Have you ever finished DFL? In any part or in whole tri? (Page 3)

LOVE it! Definately gave me some perspective...A few weeks ago I did a 12km trail race from HELL (I mapped it out to be 5900m of climbing) and I was last in age group and pretty much last overall...But I guess if I think about it...How many other people could do it?? Sometimes its just hard to see it when you are racing I guess and you get caught up in the mentality of coming last...but I guess it isn't really LAST is it?

LOL thanks Slugger.

Yep, very little training over a year + major life stuff + tough course = DFL.

One of the best races I ever had.

I was DFL on the bike in my first tri -- on a 3-lap course, EVERYBODY had already finished 3 when I was just finishing 2. So not only was I DFL bike, I'd already been lapped by the next-to-last ...

Sure.  At my last tri (2d tri overall) I finished last in my age group.  That being said, I was really happy with my progress since the previous tri and glad to have a benchmark fior my remaining races this year.  The place didn't matter as much as the experience.  (Of course, maybe that what slow newbies are supposed to say.)

In my first triathlon I finished 2nd out of 2 in my age group (18-24 M).  Went up to get the extra medal for second place in my age group and the first place guy had left already but  a little girl about 4 y.o. jumped up on first place.  I have a picture of my on the second and this little girl on the top, its pretty funny.

Big difference in being DFL in your AG and being DFL overall.

Being DFL can suck and having no support or little support makes it worse. I'm impressed with the stories I hear of folks supporting and making a huge difference in the person at the end that was not my case.

I have finished DFL overall. 

My first race longer than a sprint was Mooseman in '05 it was called a 1/4IM distance as swim was shorter than Oly. I was relearning how to swim and hadn't gotten the breathing thing down. Panicked a lot the last 2-3 weeks before the race and almost didn't start. My coach helped me saying if I dropped you in the water 1045 yds from shore you'd make it to shore...he was right. I had to get rid of my ideal of doing freestyle and did combination of dog paddle, side stroke, and a very little freestyle. Out of water dead last. Breathing clicked 2 weeks later

Bike was tough as course is hilly and I had to walk up 4 hills and I was DFL whole bike and didn't ever see any other competitors. At about 6 miles I was ready to quit. At this corner a police officer said to me it gets easier from here so I figured I'd keep going I could quite later. I kept being followed by this green truck as they were taking the course down behind me.

Into T2 it was chaos, as they were giving out awards and folks were all getting stuff out and getting in my way. Run highlight was I was followed by an ambulance the whole way who played leap frog with me but they didn't encourage me at all. Here I did see folks as it was an out and back.

Yep I stayed DFL but finished. It was so difficult but I did it, I was embarassed and humbled. I use it for motivation and it helped me remember to respect the distance any distance and work gradually to build fitness before going longer. I had a coach and had done all the workouts, just for my fitness level it was very difficult. I've been back annually and have dropped hour+ off my time and the swim is now .9; I've done the HIM as a relay up there and ridden the course 2x feeling good.

It was the hardest race I've done given the fitness I had at the time. My HIMs and IM I was better prepared for than this race. I don't regret doing it as I learned a lot about myself and was proud that I stuck with it when it was very hard for me. I'm not a gifted athlete but I work hard.

Maybe there is something wrong with me because I think this is a lame idea. If this person's "job" was to finish last then the person who finished just before them still knows they were the last actual competitor.

I have never finished DFL.

My first tri I was DFL in my AG for the Swim, Bike, and overall. I was MOP for the run (which I thought was my weakest event). I did tie for 1st on my T2 time