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DNS OR DNF
So I have a race tomorrow..foot sore on walking..out of running for 2 weeks due to hurting back on a stile on my last race....back still aching
so do I decide to DNS or risk a DNF,,
I very rarely DNS as I am tight and think I have paid my money I will give it a go....
I also rarely DNF because I am stubborn
do you ever DNS because you are scared of a DNF....
maybe I am just looing for excuses as I don't want to do 47 miles in the wind and the rain in the Brecon beacons
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I would convince myself that I would be a liability and do everyone a favour and stay home.
I'd go for DNS - what further damage would you do to yourself by running on injury, would you want more time out or making things worse for the sake of being stubborn? Sorry, easier for everyone else to say though.
If I have a choice it'll be DNS every time. I've had a few, for various reasons including injury or illness.
The one time I opted to do a race despite feeling not right beforehand (it was a half marathon), I crashed and burned big time at 10 miles, struggled to the finish line and then spent a week in bed with something like flu. Not man flu, real nasty flu.
Better to wimp out than force yourself, if the latter means doing damage.
I've never had a DNF in nearly 20 years and a good 150 races now.
You could get a physio's opinion on the foot and back? A bit of bruising, well maybe. Nerve or tissue damage, maybe not.
DNS every time.
Paying for a race isn't paying to take part in a race, it's buying an option for a race.
🙂
in this instance DNS shows you are smart and DNF shows you are not
though others might read it as DNS = wimp & DNF = heroic attempt
DNS for me too. Have never DNF'd. All my DNS's have been either injured, or can't make it for other reasons.
Be smart.
Save the DNF for when you go into the event feeling good but injure yourself during the race.
I like this approach.
I've done both, neither really bothers me more than the other, if I knew I was going to DNF then I'd DNS
Stay at home in the warmth and enjoy a duvet day is what I would do.
I have never actually ran without some part of me hurting so I tend not to use hurting as an excuse not to race.
this race has the advantage that it is 2 laps of 23.5miles so it gives the option of just going going out to see how it is and then stopping at half way if not going well....
if the pain is going to be more of a pain that an ache then the first couple of miles are along a canal so they should either flare up or settle down by then.....
mind you the duvet day sounds good but I will be sleeping in the transit tonight up there so maybe not so appealing
Personally I'd only risk a DNF if I knew I wasn't right up to 10k, but then I'd never consider 47 miles in the first place!
The potential to do yourself real long term harm running 47 miles on an injury is very high - but with the get out clauses after 2 miles and 23.5, well........
DNS I did DNF whilst recovering from a chest infection, was utterly stupid, wasted my time and wasted the poor sweepers time plodding with me to a checkpoint.
Thanks for insulting people with common sense by even starting this thread.
Then again, revealing you're stubborn explains it all.
Look it up in a dictionary.
🙂
If you're not sure, and it's 47 miles around the Brecon Beacons, then you might be smart not to push it.. Running on a potential injury for that distance doesn't sound like a great idea.
I've had plenty of DNS races as would never race if there is a risk of making an injury worse. I have never had a DNF. I agree with Ric's view of buying the option to race. I think that if you are even considering not racing and starting a thread about it, then the answers probably DNS. I always weigh up, what is more important to me, this particular race or running injury free for the rest of the year.
I had a DNF due to my own stupid fault of trying to run and ignore a stress fracture. There was no way to get off the course, so had to walk over 3 miles back to the start/finish, and the streets were lined with spectators giving me funny looks. Took my race number off and kept my head down, was mortified. 20 mile drive home afterwards wasn't pleasant either.
But Ric..... there are different levels of pain.....in 10 yeras every run has me hurting somewhere so that is just ordinary pain......
the secret for all runners is to learn the difference between normal or niggling pain and what is more than that....one you can run through and one will lead to injury......
that is the fine balance we all have to learn to judge......
and sometimes we do get it wrong....and get injured.
If i stuck to the proper rule of if you hurt dont run i would never ever run and that is a shame.......
I have rested well.until i run i will not know if it is a manageable pain or not......
therefore there is always a risk of DNF ... i usually like to decide on the day
I was just wondering which people actually prefer.......I have seen some people that will DNS rather than run an average time or not podium because they have seen the starting lineup...
and some people will withold their barcode rather than actually have a slower time credited to them.....
to me the finish line is always a welcome sight.I think i would rather DNF than DNS......unless it was a true injury....which has happened a couple of times and then i have been content to watch...one being at VLM
maybe the reason you are always in pain is because you never recover from injuries....always racing on them and they never get better?
you cant even walk without pain when you started this thread today so running an extreme distance is pointless...why not recover properly and go again another time
walking is with pain.but not to make me limp.,
I presume that like a lot of people I have long standing joint problems and bad mechanics..i had pain before I ever started running.....
I have not been off injured all this year until i slipped off a stile in the mud 2 weeks ago and hurt my back....
I have discovered that lots of older people have to live with levels of pain...usually running does not affect the levels....
I am not worried about the foot pain.that will go after a while running no doubt......the back pain is the unknown pain for me....will not know unless i try it....
so its the back that makes me worry if I will have a dnf...its the unknown
Seren, you and I have both done this race .... starting with a niggle is a bit daft, starting with an injury is stupid .. starting with two is certifiable
You are a reasonably intelligent lady, I dont know why you are considering either a DNF when a DNS is the appropriate course of action to give you some hope of starting a good season next year
DNS DNF for me. The money is a write off either way but why risk making your recovery longer than it would otherwise be?
I assumed Seren was a bloke. Sorry about that.
Maybe there's pain, and real pain.
Lets say, as long as child birth exists, I won't be making any noises involving pain.
Or as my late mother said to my dad who was whinging about a sore toe or something, "For heavens sake Peter, don't have a baby, you'll never make it".
I took note.
🙂
DNS without question. I have risked a DNF at a 10k, but only because it was just 10k and I jogged around to get my embroidered bath towel. No way i'd start anything with an injury ever again. Why not go along and support other runners?
As you have already paid and assuming there is no chance of a refund, I think your choices are:
1) don't get your money back, or
2) have a miserable, painful, difficult time, make your injury worse, potentially DNF and still don't get your money back.
Hope she's enjoying her run