Is It Okay To Give Up On Race Day? | Tri To Disagree

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Signing up for a triathlon or an ultra-marathon is one thing, but completing it is another. More recently though, not completing or DNF-ing has become normalised. Is it right or wrong? Mark and James discuss and go on to talk about finishing last and not starting the race in the first place!
00:00 DNF - Acceptable or Not?
00:30 Discussing DNS and DFL
01:13 DNF-ing has been normalised
04:13 Pros vs Age-groupers
08:00 What about DNS?
08:45 Health always comes first
09:07 Pushing through physical and mental barriers
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Do you think it is alright to DNF? Or should you push through and finish what you started? Let us know in the comments below!💬
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7 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@gtn Месяц назад

Do you think it's okay to give up on race day? 🏁

@WILDFOXRUNNING 28 дней назад

On my first Olympic distance triathlon, I saw a guy crash on the bike and finished regardless, I was absolutely blown away by the perseverance , so much respect. Unless you are badly hurt or ill, you always finish, not when it gets hard, it's supposed to be hard. If you have to walk, you walk. I unfortunately had to walk the 18k in the heat of Singapore last year in the PTO race, it was my worst race experience ever, yet I was super proud to finish. Way more than when I pb my 70.3. That's what triathlon is all about.

@gabyw6592 Месяц назад

I'm someone who starts races knowing I am likely to come DFL, however I keep going even though it is hard because I trained for it and I want to show my son you can do hard things even when you don't have the "ideal triathlete" body shape. i.e. Obese, middle aged woman who keeps going any way

@Miguel_Pratz Месяц назад

💪💪💪💪💪💪💪 keep pushing!

@nataliamartinkova Месяц назад

This resonates. Most of my races are DFL, which means that I have absolutely won my own challenge and even beat all those who stayed horizontal. There is joy in DFL, even if the organizers sometimes already start to pack up before I turn up.

@suttonfarms2343 29 дней назад

The training for triathlon IM is the best part of triathlon. Race day is just icing on the cake. If you DNF, make it for injury, illness or equipment malfunction. Otherwise, continue on and DFL is still a finish!

@Jett125 Месяц назад

I've had 2 DNS from injury before my first race. Learning lesson.

@tegid99 Месяц назад

This video comes a bit too late for me. I probably should have DNF'd last week. I did an olympic triathlon last Sunday and got smashed in the head within the mass start from flailing arms and legs. I also swallowed lots of freshwater during the swim and within the first 50m, lost all my energy and had a mini panic attack. I honestly felt like I was going to drown with 0% battery left in my body. This was after feeling so good and ready to go at the start. I had to call the safety team over to take a breather leaning on one of their kayaks. I gathered myself and then decided to carry on the swim thinking a DNF was not an option. A few stoppages later during the swim, the adrenaline kicked in and I proceeded to smash the bike and run for a 5 min PB from last year's event. Felt ok post-race but that night, I developed sickness from all ends and had the worst migraine. After a whole week of illness, I am only now returning today for my first day back in work. Doctor diagnosed me during the week with concussion and a bad stomach infection. This stopped me from eating or doing anything all week and definitely the worst I've ever felt. Even though I'm proud of crossing that finish line, I don't think my mental and physical health appreciated it. Sometimes, maybe, taking a DNF is the safest option and shouldn't be a shameful act. Good luck to all other triathletes but take care of yourself and prioritise your mind over medals!

@user-ne7jd6cm4c Месяц назад

We also need to consider the race organizers. They don't want pick a corpse off their course. We need to be reasonably confident we can finish the challenge we signed up for. DFL is OK too within reason but the volunteers at these events don't want to be there for six hours waiting for me to finish my 10k.

@jesuscruz836 29 дней назад

Director James Cameron said it best, "Failure is an option, fear isn't"

@huldi Месяц назад

I'm a 49 year old, quite good triathlete, that wins 70.3 or Challenge Family agegroup races. I have a family with 2 kids and my own company. If I feel bad in a race I quit. I don't want to risk my health as I have a lot of responsabilities that are way more important than triathlon. Whoever says that quitting is failing is an idiot and should get a life.

@gtn Месяц назад

It really is the taking par that counts 🙌

@kerrynball2734 Месяц назад

If you damage something, eg calf, then it's best to DNF and have a faster recovery than go to the end doing more & more damage. However the trick is to know if you've damaged something or if it's just sore. I've not figured that part out exactly yet.

