Never surrender, stand up and fight some more!
If it's something that's going to outside my ability I use it as a scouting run and then pace like a bastard.
Not the same as cycling, IMO, because after a while when running your body will eventually break, you will destroy something. However, when cycling you can just keep plodding along more or less indefinitely as long as your setup is right and your arse is in good shape.
That’s me, that is! I would never, ever take part in anything involving running - I know for a fact that I’m just not up to it, so even attempting to run any sort of distance would be pointless. Especially these days.
However, once on a bike I could happily plod along, knowing I’d never be at the front, but I wouldn’t be at the back either. I did the Salisbury Plain Challenge once, the 25k part, and it was bloody cold and a struggle, but I finished it, and was happy to have done so. Didn’t do it again, though.
I’ve taken up archery, and during the winter we use facilities at the Royal Signals base in Colerne, under competition rules - I only started in August, and not had my own kit long, since the beginning of the month, so I’m not expecting to do that well, but having a process to follow, and a scoring system that shows progress, it’s giving me focus on something that I can actually do, physically, which I’ve never done before.
I won’t be representing my country in the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics anytime soon, though… 🤣
i am in the give it a go camp. what is the worst that can happen, you dont succeed. does it matter ?
you may suprise yourself and complete the task.
When you're 85 or 95 or 105 and in a care home and not able to go to the bathroom unaided, let alone start such a event, would you prefer to know that you never tried when you had the opportunity?
Coulda Shoulda Woulda.
Get entered, try your best, and if you do come up short then (a) know you did your best, and (b) learn from it so you can go again next time, stronger.
(1st time I did an Iron distance triathlon I didn't know whether I'd finish or if my legs would just collapse at 20 miles in on the marathon, or if Id be puking, or my digestive system give up, etc. There is no way of simulating doing a marathon off the back of a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride, except by doing a 2.4 mile swim then a 112 mile bike ride then going to run 26+ miles !!! I'd got to a max of 18 miles running before that (and never the same day as a big bike ride). But I decided its better to try and fail on something not 1% of the population can be arsed to attempt, than get to my death bed in 20/30/40 years and wish I'd tried when I had the chance. And it all came good. It was hard, my legs hurt for days after, but risking the chance of failure meant I had a day to always remember. And several more of them subsequently too - humans can do SO much more than they think they can.
In all of it just remember to smile, chat with others en route, and keep your sense of humour- being miserable will not help on the day.
Not the same as cycling, IMO, because after a while when running your body will eventually break, you will destroy something. However, when cycling you can just keep plodding along more or less indefinitely as long as your setup is right and your arse is in good shape.
Dunno, I did a 200mile ultra a month ago, and apart from blisters I didn't break. After a while you just start plodding along, same as on a bike. FWIW I entered that event knowing there was a fairly high chance of failure - less than 50%, but definitely non-zero. But I like that aspect about ultra events, there are so many things that can go wrong, and knowing how to overcome them is all part of the fun...
Anyway assuming it's an ultra, I'd say go for it. Learn a bit about yourself, and how you adapt to adversity.
A real challenge is one that you don't know you can finish. that when you get the biggest feeling of achievement.
My first 100k MTB marathon was on a horrible day in horrible conditions, took me forever and I was barely 100 places above last finisher so I was really glum. A wise friend pointed out that 300 DNF'd, 200 DNS'd so I was actually about half way up the list of people who'd committed to the event. He also added, looking round the office, "how many others do you know who even entered? You beat them as well!". It's how you look at it and how you choose to measure success.
My first 100k MTB marathon was on a horrible day in horrible conditions, took me forever and I was barely 100 places above last finisher so I was really glum.
Yeah, the last race I tried, I came in 18th out of 20 finishers from a starting grid of about 120. The weather was shit, it was snowing on one side of the course, but sunny on the other. I crashed three times on the first lap, tyres just turned into 3" slicks with claggy mud, the descents were just a ski race. I gave up counting the crashes after my 10th crash, stopped even trying to go fast, just focused on finishing. About every third or fourth lap the leaders would tear past me, but that's the only other riders I saw. It was quite puzzling, I just spend hours riding around alone wondering where everyone else was. Then, after I finished, I realized that nearly everyone else just packed up and went home because of the weather.
I normally felt good after finishing a race, but that one was just miserable, I couldn't feel my feet, could barely even stand. Got busy with career after that, could never be bothered to race again, those hours of plodding around in frozen muck were so miserable that I lost any interest. However, if you just stick at it and finish the race, you will do better than most people can manage. Just remembering that I finished that race gives me a sense of accomplishment, despite how utterly miserable it was.
Some years ago, I, and a group of my friends, entered a charity bike challenge (not a race!) up a big local hill. I'd climbed that hill several times before and had a good idea of effort levels required (though no hope in hell of "winning" even amongst my group of friends).
Anyway, on the day of the event, it was absolutely pissing it down and very cold. I didn't bother getting out of bed, though all my friends did, and all except me rode the event (some in a near hypothermic state). Of course, they all took the piss out of me for wimping out but, you know what, it didn't bother me in the slightest!
I don't know what that says about my psychology - possibly I'm a born-loser but comfortable enough with myself that I'm not doubting my manliness 😄
OK, so I read all the comments. Thanks. Interesting to see a range of attitudes on display, some I obviously align with some more than others. I took a bit of a gamble and entered the Dava Way 50km Ultra, happy that if I didn't make it to the end, I'd maybe find out something about myself along the way. The event was today (11th) and not only did I make it to the end, I actually felt quite strong and was passing many a tired runner in the last 13km or so. I finished first in my age category so even have a wee trophy of my success. I'll see if this engenders a bit of a sea change in my attitude - I've still to look that failure in the face.
It's just a training run or you're reccying the course for next time.
