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comment by lisaf
lisaf  ·  4204 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Is it still a race if you don't have a chance of winning?

No, many times I go out and run, with very little consideration for how far or fast I am going, but just putting miles on because it feels good. Many times during training runs I do short sprint type drills, to work on speed or strength.

Most of my days running, I set a pace that is comfortable, but pushing my limits. On a good day, I may finish training to find out my average pace was faster than usual; on a bad day, slower. I don't consider this racing. It is training, learning your body and what works, what doesn't, what feels good, what helps, etc.

This is very different from signing up for a specific certified distance and monitoring my pace throughout the race to achieve a personal record for that distance.