@gtn Месяц назад

It's a fine line! Perhaps that knowledge comes with experience 🤨

@kerrynball2734 29 дней назад

@@gtn Sounds like a topic for a future video :-)

@loulew07 Месяц назад

1998 Ironman Hawaii broadcast, 4 former champions and 1 2nd overall women spoke about the challenges of the race . What moved me over the many years was the 2 time Ironman Champion Scott Tinley . Here are his words of wisdom “ Every time you do this race it gets harder because you have to give much to perform that you leave something of yourself ,you know what you have to do and in you’re mind your about performing and placing overall . You have to be willing to sacrifice and each time you do that , you go to the well , and you pull little bit out and you go to the well again you pull a little but out and after X number of years you go to the well and its dry “ In 2022 had 2 Ironman races and DNF on both , the well was dry at age 65 .Now Sprint Duathlons 2 yrs later and the well is full along with quality over quantity . More time , more money. and more peace of mind and body feels better . A 1hr race over a 11 to 13 hr race is a no brainer 9 time Ironman finisher . Nice to run over walking . Feel good after 1hr compared to 11 to 13 or more hrs . 1 size does not fit all .

@desroin Месяц назад

Had my first DNF yesterday because somebody destroyed my rear tire in transition... that hurt more than I expected :/

@Miguel_Pratz Месяц назад

Absolutely heartbreaking 😢 sorry to hear, friend

@desroin Месяц назад

@@Miguel_Pratz thanks mate, I was really gutted. However the next race is up in September and I did manage to get the bike back up and running again quickly so at least I can continue training

@Miguel_Pratz Месяц назад

@@desroin you got this - and the race is going to be awesome! Just finished my first 70.3 yesterday and seeing so many people fall into those unpredictable situations like tires blowing was killer to see :( keep up the training and the taste of victory in sept. Will be even sweeter! 💪💪

@gtn Месяц назад

Ah sorry to hear it! What happened to the tyre?

@desroin Месяц назад

@@gtn That's a good question, it was 100% deflated without a puncture and on the pictures a friend made when I was coming out of T1 there was one spot where you could see the tubeless milk coming out. My guess is someone struck it with their pedals while rushing out of T1 and hit it just right to pull it off the rim. A bit hard to believe since that would have had to be a big impact at just the right angle but it's all I could imagine. I did inflate it with a big pump after the competition had ended and it kept the pressure all night and now all day so I don't think the rim or the rubber are broken. So unless someone has an idea how something like that can happen with a tubeless tire I'll stick to the theory that one of the other athletes left me a nice present :/

@Ultimaus 23 дня назад

I like this conversation. It's important to address to people especially starting endurance sport what you should be expecting on your journey. And we should understand the race commitment of a professional vs you as a person however talented who is not paid to race. Its important to identify elites get vip invites to any and all prestigious races. If its raining in a boston marathon and youre 20 minutes off pace as an elite you might as well save the fatigue and dnf and sign up for another race. Those of you who have run a marathon near your limit understand you put unbelievable stress on your body. And for those of us prioritizing a personal best on an A priority race you've been training 5 months for. Youre likely going to want to finish. Some people have a hard time booking iff work its not like theyre going to find oh im at 21k and im 1:50 only on pace for 3:40 pace not 3:30 that youre going to be like well ill just drop and join the next big race. Most runners and endurance athletes are in it because they're on a journey. Some of us are drilling over 2400kms for a race thats 42.2km long. You avoid running your runs above threshold for the race. As some would say "raceday is your reward" you ran thousands of kms for this. A dnf for the ones who have adhered to over 90% of their training plan and understand theyve done as much as they can. Sickness or injury may not even sway them. However if you decided 30 days before a marathon without training or previous endurance conditioning was a good idea... I don't think anyone would really find that to be shameful. It's a matter of goals its a matter of perspective. However for a matter of endurance sport... I really believe a person that understands what running for hours feels like and a person who hasnt has a completely different mindset. Finishing a race having the results of your labor and leaving everything out on the road... It's just not easily discarded. I am referring to endurance sport taking several hours long though if youre someone who joins like 30+ events a year i don't think dnf is a big deal. But if youre training all year to run Chicago. Theres no way im dnfing that. Someone gonna have to scrape me off the road.

@HugosTriChallenge Месяц назад

I just did my first full distance race and I had a huge problem with my stomach when I finished the bike. I had 2 hours of walking because my body went deep into the red from lack of nutrition. Thankfully this did pass and once I was able to get my energy stores back up I was able to get back running and was able to complete the race. I didn't hit my run target but I still have the achievement of completion of a full distance triathlon!

@Nyelands Месяц назад

2 hours of walking I will say is just a different way of giving up. I will say mission incomplete.

