So many DNF's at OT

Hey LRC - I ran the Trials, (20 miles of it) and would like to clear up some things

- It was hot, and there wasn't quite enough water or bottle stations. In fact, most of my personal bottles were placed in the wrong spots. It kind of messed up my stomach, but didn't kill me.

- The course was stupid. We ran on gravel for a section. We were running on the sidewalk on the USC campus for a section. I didn't expect that at an Olympic Trials.

Those are my only complaints, other than the late start.

A couple posters question the ethics of dropping out of a race, which seems strange to me as an elite runner. There's not "honor" in just finishing. No one really cares about what you're doing besides you. I could have walked the last 6 miles, but I didn't want to. I considered that more embarrassing than dropping out. Please don't apply your honorable code of ethics to a level of running you don't understand.

Sage is the only one who knows how it works, and thus the only one who has an intelligent, informed post.

Sir, you and Fellow Q both have my respect and awe at what you have accomplished, your dedication and hard work is amazing.

We all come from different backgrounds and I am no were near your caliber of a runner.

But.. in 20 years I would rather be able to tell my grandkids that I raced the 2016 OMT and finished rather than say I dropped out. Best of luck with your recovery and thanks for being there.

Trials DNF wrote:

A couple posters question the ethics of dropping out of a race, which seems strange to me as an elite runner. There's not "honor" in just finishing. No one really cares about what you're doing besides you. I could have walked the last 6 miles, but I didn't want to. I considered that more embarrassing than dropping out. Please don't apply your honorable code of ethics to a level of running you don't understand.

Yeah my code doesn't apply to marathon quitters.

Correct. I race marathons, you complete them. They are essentially different sports.

In a perfect world, a lot more than 20 years down the road, I would rather not have to tell my grand kids I dropped out. But I live in the real world and dropping out is a calculated decision. I'd rather drop out than do long term damage or get injured pursuing a crappy result. Especially if I can get a good result in a spring marathon that would not have been possible otherwise. The runners who dropped out don't take doing so lightly but understand a DNF does not show a character flaw or lack of commitment, toughness, whatever the uniformed on this thread are suggesting.

I am one of the females who finished over 3 hours. Due to my job, I completed all of my training in the dark, in the freezing cold. Regardless, my training indicated that my fitness was in the realm of lower 2:40's.

For people like me who did not have a realistic option of acclimating to heat beforehand, the conditions were brutal. By mile three, the inside of my body felt like it had been sucked dry by the sun. My personal fluid was about the same temperature as coffee after it's sat for 10 minutes. By the second fluid station, I stopped taking my own and opted for the "only lukewarm" race-provided water/Powerade.

I remember looking at the clock around an hour in, totally spent, and realizing that I would still be out there for possibly 2 more hours. I thought, "there is no way I'm going to make it." Then I thought about watching the race from the sidelines, and I hated it, so I told myself to just take it one forced step at a time.

At the third to last fluid station, I felt a deep cramp in my shoulder that moved into my chest, and I collapsed. I got back up, drank some water and Powerade, and briefly worried that I was putting my heart in danger.

I don't really remember doing it, but I made it to the finish. The next ~5 hours after the race were awful. I couldn't eat...I couldn't even drink a sip of water without throwing up.

I am jealous of the runners who were able to acclimate themselves to the conditions weeks/months beforehand. I would have loved to have enough agency over my body to be competitive. One of the drawbacks of being human is that the elements do not care.

If you did not compete in that race, you simply do not have the right to criticize any participant's outcome.

Trials DNF wrote:

Correct. I race marathons, you complete them. They are essentially different sports.

I was being respectful, so don't be a arrogant dick.

Just because I am a hobby jogger don't mean I don't race hard , you will probably get a laugh out of this but in order to qualify for Boston we normal folks race against the clock.

We all bleed red.

OldManRunner wrote:

I count 61 DNF's for the men and 49 for the women.

I already wrote about this on a different thread.

The women want it more than the men

61 to 49 is already an impressive comparison but when you consider how many more women were in the race, you understand that the drop out rate for men was a lot higher than for women.

Let's be honest, finishing a Marathon is 90% mental. And in 2016, most men don't have the willpower anymore that the men had who founded our country.

I was responding to the other guy. I understand your comment. I have finished an OT before, and may have felt differently if I hadn't.

I've never posted under my name before but I've heard enough. I would have preferred to finish as well. I was faced with the same decision as many -- stop at 20 (or 14) or run another loop despite knowing I was DONE. I chose to continue on. Result was 4 hours in the hospital after collapsing at 24.5. Unless you were out there, none of you have any business commenting on the decision to continue or drop. Now I am faced with who knows how long to recover. My hamstring is effed thanks to struggling to run 6 min pace for 30 minutes in the heat. I should have dropped at 20, but apparently that makes you soft according to all the experts here. To all the competitors out there, I feel your pain and it was a pleasure competing with you. To the armchair quarterbacks, please shut up. -Sean

Thanks for chiming in Sean, all respect to you.

Please define what a makes a armchair quarterback /runner so I can figure out my standings? ?

It wouldn't have made you soft.

But finishing made you a determined bad MF.

Of course your beat up you ran the OMT. Congratulations.

Trials DNF wrote:

Correct. I race marathons, you complete them. They are essentially different sports.

Wrong. I race and win marathons, whereas you're a quitter.

A marathon is 26 miles wrote:

Trials DNF wrote:

Correct. I race marathons, you complete them. They are essentially different sports.

Wrong. I race and win marathons, whereas you're a quitter.

Here's a list a few names:

Haile G

Kenenisa Bekele

Paul Tergat

Dennis Kimetto

Sammy Wanjiro

What do these greats have in common besides being way faster than you and some of the greatest runners ever? They're "quitters" who have DNF'd marathons. Get over yourself.

Primo Numero Uno wrote:

What do these greats have in common besides being way faster than you and some of the greatest runners ever? They're "quitters" who have DNF'd marathons. Get over yourself.

I don't recall any of them bragging about quitting.

You're the one who needs to get over yourself.

Hobbyjoggerman wrote:

Good to hear that Hobbyjoggers aren't the only ones who complain about not enough water on marathon courses.

+1

And some of them wanted bananas? What is this, a little league baseball game?

It's a trial for the Olympics for Brazil. It was a good way to cut the fat and see who could help place in the games. If they dropped out because it was too hot so be it.

There was a lot of quitters because it was a hard race, it wasn't a hold-your-hand style time trial. It was epic. Only epic runners made it to the end and only insanely talented runners placed. Pretty simple and not rocket science.