The DFL thread (if you've ever come in last) (Page 2)

I volunteered at the Duke HIM last year. It is a VERY tough race. A woman chose this race as her first triathlon! I was working the finishing chute as the winners were coming through and she came of the bike crying because she could not go on. We told her how tough this race was, and that completing the swim and bike was an achievement. She was about as sad as someone in an ER. We got her a little cheered up, but I felt lousy asking if she was sure she could not go on and could I then cut off her timing chip.

I had 2 sprint DFL's in my age group last year, expect the same this year

  Just very glad I am out there and still able to do this craziness.

My second year racing tris, I did a 1/4 IM  and finished DFL..I was DFL from start to finish actually.

I had hired a coach and worked with him for 3 months prior to the race. I had worked on learning how to swim all winter with private TI lessons but the cold water and early ows race made it hard for me and I didn't really have the breathing aspect down of freestyle but was good at drills.

I started in newbie wave which was last and I had a lot of anxiety about the swim. I quickly fell off the back of the pack so I had my own kayak who asked me if I trained for the race..not very motivating. When I was about 80% done the swim director came over in a pontoon and asked me if I wanted to quit as I was last. No but he asked me several more times. Finished the swim and a few folks were there cheering me on. A guy with a video camera interviewed me in T1 which I found odd.

On the bike it was a loop course and I saw no one.  I had to walk up 3 hills which bummed me out and considered quitting. A nice police officer told me at the top of a hill it gets easier from here and I figured well I can quit later if I needed to. Folks doing the HIM the next day rode by asking if I was okay. I think being in 55 degree water for as long as I was didn't help. I little green truck followed me and would take the course down behind me but was very subtle and I didn't know that was what he was doing at the time.

When I was in T2 they were giving out awards and other athletes were in my way as they were chatting and cleaning up their stuff.

Still last out on the run, I saw others as it was an out and back course. After about 1 or 2 miles, an ambulance followed me the rest of the way...I really didn't like that and they weren't even friendly. He sort of played leap frog with me. I was mostly walking as I just tired and my fitness was not there to do a challenging Oly distance race.

When I finished only a few folks were there to cheer. It was a bad day and one that sort helped me realize a few things about myself.

My DFL was a tough day for me and I didn't have much fun at all. From then on I was determined to be as prepared as I could be for any race and not push to move up to do longer races without proper training.

The next year I did the race and improved my time about 45' and they had increased the swim to a Oly distance. I was very happy with having some vindication on that course.

Edited by KathyG 2010-07-15 2:11 PM

I dfl'ed at a cross country meet in HS (circa 1987).  I had severe asthma, it never went away and I suffered.  When I got it squared away I ended up being an okay fop racer.

The bad thing about dfl's in cross country meets is there really aren't many people motivating you to finish, just alot of awkward looks and silence.  Actually I think that helped me become a better runner.

About 10 years ago, late and drunk one night, I agreed to do the Sandman Triathlon with a close friend of mine.  I then forgot about it.  6 months later, I get a call from her. 

"Adam, are you coming down to Santa Cruz tomorrow?"  "For what," I asked.

She reminded me that I had agreed to do the Sandman.

So, with _zero_ training, I drove down to Santa Cruz, and set off to do this triathlon.

I came out of the water (1/2 mi ocean swim) 3rd from last.  An old man passes me on the bike.  Then, on the run, an 11 year old kid jogs on by me.

But at least I finished.  :-)

I did a local Splash & Dash race series last year. They offered a 750m or 1500m swim, followed by a 3.75 mile run. My coach wanted me to do the 1500m swim, since I was doing several Olys. So that's what I signed up for. Now, I'm not a fast swimmer, but I'm not a complete slouch. At the time, I was averaging 2:00/100m in races (I'd done about 4 races with OWS.)

Well, it turns out all the mediocre swimmers (except me!) signed up for the short course, and the GOOD swimmers did the long course. The top guy averages 1:14/100m IN HIS IM SWIM! And the others weren't all that far behind him. Except for me. There were 4 races in the series, and I was DFL in two of them! DFL out of the water and DFL for the race. But, despite being DFL in two of the races (and 2nd to DFL in the other two races) I was the Women's 1500m Splash & Dash OVERALL Winner for the race series. Cuz I was the only woman that came out and did all four races at that distance.  As my coach says "it pays to just keep doing it."

I came in DFL on a 50 mile trail race. I was DFL for about eight hours at least, but it wasn't real evident until the final 6 mile loop, when the sweeps were right behind me (on horseback, clop-clop-clop). I REALLY wanted to catch a ride in, but I just kept going. Finished in the dark at 12:02 with a big smile and they had even saved some hot soup for me. It was a fun day!