@bartszum2161 Месяц назад

DNF last year Geordieman 70.3 after 5 miles run due to heat exhaustion, I was told in the Med tent that I didn’t stop and pass out it could be really bad for me. I feel good about my decision especially that my family was so worried when they didnt see me coming to first lap line for over 25 mins.

@trinerd Месяц назад

I am with James, a typical AG that signed up for an IM, trained for 6 months is not going to care if a pro DNFed two races before they got one right, they have paid a ton of money, traveled, and it is not as if they can sign up for another one next week. So they will dig a bit deeper to try to make it to the finish line.

@lwittrock1 Месяц назад

The one and only time I DNF'd a race was when a newbie crashed into me coming up from behind on the bike, slamming me into the ground. With a broken and severely bruised knee, there was no way i could continue.

@chrisjones5192 Месяц назад

If you are stated as DFL, you should also remember that you finished. Whereas you ultimately beat the Pros that DNF a couple of miles into the race because life is getting hard. I did several ultras last year where I was the last person to complete the race in the last place. But ultimately I never quoted and still finished the races.

@pierrefitter 29 дней назад

DNF'd in my first half distance. Didn't know enough about nutrition & hydration and the conditions (35°C, 90% humidity, biking through congested Indian city traffic) did not help. The run was on a rough trail, and with all the cramps on the bike leg it was already dark by the time I started. Decided to pull out rather than risk a sprained ankle so I could keep training for my main race, which was an IM 70.3, eight weeks later. Learned valuable lessons the (very) hard way, but I ended up finishing that 70.3 and many more races since.

@stephenneal23 Месяц назад

I had a DNS this Saturday for the Leadville 50 mike run because on Thursday I stepped on a rusted nail. Still upset about that, but now I have a good focus for next year.

@emmag00 29 дней назад

I have never DNF'd but I have thought about it during races where things have gone wrong. I have never been in a position of being injured or where there were health concerns though. I would never push through if I felt that I was putting my body at risk of further illness/injury. I think everyone has to do what is right for them, and make sure that lessons are learned for next time.

@BegravelseinBrussels 29 дней назад

The only reason I would DNF/DNS is if I had an injury, health issue, or substantive equipment malfunction.

@888jhs Месяц назад

I had a bad day at Nice WC last year and finished in 16:54, 3.5 hours longer than my qualifying race in IM Canada in 2022. I never considered a DNS or a DNF regardless of the near, but not quite, DFL. It would still haunt me if I had done either and I am proud of my almost DFL which makes completing the race as expected seem almost easy.

@DavidC-rt3or Месяц назад

Having had my first DNF recently, while I do believe it was for the best, still tough one to swallow when it was a race was really looking forward to doing and may not get a chance to do again. Also been a bumpy 70.3 road so far with having completed 7 - 16 week ramp ups and only being able to complete 3 of them (1 storm cancelled 2/3s done, 2 covid postponements, and now 1 dnf). But at least it keeps me in shape :)

@gtn Месяц назад

It's good to know that you knew when to call it 🙌

@lisajenkins7692 Месяц назад

i've DNF'd at a race (I was literally passing out due to low BP and low blood sugar). And I've come in DFL (and was PROUD to finish). Funny how ppl think as I've never thought about quitting during a race (except when I was having to lay down during the bike because I was THAT light headed). And the thought only came because I literally could not stand up without falling over. Even then, I rode back to transition (this happened 3-4 miles into the bike). It was a looong ride back. Before that experience I actually didn't know that DNFing was an option. I honestly never think about that. My thoughts are more focused on ... not drowning, remaining calm and my biking "strategy" (which i basically remember the turns on the course and not getting lost). Those thoughts are so overwhelming there's no room for thoughts of quitting. My last race, the water was very choppy. So much so, swimmers were hanging on the canoes. I saw that, but it never occurred to me folks were in a state of panic (and I did not see that many had to be carried to the beach). I just thought to myself, "hmm, this water is kinda choppy and I wonder if I should panic". And so I stopped swimming and floated for a minute to ponder the thought. Because I didn't see anyone panicking (or so I thought). I just came up with a strategy to finish the swim. So maybe I'm cool under pressure or ... dense AF?

@9danke Месяц назад

The #1 thing I see is people who SHOULD DNS or DNF because something is wrong with their joint(s) - but they’re going to “see it through” and now cause long term recovery or permanent damage for no reason but ego.

