{"id":28402,"date":"2015-03-20T07:15:09","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T11:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=28402"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:03:25","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:03:25","slug":"running-dnf-race-when-to-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-dnf-race-when-to-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"Real Talk: When It’s Actually OK to Quit a Race"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nowhere is the saying \u201clife is what happens to you when you\u2019re busy making other plans\u201d more true than in endurance sports. For a race like a half-marathon<\/a> or marathon, you often need to sign up several months in advance just to secure your spot.<\/p>\n

Over those next few months of training (oh, and that little thing called life), myriad obstacles can get in your way, from big projects at work to injury. But figuring out when you should take a DNS<\/a> (did not start), or even a DNF<\/a> (did not finish) can be a tough call to make \u2014 one that pro runner Ryan Hall<\/a>\u00a0made at last week’s L.A. Marathon, as he felt his lead slipping. When emotions ride high and intuition goes out the window, hear what our running experts have to say on whether you should \u2014 or shouldn\u2019t \u2014 toe the line.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Why Women Might Be Better at Running Marathons<\/a><\/p>\n

If You\u2019re Injured<\/b><\/h3>\n

<\/b>Runners are notorious for being a little creaky around the edges from the miles of wear and tear they put on their body. It\u2019s not uncommon to experience some degree of pain or soreness through the course of a training cycle. \u201cBut if the pain is increasing as you run or if it\u2019s at a moderate to severe level before you begin the run,\u201d says Michael Conlon, the owner of Finish Line Physical Therapy<\/a>, \u201cthen it\u2019s worth paying attention to.\u201d He recommends choosing a pain-free form of cross-training, such as biking or swimming, or running on an Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill<\/a> if you have access to one.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re training for a longer race, like a half-marathon or marathon, you should be even more wary about pushing through injury<\/a>. \u201cI’m overly cautious and would recommend a runner not run the race if an injury is casting doubt on their ability to finish, run without pain, or otherwise have an enjoyable experience,\u201d says Jason Fitzgerald, a USA Track & Field certified coach and the founder of Strength Running.<\/a><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 30 Best Marathons in the Entire World<\/a><\/p>\n

You can look to see if your race offers options to defer until the next year or transfer your bib to someone else. If you still have friends or family competing in the race, you may want to go cheer them on \u2014 which is fine if that\u2019s what you\u2019re really<\/i> there to do. \u201cIf you\u2019re just there to torture yourself,\u201d says licensed clinical and sports psychologist Bhrett McCabe<\/a>, PhD, then don\u2019t do it. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see a race from the other perspective, so make sure you have a purpose if you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You Need to Take a DNF<\/b><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy calves were cramping, but it was more fatigue than injury. I still regret today that I dropped out.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/b>A DNF is always a very tough decision, says Fitzgerald, \u201cespecially as most runners love finishing races for the pride, camaraderie and potentially a nice medal. But it’s a good idea to stop and quit the race if a pain surfaces or persists that is sharp, stabbing, or otherwise very intense.\u201d It\u2019s likely you could cause additional damage by pushing through, further aggravating the injury, or creating new ones.<\/p>\n

Michele Gonzalez<\/a> made the call during the Staten Island Half Marathon last year that she\u2019d need to drop out. Her calf had cramped up at mile nine, and her stride changed in order for her to keep running. For her, \u201cFinishing a tune-up race was not the goal,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was to get 13.1 miles of hard, fast running and to practice pushing when things got tough.\u201d She decided to drop out because she believes no race is worth a serious injury.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Prevent Sports Injuries with Fitness “Prehab”<\/a><\/p>\n

She also took a DNF at the New Jersey Marathon last year, due to issues with nerves, fueling and hydration<\/a>. It was a goal race for Gonzalez, who dropped out when she realized she wouldn\u2019t hit the time she was aiming for. Making the call wasn\u2019t clear-cut, though. \u201cYou need to differentiate between hitting the wall and having something actually hurt,\u201d she says. \u201cMy calves were cramping, but it was more fatigue than injury. I still regret today that I dropped out.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You\u2019re Undertrained<\/b><\/h3>\n

Of course, sometimes the problems present themselves much earlier than race day. It happens: You\u2019re signed up for the marathon, but it\u2019s just not in the cards. Life somehow got in the way, and there\u2019s no chance you can run 26.2 miles in one shot. But if you\u2019re lucky, your event might have other options like a half-marathon, 10-mile race or 5K.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome athletes might decide to drop down to a shorter race,\u201d says Dr. Amanda Visek<\/a>, a sports psychologist at George Washington University. If you\u2019ve made this decision far enough out, you can reduce your mileage and adjust your training for the new distance. She also recommends accepting and embracing the new race goal and then doing whatever is necessary in terms of mental or physical preparation<\/a> to meet your goal.<\/p>\n

If You\u2019re Not Ready to Race<\/b><\/h3>\n

“Take into consideration all of the variables at that moment \u2014 your training, conditioning, your next race \u2014 and begin to formulate a plan.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We know, we know \u2014 the Type A part of you doesn\u2019t want to hear this. But if you can still comfortably finish the distance, just not at a racing pace, you can always turn it into a more relaxed run. And sometimes, says McCabe, you will surprise yourself and run better than you could have hoped for.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is Your Race Training Giving You Anxiety?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cExpectations are entitlements, so they raise pressure and limit the ability to compete naturally,\u201d McCabe says. \u201cThey force you to read into each experience and evaluate how you are performing compared to your desires.\u201d Instead, he encourages his athletes to make \u201cdemands\u201d of themselves during the race, such as \u201cI know today will be difficult, but I am going to work to stay in the moment rather than worry about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the option of shifting your focus to help others. If you have a friend who\u2019s doing the race, maybe that means pacing them to a PR (if their fast pace is a more comfortable pace for you), an experience that can be nearly as rewarding as hitting your own personal best. Or, if you\u2019re really dead-set on just running for fun, turn the race into a game. How many pictures can you take? How many high fives can you get?<\/p>\n

Find Your Next Goal Race<\/b><\/h3>\n

Whether you\u2019ve skipped the race altogether or dropped down in distance or pace, you might be itching for your next adventure.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as someone drops out of a race, they can immediately begin to adjust their goal or begin a new goal for a different race,\u201d says Visek. “Take into consideration all of the variables at that moment \u2014 your training, conditioning, your next race \u2014 and begin to formulate a plan,\u201d says Visek.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t rush in prematurely. McCabe suggests waiting several days so that you\u2019re not registering based on an emotional reaction. Take some time to process what happened leading up to your dropping out or down.<\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019re avoiding racing out of fear, it\u2019s important to get back<\/a> out there sooner rather than later. \u201cWe know from anxiety research that the more we avoid [something], the stronger the fear is,\u201d McCabe says. \u201cThe longer you try to steer clear of this adversity, the worse the fear will become, so face it head on.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll know from your physical and mental training<\/a> when you\u2019re ready for your next race.<\/p>\n

Have you ever had to drop out of a race? Tell us about it in the comments below.<\/i><\/p>\n

Originally posted May 30, 2014. Updated March 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes life or injury can interfere with a runner\u2019s training plan. Here\u2019s how to figure out when it\u2019s OK to take a DNF (did not finish) and when to push through.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":29197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[104,203,144,111,110,108,341,357],"class_list":["post-28402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-goals","tag-half-marathon","tag-injury","tag-marathon","tag-race","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}