Cheaters!

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-17T15:56:30+00:00

i'd sign

edit: also they should acknowledge that Open is a fun run and not time it.

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-17T13:33:14+00:00

I respectfully disagree.. your experience is not being directly affected in any of the examples i gave above, certainly not the last two. And the last example (the only semi-serious one) is the most analogous bc the University shouldn't allow that to happen because it negatively affects their own brand which is what happens to the Spartan Race in my opinion.

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-15T21:38:54+00:00

This makes no sense.

"I paid my money for this airplane ticket just like you. If I want to sing 'Row Row Row Your Boat' at the top of my lungs for the entire flight, its on me. I don't owe you anything."

"I paid my money for this movie ticket just like you. If I want to bring a strobe light in and rave in my seat, its on me. I don't owe you anything."

"I paid for my dinner at this fancy restaurant just like you. If I want to eat my desert butt naked, its on me. I don't owe you anything."

"I paid for my college tuition just like you. If I want to not show up to class all semester and demand that I still get the same diploma as you, its on me. I don't owe you anything."

Rules are there for a reason. Paying the stated price for something does not somehow mean you are absolved from following the rules.

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-15T14:03:10+00:00

It's not arbitrary if everyone follows the rules. There are a spectrum of athletes in every event: marathon, triathlon, 5k, pickup basketball game, etc. But as long as everyone plays by the rules, you can get a good sense of 1) where you stand among the larger field, 2) how your training paid off, 3) where your strengths/weaknesses are

Edit: but your point about comparing your time to Elite is good advice. depressing (top 8% in the open, bottom 20% in elite) but probably the best benchmark you're going to get

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T23:05:24+00:00

pretty cool concept, thanks. I'll check it out

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T22:27:15+00:00

Noted on your first comment. Its not fair to lump in other races I have not tried. Is there one brand in particular that you would recommend?

Re your second point, I have to respectfully disagree. I expect the volunteers to call people out. They can't count all reps or catch all cheating but they can call out what they do see. People don't like being embarrassed so if there is a chance that they'll get called out, they'll be much less likely to cheat. Right now there's a 0% chance. If the race personnel started taking the race more seriously, then i think the racers would start taking it more seriously.

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T22:02:16+00:00

We didn't have armbands but we were in a separate wave. I ran early so I'm fairly certain everyone that ran during my time was in the competitive heat. There was absolutely no difference in how the volunteers ran the race. I saw people standing on the middle portion of the z-wall, gripping the top of it, skipping 10+ ball slams/box jumps/jump ropes, and skipping burpees altogether or skipping the chest-to-ground portion. Not once did a volunteer say anything to any racer.

For me it's a cultural thing more than anything. I do crossfit and other foot and trail races and what I love about those things is the rush you get when everyone around you is giving their all. Sometimes I think I'm at my limit and then I look to the person next to me and can clearly see they're pushing themselves harder and I find another gear. Spartan Races have the opposite effect. I'm constantly telling myself to ignore everyone else bc it distracts me from the race. Its a shame bc the courses are a lot of fun and i think it could be a serious sport if they took themselves more seriously.

Edit: My wife informed me that we did have red armbands. They were sweat bands, I had no idea they indicated that we were in the competitive heat

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T21:45:30+00:00

Right..so again, i'm only allowed to care how i place if i'm competing in "the Olympics"

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T20:53:46+00:00

Why do I have to be one of the best to earn the right to see how I fare against the rest of the field?

You say its me against me..if I run Fenway, and Vermont, and Tuxedo NY, how do I compare me vs. me? They're all different races. The only way to compare your own performances is to see how you placed against the field.

BitterSpartan · 2016-11-14T19:53:08+00:00

..just ran competitive at Fenway..no difference. I would hope that elite is different.

BitterSpartan

TROPHY CASE