@chrissmith8527 29 дней назад

June 2 I competed an Olympic triathlon where we had to jump off the ferry and swim the mile in. The condition that morning were not good. 3 to 4 foot swells with some of them capping. I aspirated 300 yards into the mile swim I spent the next 300 yards debating whether or not I would DNF, I chose to fight through and finish the race. I was in Broncos spasm throughout the bike and run finished just over 20 minutes past my time. When I got to the med tent, my essay 02 was 88% requiring a trip to the emergency room.I am quite happy that I did not DNF wasn’t the result I would’ve gotten but I finished

@chinpoeykhoo6261 Месяц назад

I don't see any issue DNF all challengers for endurance events are pushing their own limits no doubt congrat to those who finished their event but salute to those who challenged themselves to see their red line! Recently there is an ultra 100K event in Japan Saloma Lake on 30 June 2024 and the finishing rate at 58% but with the highest temperate at 33C and cut-off time 13 hours every participants are all warriors definitely!

@gtn Месяц назад

It's important to know that DNFing is an option for safety. People should push themselves within relatively safely 🙌

@michaelhatch1994 23 дня назад

I have DNF'd once. On my first IM distance I got off the bike in pouring rain, laid down in transition and said, if I go one I will die. There was a restaurant adjacent to the course in those days (Montreal Esprit). I ordered spaghetti and while I ate it and watched the race continue I realised I could easily have gone on if I had taken in proper nutrition. Apparently one bran muffin for the bike leg is probably too little. I have never run a complete marathon in an IM race and the Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy night sky is very dark. But I always get the hat! Simple truth, be prepared.

@julieburton7393 29 дней назад

There is no failing, only learning

@Leeroy49 29 дней назад

First of all failing is not a bad thing. There's obvious reasons not to finish like a serious injury. As an elite it's way easier to shift to other races and therefore DNF. For hobby athletes it's much harder to DNS or DNF because you can't shift around as flexible in a work-life-schedule. Also elites tend to work more with sports psychologists and therefore work better and live with failure.

@PhilDowson-hq3dj Месяц назад

I had my first dnf and dns this year in 5 years in the sport. The dnf was after a bad crash, I lost consciousness and even if my bike was fit to ride (my front wheel failed spectacularly) I wouldn't have been fit to finish, and the medics wouldn't have let me anyway. My dns was waking up on race morning and coughing up a lung. I could have gone and ground out the race, but that wouldn't have been healthy. My attitude, as an amateur who does it for fun, is that a bad day isn't reason to quit (I've got money spent on entries etc) but something that will cause long term damage is reason to be sensible and quit. And since I set behavioural and technical goals alongside performance goals I can have a 'bad' race, but still achieve some goals because there's other options that aren't to do with my physical performance on a given day.

@gtn Месяц назад

Great point🙌 It sounds like you've got a great understanding of your own limits. This is important to keep healthy and know how to sustain your fitness 🙌

@jgduke63 Месяц назад

I fully agree, that pushing through is most of the time a good thought, however you should never put your health at risk. Last year for my first ever marathon, in the 2,5 months leading to the race I battled with an injury and illness, thus at the starting line, I knew, that I would not be able to reach the time I had hoped for. However, I started and went through the Marathon, without thinking one second about not finishing, but adapting my pace to the situation and the pain or niggles that appeared in the 3 third of the race. It is not always about finishing, for Agegrouper it is more about the whole journey, the finish line is only a small part of it, even if it is the most rewarding one.

@coachjohn Месяц назад

I have had 1 dns and no dnf in 16 years racing endurance sports. There have been many times I have had fleeting thoughts of a DNF as I passed the finish area on a multi lap run

@Yannick11 Месяц назад

James was at Roth yesterday and today he’s in the studio again? 😜 bro can teleport

@Scholli_1988 Месяц назад

do whatever you need to do, at the end, we wanna stay and be healthy ^^ how is heather doing btw, hope she is fine 😊

@madshansson20 Месяц назад

2022 i did a 70.3. Should’ve DNS, but didn’t and completed. I was in tip top shape and ready to go, but an injury had started to show Its ugly face during the build up to the race. Ended up with a serious hip injury and here 2 years later still isnt a 100 %

@robertkelly28 Месяц назад

Started a 70.3 with COVID last year. Yes I know, not smart. DNF after the bike. Hard to give up after all the months of training.

@PixelVibe42 Месяц назад

If you've prepared for your event correctly, there should be little to no risk of DNF'ing on the day. But of course it can happen, and everyone needs to make their own decisions. For me, I had a hard lesson in this. I race track (omnium). I came off in one race 'because it was a bit hard' and was told in no uncertain terms by my coach "not to come off unless I was taken off". That changed my mindset permanently. In one race months later I was dying, but refused to come off - but I did slow and fell off the back. Then, other riders started to drop out. I managed a second wind and pulled off a top 10 finish purely because of numbers and not quitting.

