SparkPoints: (115,146)
Fitness Minutes: (67,880)
Posts: 2,344
10/31/12 11:29 P

How do I figure out which race I signed up for? I know that sounds stupid, but it was quite some time ago and I've been dealing with injury since and just figured I wouldn't be able to post any results. However, I am now signed up for a "live" 5K on November 3, so can use those results, but would hate to post 5K results if I signed up for the virtual 10K. Hmmmm, maybe that's what happened in some of these cases?

current weight: 4.0  over

5 2.5 0 -2.5

-5

Posts: 1,484
10/31/12 10:12 A

TIMOTHY, Athlinks is responsive to these situations IF the Race Director is as well. I've been in quite a few races that were found to be short/long. Athlinks will automatically pick up the new distance IF the race results show the actual distance. Even if the race results don't show it, the RD can contact Athlinks to override the recorded distance.

So your complaint should be with the RD, not Athlinks.

Here's a typical example: The 2012 High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon which Athlinks correctly lists as a 12.1M race (yes, an entire mile short)! That would have been quite an unbreakable "HM" PR for me!

Posts: 3,471
10/30/12 11:58 P

Nancy, I have this nasty stain on my Athlinks. There is a 5k posted at 23:54. Say what? It turns out that the course was short by more than 0.3 mile. That is 10%!

Now I will never make a legitimate 5k PR. (Of course I will, but it won't reflect as such on Athlinks.) I will always pursue that 24 minute 5k.

76 Days until:  Rock ''''n'''' Roll Dublin Half Marathon

100 75 50 25

0

Posts: 9,149
10/30/12 5:18 P

Thanks Coach Nancy. It's funny. Yesterday I was out running and using my MayMyRun app on my iphone. Well, it wasn't working correctly b/c it said I was running 8:20 min/mile. I knew that wasn't possible. It said I did 5.38 miles in 45 mins. Uh, yeah, right!! I knew what time I started it that didn't add up (had my heart rate monitor on). So, I added the 10 mins it was off and put the mileage into maps on sparks and worked it out. What would I have benefited if I put it in wrong.

current weight: 124.6

128 123.5 119 114.5

110

SparkPoints: (158,833)
Fitness Minutes: (112,042)
Posts: 46,222
10/30/12 5:10 P

Hi Chana,

Many members track up to seven days in advance of the day's date which allows them to have so many fitness minutes...Sadly many members don't know that a 5K is 3.1 miles and what a respectable time is for running a distance of that length. In my 7 years of running, I have yet to post a sub 26 minute 5K, but hey, it really only matters to me, right?

I hope this helps!

Coach Nancy

Posts: 9,149
10/30/12 5:07 P

I often wonder how so many people have so many spark minutes in a week when you can only earn 120 minutes in a day. That doesn't make sense to me!! Can anyone explain? And, I agree with the posting of the times. I, too, get upset when I see times that are just not realistic. But, I know what I'm doing and how long it takes me. I guess that's all that matters!!

current weight: 124.6

128 123.5 119 114.5

110

Posts: 256
10/30/12 4:26 P

I've noticed the same thing, and it annoys me too. Hopefully the people who do it by accident will be more careful in the future. If it's not by accident, I doubt if our carping will make any difference to them one way or the other.

SparkPoints: (50,527)
Fitness Minutes: (39,151)
Posts: 3,130
10/30/12 4:01 P

I'd be thrilled to run a 5k in 26 minutes, let alone twice the distance!

I'm a little confused about how someone can not know what the distances are by the time they find their way to the virtual race reporting and are actually running/walking any kind of distance, but I will continue to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am not competing against anyone but myself anyway.

current weight: 143.7

144.1 142.275 140.45 138.625

136.8

Posts: 534
10/30/12 3:17 P

That is unfortunate that people are confused or intentionally reporting false times. The optimist in me thinks that people may be confused and doing their pace incorrectly. On the other hand, if it is intentional, then they are only cheating themsleves in not completing their race or being dishonest in its results rather than trying to strive for improvement. It's their loss.

Feel better.

current weight: 150.2

152 146.5 141 135.5

130

SparkPoints: (158,833)
Fitness Minutes: (112,042)
Posts: 46,222
10/30/12 2:12 P

I think they don't know the distance...a 22 minute 5K is a sub 8 minute per mile pace...just chock it up to them not knowing.

Coach Nancy

Edited by: SP_COACH_NANCY at: 10/30/2012 (14:13)

Posts: 191
10/30/12 1:40 P

I don't know how many of you do these--Sparkpeople often has a "Virtual Race" challenge, where you sign up and commit to train for, and then walk or run a 5K or 10K race on your own and post your results. It is a great idea and a nice motivator to get people going. I am running anyway, and there are usually prizes, so I sign up and post my results.

This is going to sound like carping, and maybe it is, but I get annoyed when people post obviously phony times. Yes, it is self-reporting, and yes, it is the honor system. The prizes are random, they are not awarded on times. So what is the motivation for this?

Someone recently posted that they walk/jogged their virtual 5K in 22 minutes. Really? Yes, it is possible to run a 5K in 22 minutes, and that would be a very impressive run time. I don't see how you could have walk intervals in it and still achieve that time. Somebody else posted that they ran a 10K in 26 minutes for the virtual race in August--again, really?? He should have been running in the Olympics in London, since that time beat the world record for 10K.

Why do people do this? Is it impressing anyone? Just askin'...