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Elite Veteran 748 northern Illinois | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 You're assuming, of course, that I COULD beat that person, which seems improbable. But say that I could... I'd pace that person. I don't have a competitive bone in my body and I'd really rather emphasize the mutual support of athletes rather than the competition. Andrea |
| 2004-08-12 11:42 AM in reply to: #46873 |
Champion 11641 Fairport, NY | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 If I were the guy doing my first triathlon, I wouldn't want someone else to tank just to prevent me from coming in last. I don't do this for sympathy, nor would I expect anyone else to. Also, consider this conversation sometime in the future "I came in last once but only to prevent someone else from having to". "Um, yeah...I'm sure you did." "NO, really, there was this guy and..." "Oh, absolutely. You would have won your age group otherwise, I'm sure." |
| 2004-08-12 11:47 AM in reply to: #46899 |
Extreme Veteran 531 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Andrea - 2004-08-12 11:39 AM You're assuming, of course, that I COULD beat that person, which seems improbable. But say that I could... I'd pace that person. I don't have a competitive bone in my body and I'd really rather emphasize the mutual support of athletes rather than the competition. Andrea I'm with andrea on this one... I'd remember the friend i made who crossed the finish line w/ me at my first triathlon for MUCH longer than i'd remember my finishing time/place at my first tri |
| 2004-08-12 11:55 AM in reply to: #46903 |
| Regular 64 Noblesville, IN | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Right now, I race against the clock, or my last time. Although I try to finish strong and up my pace a bit, I don't really all out sprint at the end to where i'd almost hurl. . Being in the middle of the pack, I don't really worry about finishing a step ahead of this guy or that guy. But I wouldn't finish my race slower on purpose to finish behind someone. |
| 2004-08-12 12:00 PM in reply to: #46903 |
Pro 5153 Helena, MT | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 marmadaddy - 2004-08-12 9:42 AM If I were the guy doing my first triathlon, I wouldn't want someone else to tank just to prevent me from coming in last. I don't do this for sympathy, nor would I expect anyone else to. Totally agree. I'd challenge him/her to a friendly race to the finish... may the person with the most left win! |
| 2004-08-12 12:11 PM in reply to: #46873 |
Expert 751 Texarkana, TX | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 OK, I am going to change the question just a bit. This is going to sound arrogant, but I cannot envision myself ever finishing neck and neck with the last place person. So let's say that I am neck and neck with a guy or girl through the run, and we talk a bit during, etc., etc. If I get near the finish and I see his kids there cheering him on, I look like I am trying hard and let him win. Odds are he's not in my age group (or a Clydesdale...) so it's not gonna matter. I guess there is a strong desire to not be DL in this group... |
| 2004-08-12 12:11 PM in reply to: #46873 |
Elite 4344 | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Let me relate a story about runners at the other end of the spectrum, the very best in the world, who chose not to compete. The first big-time road race I ever watched was the Virginia 10-miler in Lynchburg, VA. Bill Rodgers, reigning Boston Marathon champion, and Frank Shorter, Olympic gold medalist, were both in the race. The race director Rudy Straub was working very hard to develop road racing as a professional sport. At the time, he could not give cash prizes to the world class runners just "expense" money. He was promoting professional racing like we have today. Anyway, the first running boom was just beginning. The day was beautiful, a cool and clear fall day. The crowd was great. Rodgers and Shorter ran a great pace and were side by side heading up the last hill. About 100 feet from the finish line, they locked hands and jogged across the line in the spirit of sportsmanship and joy of running. Everybody cheered, except Rudy. He had paid for this race and he wanted a race. He declared Rodgers the winner and was a bit of a .... about it. Rodgers returned the next year to defend his championship. Shorter never came back. If your scenario happened to me (not likely), I don't know what I would do. I hope Andrea that would be the other runner though. TW |
 2004-08-12 12:23 PM in reply to: #46873 |
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| 2004-08-12 12:25 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Member 19 Brockton, Ma | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I would have to say, that I probably would not have taken the time to get to know this much information about someone I did not know in the middle of a race... but had I for some reason thought (in the midst of sweating and working my a$$ off) to ask this person a little about himself, I don't honestly think I would let him finish before me, I would run just as hard as I could to cross that line regardless of who was there, and who they were there to see.. Tri-Bitch |
| 2004-08-12 1:02 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Elite 2458 Livingston, MT | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 SMOKE THAT FOOL!!! THEN TURN AROUND AND LAUGH AT HIS ARSE!!! just kidding, that's the ultra-competitor in me speaking. The guy has got to earn it. Man, I hope I don't finish last now that I put out this bad mojo. |
| 2004-08-12 1:52 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Member 82 Chelan, WA | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I wouldn't want a pity win, either. Someone coming in dead last probably feels like crossing the finish line is a huge accomplishment, and beating someone else might not be so important. I want to earn my place and expect that most others would feel the same way. |
| 2004-08-12 2:03 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Expert 1166 Colchester, CT | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I'm with marmadaddy, no way I would tank, just as I would expect him not to do it for me either. Chris |
| 2004-08-12 2:06 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Expert 649 Palm Coast, FL | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 I hope to not be that far back that I have to worry about this. |
| 2004-08-12 2:11 PM in reply to: #46944 |
Resident Curmudgeon 25290 The Road Back Gold member | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 SMOKE THAT FOOL!!! THEN TURN AROUND AND LAUGH AT HIS ARSE!!! LOL, I'm thinking the same thing, except I'd then kiss his wife and slap his children, or vice versa. Just kidding, just kidding... |
| 2004-08-12 2:20 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Elite 2458 Livingston, MT | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 haha, the Bear is going to hell! |
| 2004-08-12 2:23 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2004-08-12 3:44 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Master 1927 Chicago | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 Nothing changes. I would run my best race. Who cares if his family is waiting there at the end? No one should ever win a race because someone else did not do his or her best. That in my book is an empty victory. What is this? Affirmative action for triathletes? C'mon. Who wants to win if you KNOW someone let you? A four-year-old knows that. Ever seen pre-schoolers on the playground? They don't let people win. They try their hardest. And to heck with hurt feelings. That's what's wrong with people today. That's why people don't achieve their true potential. They're depending too much on someone giving them a break, or a leg up or letting them win. They complain and complain about not getting ahead but they don't do anything about it. Want not to be last? Train harder. Want not to get beat? Run faster. It's that simple. And that's coming for a BOPer. I don't want to be a BOPer. That's why I'm training. But in the end someone has to be last, but it's not necessarily a zero-sum game. Because anyone who goes from the starting line to the finishing line of a triathlon is a winner in my book. |
| 2004-08-12 4:09 PM in reply to: #46873 |
| Extreme Veteran 356 Dorset | Subject: RE: Daily Question part 2 It's a race, you are both out there for the same reason, if they are gonna beat you then they are going to have to suck it in and dig in for the sprint |
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