@Kimberlietriracer25 Месяц назад

There's a difference between stopping and quitting. I have stopped and walked and finished on a day where my HRV had steadily dropped over a week to 30 ( mine runs at 49-56). I felt terrible. I shouldn't have raced, but I was doing it with my team, and I felt obligated, so I walk/ran and got to impromptu coach a first-timer who was going to DNF get across the line too, besides, my car was at the finish line. I might as well keep going. I think there is something to be said about encouraging those struggling around you. Yes, it's a race and a personal battle. The outcome is yours and yours alone, but, there is something to be said about letting others draft off you. I've even seen Sam Long do it. For me, that race was a success, even though it was a loss.

@rekrapadept Месяц назад

I broke both my big toenails at mile 10 in my half marathon. Still finished even though i had to go pure heelstrike the rest of the way. I will have to size up my shoes for the next race I guess.

@trailsandbeers Месяц назад

The goal is to get to the start line, what happens after that is not so important. Training races and B races it really doesn't matter and the decision comes down to is it better for my A race to push through or to stop and get a beer... My A race I will not ever quit unless I am either timed out at a cut-off, at risk of dying or causing permanent injury if I carry on, or literally cannot put one foot in front of the other.

@KevinHanna Месяц назад

I love that the roll of the die was pointless. Odds are for, even against.... what are you Mark? Odds.

@pcservicelondon Месяц назад

My toughest race was last year in Portugal, in August I ran 43K in the mountains. It took me 7h to complete the race, it was climb most of the time. really, really hard. There was one section when you run for around 5K downhill then you turn around and go back 5K up. this was in the baking sun around 13:00 - 14:00 it was the hottest part of the day. I was super overheating and I thought that if I stopped there that might be the end of me as I was in the middle of nowhere, and there were no close by roads or people. I had at least 5K with no one in sight. When I finally finished the climb my fingers were swollen so much I had to remove my ring as it started to cut into my flesh. In this situation, if I stopped that could be the end of me, so I ran and walked till I finished the race :)

@phillamb8808 Месяц назад

If you DNF once does it make it easier to do it again when the going gets tough?

@SBoots29 Месяц назад

DNF for health reasons I agree. However how many times have you started a run and figured the easy way out is to just stop. Training the mind is also one of the elements of Swim Bike Run. Cheers

@marie-louisekarlander2366 Месяц назад

I got one DNF in San Diego Superfrog, wasn’t my first race. I did 10 IM and many 70.3 but Superfrog. DNF in the swim, I come few seconds too late for the second lap in the swim. 13 m long waves and 3 m high become to difficult for me. I cried for 6 h . The training season after I punished myself with swim under the water for 15 m every time I was swimming. Good subject to talk about Marie-Louise

@BruceWayne-us3kw Месяц назад

Yes. I think it's fine to DNF if you really have to. If it's for safety concerns.

@mybikeismyhappyplace 18 дней назад

#tritodisagree Flat vs Clipless pedals for a duathalon

@treesoul00 Месяц назад

My sister was in a Spartan in tx heat where a guy passed during the race. She saw him when he was almost gone and it traumatized her. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I mean if that’s your goal lol I always thought it would be fun to go out in the mountains back in some cave and end up a skeleton wearing a smart watch and great running shoes for someone to find in 200 years lol

@barretwaltz6631 Месяц назад

For most of us, triathalon is a hobby, so if there's an injury, it wouldn't be worth pushing through to serious injury. Otherwise, I'd take DFL over DNF every time.

@larrylem3582 Месяц назад

Judging what other people do that has nothing to do with you is pretty sad. The summary at the end made sense.

@TomK32 Месяц назад

DNF is still better than DNS.

@gtn Месяц назад

Love that! 🙌

@stellarhorse 29 дней назад

I had my first DNS last year and my first DNF (timed out, which wasn't mentioned in the video :) this year. The DNS definitely hurt WAY more 😢

@molochz Месяц назад

Who tf is David Goggins and why do people always mention him?

@jonathanzappala Месяц назад

A navy seal ultra runner people idolize for some reason. Seems like just another coach with books to me.

@julieburton7393 29 дней назад

A simple google search will answer that for you

@molochz 29 дней назад

@julieburton7393 I don't want some nobody influencer clogging up my feed. I think I'll pass thanks.

@DanielCastro-nw7bj 29 дней назад

The next question will be. Is finishing a 70.3 in 7 hours really an accomplishment? Keeping the argument of this trend of just signing up to a 70.3 ironman and post it all becoming more and more trendy. In my opinion, finishing in 7 hours means you should not have signed up in the first time. There are other types of racing less demanding