A wise man once said “Sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you.”
It seems like every aid station has a volunteer who pride themselves on not letting runners drop at their aid station. I’m sure there are many runners who might be thinking about dropping a race because things got real. Sometimes these folks need a kick in the rear and are grateful when they receive one. For many others, though, the pressure to keep going when you’re experiencing pain that could turn into an injury is very unwelcome.
I want to encourage every runner to listen to their own body and make their own decisions and not succumb to pressure by an overzealous aid station volunteer. These folks mean well to be sure. As satisfying as it is to finish an ultra, it might not be worth it if you’ll be injured for the next several months and unable to run. So, when you find yourself trying to decide if dropping from a race is the right call, do a risk/reward analysis. If you think finishing the race might result in injury, seriously consider dropping out. Pros do this all the time and are praised for their wise decision. Why not the rest of us?
Leave a Reply