For some reason in trail running there seems to be a general attitude of disdain for overt competitiveness. It’s prevalent from amateurs to pros. People will conceal any competitive ambitions and I wish they didn’t so much.
We race to race other people. That’s what gets us to push ourselves to places we didn’t think possible. The other people! It’s true for all levels of the sport. I think it’s awesome when somebody in 163rd puts on the afterburner to get 162nd.
That kind of back and forth fight with another runner builds a bond, not enmity. Much more so than being ambivalent about their pace. When I have a good (friendly) fight with someone I’m inclined to give them a hug at the finish line, win or lose.
This is why publishing a race calendar publicly is cool, you guys can see what other races besides “the big 2” people are doing. If we condense our sport down to 2 important races every year it’s gonna get really boring…
What if I am reading this but I am not on the list? Still want to race me? I’d be easy to beat ! :)
For some reason in trail running there seems to be a general attitude of disdain for overt competitiveness. It’s prevalent from amateurs to pros. People will conceal any competitive ambitions and I wish they didn’t so much.
We race to race other people. That’s what gets us to push ourselves to places we didn’t think possible. The other people! It’s true for all levels of the sport. I think it’s awesome when somebody in 163rd puts on the afterburner to get 162nd.
That kind of back and forth fight with another runner builds a bond, not enmity. Much more so than being ambivalent about their pace. When I have a good (friendly) fight with someone I’m inclined to give them a hug at the finish line, win or lose.
Lets go! I love this post.
This is why publishing a race calendar publicly is cool, you guys can see what other races besides “the big 2” people are doing. If we condense our sport down to 2 important races every year it’s gonna get really boring…
Who needs a race? How about some 1:1 racing like Rocky and Apollo in the beach in Rocky III? 😀
I like this a lot. Excited to see where this goes!
That's the kind of competitive outspoken mind I'd love to see more in trail running. Looking forward to see these battles!
You are certainly in that upper, upper echelon. Congratulations on a great UTMB début, an amazing charge at the end.