Completing vs. Competing

HA! I'm competitive... in the 90-94 year age group.
In my own, not so much.

Been doing triathlon for about 2 years. I don't care where I place to be honest, just doing all these cool swim, bike, run and duathlon/triathlon races is so much fun.

I'm just building up longer distances, I'll go for speed later on so hopefully I'll get a bit more competitive and maybe place high enough in my age groups to qualify for world champs etc.

I don't threaten to podium in any tri I've done thus far, though I think it is possible down the line -- I'm getting faster all the time.

However, I'm definitely there to 'compete' in the sense that I want to go as fast as possible, and to place as high as possible.

4 years in and still in the "completing" mode.... I mean yes, I do push in a sprint, but I just don't have the "care enuf" in me to work that hard for something that doesn't mean that much to me.

I know, I know, I hear from some, "oh, there's nothing like a podium spot" but truthfully, I've got other fish to fry in my life and I just am having fun at it.  Dunno - I mean I came in 3rd in my AG at a local race once and it was like, ehn, ok.  that was cool.  carry on.

I suppose I register for the race to keep my eye on the ball and focussed on a training plan.

I am becoming more competitive, but my competition is only with MYSELF.  I am desperate to improve on my times, and was very disappointed in my most recent sprint (4 min slower than last year).  Most of my gains have been in straight running events and hope to continue to improve on these PR's.  Likewise I have pledged to improve my cycling significantly for next year as this will make the most impact on my overall time.  I am near the back of my age group so, a podium spot in the next year is unlikely, but self improvment is very doable.  It is not enough for me to finish right now, but rather to challenge myself to improve.

My first triathlon was in May of '06, but I had been running for many years and knew I would do fine at the race. it was an Olympic. I finished 3rd in my AG and immediatley had the mind set of competing ever since.

Meh......I will never see a podium. Completion vs competition. 

I'm competing every time.  I'm never threatening the top three however.  I'm competing against my past performance or goal.  Did my sprint 5k time improve?  Did my mph on the bike improve?  Did I swim the course without gasping for air??  Etc, etc.  My first race I had a time goal in mind and was competing against that.  Now I'm trying to improve.  Going to try my first Oly in 6 weeks.  Same thing, goal to finish in under 3 hours, then see where I stand against the age group competition.  At the sprint distance my swim and bike are usually top half and my run is bottom quartile, so I've been working on the run and bike fitness to improve that area and compete at a higher level. 

I do this for three reasons:
1) Keep my diabetes under control
2) To better my times from my last event (Not my place, but my times)
3) As sick as it sounds it's FUN!

My goal is to be competitive with  transition times

 

Really though, for me its about weight & heart health, self-improvement, and it's fun!

Edited by StMaas 2009-07-31 7:47 AM

I have to admit I am competitive. As long as I am beating some able bodied triathletes then I am happy..LOL  I also compete against myself everytime I am training and in a race.

I started training with the goal to complete but I have moved that goal up.  I want to try to finish MOP in my AG.

I come from a road racing backgorund. While tis is my first year of triathlon, I cannot shake my competitive nature. I am there to compete in my AG and I have placed 2 out 3 time so far. Thankfully the 45-49 AG is a lot smaller than the 25-29, 30-34, 35- 44 AGs.

I started off completing and since then have been competing with me... I am still not competitive in terms of overall race finish but with myself I am very competitive.

My first race is just a sprint that I know I can complete and I know I won't be fighting for a podium but I'm still doing it to compete. I'd rather know that i tried to get first so that if I do the same race next year and I am in better shape and better trained I can see if I improved. Not saying anyone that is just trying to complete is sandbagging just saying I'm going to push myself.

Now if I do a HIM or something next year as of right now i'd say yea just trying to complete but would also still be trying to compete. As the time gets closer and I see how my training goes I"m sure it will change to compete.

Also I keep going over the times from last year for each section for my age group and overall from the tri I am doing. Not that I am trying to beat anyone in particular but just to get an idea of where I may stand. Honestly judging by the swim I should be top 10 even though I have only been back in the water for less than 2 months now, and that includes my estimate on the long uphill run people say is after you exit the water. Bike By the time of the race I should be better then middle of the pack for my AG and possibly overall. The run I just started checking my min/mile and I'm off but I think by the time I would be just better then middle of the pack.

I'm really breaking it up I am competing for a top 10 in the swim, I am competing for the better then halfway through the pack for the bike and run, but I am also just going to be glad I completed it.

Other than my first ever tri and my first HIM, I’ve never approached a race with the goal of just getting to the finish line. I’m never going to see the podium, either, but I always want to beat whoever’s just in front of me and finish in as fast a time as possible.

I am in competion with myself to complete it.

I was a completer for several years - Just having the goal of actually doing the event and experiencing the camaraderie of the sport. I kept track of my times and tried to get faster, and I started having time goals, but I still would tell people I was just doing it to finish.

I think I started in 2000 or so.

In the past year or 1.5 years, since I've gotten back into it after having kids, I've become more consistent about my training, gotten some better gear, and I've actually placed 3rd in my AG in my last two races!

I always would look at the other names and track where I was placing (it used to be 7 of 10 or 8 of 10 in my AG) but not until recently have I felt like I am actually picking people off on the bike and run, and looking for the ages on people's calves as we are passing.

So I guess, yes, I got into this to be a completer, and now I'm a competitor!
I'm trying my first HIM this Sept., though, and I am mostly just aiming to complete that.

Longer races: Completer
Shorter races: Competer.