Picking My Worst Race
Last week I talked about lessons learned at my best race so it’s only appropriate that I give my worst race equal time. There have been some doozies and it was a challenge choosing my worst race… If forced to choose, I’d pick the 2010 Steamtown Marathon because I hit the wall, had to make an emergency pit stop, resorted to walk breaks, and I never truly got my head in the game which resulted in me running my slowest marathon.
2010 Steamtown Marathon Pasta Dinner
Three Lessons Learned at My Worst Race
1. Train with what you’ll consume on race day – I had trained with a caffeinated sports drink, but chose to skip it on race day, opting instead to drink whatever the race had to offer. I felt sluggish from the moment I started my race and it didn’t get any better.
2. Watch what you eat prior to race day – All these years later I can vividly remember needing a porta potty stat and all I could find was a corn field… I hadn’t eaten anything particularly sinful, but probably could have been more careful and avoided near disaster.
3. You can do anything to which you put your mind – At mile seven, yes seven, I mentally didn’t want to finish the race so I started to run/walk. Eventually, I ran more and walked less and by sheer willpower gutted it out and finished the race.
Honorable Mention Lessons Learned from Other Bad Races
1. Don’t de-layer and toss too early in the race – In the cold and rainy 2008 Georgia Marathon I shed my gloves too soon and my frozen fingers were thrilled when I found and put on a pair of soggy wet gloves that had been tossed along the course?
2. Don’t race with a hangover – The night prior to the 2012 GW Parkway Classic Ten Miler my Cruiser friends and I celebrated a friend’s birthday a little too hard. The cosmos flowed freely and even though I knew I should head to my hotel room, I stayed up. It’s a miracle I got up in time to run my slowest 10-miler (which I walked/ran due to an unrelated injury).
Questions:
- • What lessons have you learned at a race?
- • Which was your favorite race? Least favorite?
- • Which race did you run once and vow never to run again?
My worst race was a Half Marathon where I wasn’t as fast as I thought I should be given my training, and with each km, I just started checking out. By the time I got to 16km, I was so out of the game mentally and would have quit had it not been that I didn’t have a phone and needed to finish to get to my friends and car, LOL! That’s the race I came last in — and when I look back it taught me soo much, but especially, the importance of staying in the game for the full race even if things are looking bleak.
Well, not having your phone and no way back to the finish line is certainly one way to motivate you to finish! Was there a sag wagon just in case?
I agree with all.
My worst was Santa Clarita because I over trained and in Paris because it was warm and too few water stops.
My best was steel rail because my Garmin stopped and I relaxed and sacandaga because I had negative splits which is rare.
Only one marathon. So it was my best and worst. Lol.
Many runners don’t realize it, but over training can be a real problem.
I have to laugh because I think I’ve learned more from my bad races than from my good ones! Hands down, my worst race was my first Chicago Marathon. Too stubborn to ask for expert advice, I paid for that dearly! Humility is a good trait. I learned that one the hard way.
The lessons learned from those bad races really stick with us, don’t they?
I have had several bad races, but (I think) most have taught me good lessons…the most significant of which is to make the best of the circumstances you’re dealt. Easy for me to say since I’m not an Olympian, nor does my livelihood depend on any specific finish times, LOL.
Good point! Our mistakes teach us lessons, their mistakes can cost them contracts.
Oh yes, I have delayered too soon & froze — but also had some pretty good races that way, LOL!
Luckily I don’t drink, so never had to battle with a hangover.
#1 is a classic one!
Delayering is a tough call. I remember a marathon on a warm February day where it seemed like I took off and put on my jacket nonstop. Every time we ran in the sun I’d get too hot and every time we ran back into the shade I’d freeze. Luckily, it was just a shell that I could take off and tie around my waist and put back on easily.
When I drink I normally only have one or two drinks, but that was a night for the history books. 🙁
Ah, a corn field… it could have been worse. Yes, we definitely learn from our bad races. It happens to everyone! I guess the biggest lesson I learned from a bad race is, run at an appropriate pace (ahem.) But in the end it’s not a tragedy… live and learn!
It certainly could have – like when I was running past row-houses in Baltimore and had to walk until I could find a porta potty in a park about a mile later. Sadly, I was on PR pace for that marathon until that happened. 🙁
Yep, going out too fast or letting others falsely set the pace is a great way to sabotage a race!
All great lessons!
When I was young I ran many 5ks after a night of drinking. It didn’t seem to bother me then but now I’m sure would be a whole other ballgame!
Denise recently posted…OC Half Marathon 2021 Race Recap
It’s amazing how stuff didn’t faze us when we were young!
What? You tossed your gloves, got cold and then found a pair of soggy gloves on the course and put them on? Haha, that sounds hilarious!! I guess that was a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures.
As for eating the wrong food before race day, I’ve done that mistake a few times. Once it was broccoli, another time it was peppers. As you say, not particularly sinful, but probably not the best for a race the next day.
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My friend who I was running with was so disgusted when I put on the soggy abandoned gloves. LOL
oh yes, training with with the foods and drinks you will use on race day makes a huge difference. Going off of your plan can be a disaster!
I learned my lesson that day for sure!
I made the same 3 mistakes:
1. I ate haggis for the first (and last) time before a 10 miles run in Edinburgh and the race was a nightmare;
2. During an important half marathon in Rome I threw away my gloves after 3 miles and I reached the finish line with frozen fingers;
3. The day before the same half marathon I spent the night with my wife and other friends to celebrate a birthday.
About the races I will not run again: I have a logbook where, in case, I write “no more”!!!!!
Ugh, I don’t think either of us will make those types of mistakes again. Live and learn, right?
GI issues are the worst! I remember making a similar mistake and using what was on the course for a 10K. That’s when I learned that there’s a certain flavor of Gatorade that I cannot use – it was awful.
I do remember there was a flavor of Gatorade powder that a lot of marathons used that I didn’t like either.
Oh man soggy abandoned gloves?? I don’t think I could do that…but I’ve definitely had to pop off into a field due to eating the wrong thing!
I never noticed your PR’s on the side of your blog before- your marathon time was very speedy! What race was that?
My marathon PR was at the Steamtown Marathon. I look at my PR’s and laugh because some of my shorter races have slower times, but I always used the 20-mile and half distances as training runs back when I was speedier.
A 5K I’ve done this year was both the best and the worst lol. It was fun and it had the most beautiful location…it was a trail race through a shaded park, around a lake. However some things were lacking, imo (no water on the course, dollar store “gear” instead of race t-shirt etc). But maybe it was due to it being a new race, with no sponsors yet and it will get better next year. I would def do it again.
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I agree, 5K’s need a water stop, too. Hopefully, next year they’ll have a sponsor and nicer swag for you.
One race that comes to mind is one in which I got a DNF. It was raining and I got so cold I had to stop at an ambulance for some hand warmers. I finally walked back to the finish line. I think I had a short sleeve top and I should have worn something warmer.
Thank you for linking up with us!
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That sounds awful because having cold hands is the worst. My hands are always the first to get cold.