Like most of the people on this forum I enter races for the craic, as an alternative to training on my own and to give myself targets to aim for. I never enter thinking I'm going to end up anywhere near the front (quite chuffed recently to finish in the top half of the field).
Then out training I began wondering what it might be like to enter a race with the intention of winning it (& then what it feels like to actually win). Anyone got any experience?
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Total running distance was only 5k split into two, before and after the bike.
It was good to aim for, because I had a realistic chance of doing well if I'd train for it. So this forced me to train quite intensively. Each session brought me faster times, and I was quietly confident on the day. Wasn;t sure about the running though, so I hid in the middle of the pack until I thought I could make a break for the end of the first run. This I did, and dropped everyone. Cocked up my transition though, and then had to catch people on the bike - which was OK. Then I just had to stay ahead on the last run of a pretty serious Triathlete on my tail. I did it though - I was in all sorts of pain at the finish and couldn't walk for a week, but it was worthwhile.
Hardly Olympic Standard, but I felt good about it !
BTW - 'cos the race was all about women's fellowship there were no prizes, no finishing tape to run through and no glory - I jut finished among the stragglers of the kids 3km fun run which had started at the same time as our 8km! I should add that I won the race through a distinct lack of competition, not through any skill, talent or speed on my part.
You were the best there on day & you won.
I've been fortunate enough have come second twice. First time was a local 5 miler. I was in the lead all the way and kept looking behind & was pleased to see the that the next 2 runners were about 50m behind all the way, until the last mile when one of them caught up & overtook me, I got him back on the final hill, only for him to power past me down the otherside to take the tape by a couple of feet. I was devastated. I hadn't gone out to win it but I thought I was going to.