caution live frogs says:

ted, with regards to the Starling fitness challenges - should it just be expected that anyone running over the window in a given week should voluntarily join the next level up? I was going to add a comment in this week's challenge but realized that neither of the 40 mi+ runners usually averaged that much per week. I mean, if I knew I was going to hit 40 miles in one week, I would probably want to move myself into the 30 - 40 mi challenge, but wouldn't want to be in that challenge every week (my feet would fall off!)

 ted says:

Sorry CLF, I forgot to switch on e-mail notify. Yes, I agree with you. You should voluntarily step up to the next level. First week they ran I posted that I may break 20mi for the week (for the first time) and Laura suggested that maybe I should move up to that level. So I did that as it was only fair. I have seen people put in good mileage (in the 20 - 30 bracket) to be beaten by 40mi+ runners. Sort of defeats the challenge for the guy with little legs.

As far as I am concerned, I aim to train a certain distance each week and will enter the weekly challenge that that distance falls within.

 manical says:

I don't do major mileage so I am not really sure why elite runners would join lesser challenges... I use the challenges for just that.. a challenge. Sometimes I feel tired, bored or lazy(or any combination of the three), I log on and see that there are others out in front of me... It's a motivational tool to just go out and run.
But, yes, it is nice to be in challenges where the top runner is not 4 times further than you are. Don't mean to pick on ashjoy, but she's the closest in mileage to me and I see to find out what her mileage is everytime I view this site... I want to at least maintain that pace... Then again... I'll pick anyone that is a little further than me and try to catch up... It's just human nature. If someone is 4x my distance, my mind usually says... "why bother to catch up"... I know some of the more competitive spirits would actually try to compete, but there are people that just want to be able to see the top dog in their group instead of running in the dust...

 BeerRunner says:

Hi,

Misteryeah, you are probably like me and enjoy a challenge and pushing yourself, not everyone is like that. Why not leave beginners challenges to beginners, it can encourage them to try harder and build upto the next level.

Constantly loosing might make them give up. Then the sport looses their support.

You cannot run a marathon on your first run, you need to build upto it, give them a chance.

Ande.

 spikey:) says:

Hi folks, I think there should be an option to automatically delete people off a challenge if they go over the challenge limit by say 15/20%. A couple of weeks ago I started an open challenge on the Nike+ site to run 20 miles in 4 weeks (I'm just getting started really) I ended the challenge early as the leader board was headed up with distances of 70 miles plus.
I don't mine supporting those that do well but why take on a challenge if your not going to exert yourself to achieve it?

 RunnerGirl77 says:

Spikey, I know that on Runner+, the host has the option to delete participants. I cannot say for sure whether Nike+ has that option, but having read through this thread, it appears that this problem of high-mileage runners being in low-mileage challenges happens more often on the Nike+ site than here. Perhaps it's because Runner+ is not a huge corporation, and has more of a "personal" touch (a positive attribute, if you ask me).
Now, with the Starling challenges, I know that if a runner overshoots the mileage parameters, they automatically disqualify themselves from that competition. I've been there myself; I overshot my mileage goal by .03 of a mile, just a few steps to some, but enough to put me over. I know that I shouldn't win that challenge, and for this next week, I've entered into the next level up. I'll finish towards the bottom, but that's where my training is at.
Remember, the most important person that you're competing against is yourself. Any run, whether it's uploaded, lost, entered manually, whatever, COUNTS in your BODY as long as you ran it. Challenges are supposed to be motivational, but they are, after all, meant to be fun motivation. Ignore those who are just in it to blow others away. You're always a winner when you lace up those trainers!

 Griffilicious says:

I join both level two and level three each week (usually) since I'm never sure where I'm going to fall.

 Klo says:

I really see the challenges as a great method for those who are *already* capable of meeting the challenge but need a psychological boost to get off their butts and put in the miles (or put in the speed). That's my case. I know I can do long runs, but my goal is to get miles in by consistently getting out there. Challenges help me with that.

As others have mentioned, they aren't there to get people who are not ready to run a half marathon to decide that on Saturday they are gonna "just do it".

The hard part, though, is that human nature is to think more like the latter and ignore the former.