On the Danskin Tri I did, Yanti, they had an elite athlete who agreed to be DFL.  I think it's a sweet touch for a supportive race.  

I've not been DFL, but I've been MFCTL (M**F**Close to Last).  For the Irongirl 15K run I did, I was within 10 minutes of the end, only about 6-7 folks finished behind me.  The crowd was awesome to us stragglers, though -- the announcer said a lot about me as I was crossing the finish (no one else to talk about around me!) and volunteer support in that last quarter was very nice.   

FINALLY! A thread where I have actual experience! :-)

I've either been DFL or close to it in practically every event I've ever done. Mostly its because I have no athletic ability and don't train as hard as I should. But I've formed great bonds with the other walking wounded back there at the tag end of the race.

My favorite DFL was a bike for asthma, to help the family of some kid who had died from it. A guy was stopped by the side of the road, no SAG wagon in site, so I checked in. He was just worn out and discouraged. We talked some and he got it himself under control and we agreed to go on together. We chatted our way through the rest of the ride, DFL in a major way, but who cares?

It turned out this guy was the father of the child who had died - the family for whom we were riding. He wrote me later that he felt that I had been sent right from his son. The one and only time I've been compared to an angel.

I'm always embarrassed to talk about this - it was such a small thing to do, and it meant so much to him. But I still always stop when I see someone off to the side. That's what you have time for when you aren't worried about being DFL.

Nope, but maybe I'll try to finish IMCDA (IM Spud) at 11:59:59.

I did get passed in the last mile of Eagleman by a 70 year old who immediately went to medical.

Awesome stuff! That's the thing about helping others: It always feels inconsequential to those giving help and it feels HUGE to those receiving it.

You rock! 

Spectacular!

I was DFL at a sprint duathlon this year. There were only 9 of us competing. The person who came in second last was WAY ahead of me, too.

But I got tons of applause when I finished.

That brought a tear to my eye...good job

Very true, but have you ever realized that the individual coming in last will receive the biggest cheer of the day?

I have seen numerous awards stopped, so that EVERYONE can cheer that final person in.

Now that, is EPIC!!

Well done, just well done.

I am all to new to tris, and completed my first one in June, I wasn't DFL but also wasn't far from it.  204/211 for men and 27/30 in my age group.  There were still plenty of people there because it was a 10 second interval start pool swim, I started about mid way the pack.  Actually passed two people in the pool and wasn't passed at all.  The bike was fine, but oh did i suffer on the run.  Poor nutrition/hydration choices through the day caused me to start cramping badly on the run.  When I rounded the corner and my 9 yo daughter was there cheering me on and ran into the chute with me the pain from the cramping somehow disappeared.  At that point I wouldn't have cared if I was DFL.  My goal for my first race was just to finish, and try to do it in under 1:45 and I finished in 1:44:18.  Not to bad for a guy who was a whopping 345 November and now is only 245. 

I raced a crit for fun once with a friend.  Got out sprinted by every single person at the last stretch.  DFL, baby!

That's me at Girls on the Run about to come in DFL.  The running buddy for the girl on the right didn't show up so she asked to run with us (the other girl in pink is her cousin).  I knew I was in trouble when the coach asked her several times 'are you SURE you want to do the 5k?'  Apparently she had only trained for the one mile run.  Took every trick I had to get her to finish (skipping, singing "We're off to see the wizzard" and pretending we were on the yellow brick road, etc).  She LOVED dogs.  The dog in the picture belongs to one of her teachers.  When we stopped to pet it about a mile from the finish he 'loaned' her to me to keep her motivated.  We finally finished...DFL.  Most exhausting race I have ever done, but one of the most memorable.  I was great to see her excitement when she finally did finish.  Gotta say her cousin was a great sport too.  She could have easily run the whole 5k but chose to stay with us. 




I also direct at 5k and we have patients completing the course.  Many on oxygen, some with recent lung transplants.  It takes some of them 60-90min to finish (some have to stop and rest along the way- so we have a 5k with rest stops).  I always have a 'sweeper crew' of about 6-8 of our staff.  Their sole job is to stay at the back of the back and make sure no one gets left on the course (doesn't hurt having some RNs and MDs on the course either).  They usually walk with the last few racers and all come in as a group so no one person is DFL.

Several years ago I entered a HIM that was scheduled for the middle of August here in Western Kentucky. I knew it going to be hot and humid put it was scheduled to start a 6:00 am to get it in before the hotest part of the day so I thought I would be okay. The morning of the race a front came rolling through with plenty of thunder and lightning. The weather forecasted it would pass by mid morning so the race was resheduled to start at 10:00am if it cleared. It cleared and like a fool I lined up for the 10:00am start along with 250+ other folks that were crazy enough start this late in the day.

The swim and even most of the bike want okay, but I knew I was going to be trouble as soon as I started out on the run in the heat of the day (heat index 110) around 2:00 pm. It was an out and back course and the first couple of miles was across a large dam so there was no shade. The heat reflecting off the road and surrounding concrete and rocks made it fill like it was oven and I was a pizza that had just been put in it. I slowly jogged across the dam and toward the turnaround.

There were several people coming back in toward the finish line and they looked in bad shape so I knew this "ain't going to be good". When I got to the turn around there several people at the aid station that had DNFd and waiting for a ride. But I was determined to finish. As I headed back I could see there were a few people still behind me so I had hope. I tried to count them but kept losing track. I was moving slower and slower and felt like I was melting into the pavement. One by one people starting passing me. I got to the last aid station picked up some water and started my survival shuffle back across the dam toward the finish line about a mile away.

A few more people passed me and I knew the number behind me was getting real small. Part way across the dam, this older man with white hair came up beside and I had to ask, "Is there anybody else behind me?" He just shrugged and said, "nope" and shuffled on ahead. It took me a while but I made it across the finish line. To my surprise a bunch of people were still there, and they were cheering for me as if I had won the thing. They hung a finishers medal around my neck and handed me a plate food, which I had no desire to eat right then. I had finished DFL. but I had finished. I later learned that I was 188 out of 255 that had started.

To this day that finishers medal has a special place all by itself hanging on the wall.

Edited by browncd 2010-07-16 4:21 PM

I was Marathon training, and there was a 10k advertised on the other side of town... I thought, I don't want to drive that far - but I looked it up, and it was exactly 26.2 miles from my house - I chuckled to myself and made the drive... This was a small race, ALL experienced runners... This was my 2nd 10k ever, and I just wanted to do it for fun... anyway, an older gentleman and I ended up taking up the rear together... and we both came across the line DFL together - Most of the other runners were already gone - the awards ceremony done... I had always heard that you get the MOST applause when you're DFL, but I guess that's if you finish while people are still there... The cool part, is I got my PR and had my fastest single mile (to date) on that run, so I was VERY proud of my effort! And, I think I took a default 2nd place in my AG as well

I DFL'd my age group in the same race, Tidewater Oly.  How's that for a small world. 

I've always been a slow swimmer and biker, but I used to be able to rely on the run to work my way back up to  middle of the pack.  Messed my knee up training for a full Mary, last year, and I haven't yet put in the hours to regain my form.  I should probably be racing Clyde this year, but I'm refusing to.   Had to take 4 months off to recover, and put on 30 pounds.  Slowly working it back down now. 

I've got another event this sunday.  I'll be crushed if I DFL this one.

I do recall one event I did that they gave an award to DFL, being that triathlons are endurance races, they should award the person that endures the longest.  I thought it was pretty cool.

Edited by mandsberry 2010-07-17 1:20 AM

THIS.

You are an angel. And that is one of the most wonderful things about DFL (or MFCTL) ... many a time I have stopped to help or accompany (and people have done it for me) ...

In the NYC Tri last year, as the DFL guy passed each aid station, the volunteers at each station left their posts and started running alongside him, ringing cowbells and cheering for him. By the time he got to the finish line, he had a crowd of about 30 people around him.

I did my first (and so far only!) HIM my senior year of college, and in retrospect, that was a stupid idea. I didn't log the miles I really needed to on the bike. But it's Ohio, right? How bad can it be?

Real bad.

Showed up that morning pumped for the race. Only for their to be insane winds, whitecaps, etc. Oh boy. Had a great swim (swallowed some (lots) water), got out, and got on the bike. This was a three loop course...in Ohio...in September...with nothing to break the wind. Essentially it was 56 miles in a headwind, and me being a poor college student, I had nothing but my all aluminum road bike (read: heavy and slow). It was bad. I have never suffered so much on a bike in my life. I mean truly suffered. I was screaming with rage at myself on the course because I could not get going. When I went into transition, I was crying because not only was I so far behind everyone (people were finishing the run already), I was just so. freaking. tired.

My husband gave me a pep talk, slapped me on the arse (thanks, honey), and sent me off. I have never been so happy to run (shuffle) in my life. But now it was late, and hot, and again, it's ohio and there's no freaking shade. I baked. I shuffled. I talked to myself. I cried (a lot). And then I sacked up and finished.

I was so bummed at the end because everyone had gone away. I had slogged 70.3 miles, and there was no food left accepting a bag of crisps and a Sprite, no massage, no grand announcement. And after I finished, I cried because of that. That I had been so slow that there was no food left and no real support.

But the real kicker of this thing?

Despite being almost DFL (4 people behind me I believe), I placed second in my age group by virtue of showing up and finishing! And I am still very proud of that plaque. But boy would I like to forget that day.