To time or not to time...

When I enter a race they are generally timed. That is to say there is some kind of timing device to tell me my start and end time. I like to keep track and challenge myself to do better the next race; even if it's only by a minute (or sometimes even half a minute). While I enjoy the non-timed events (i.e., The Color Run) I know I don't push myself, I just go along at a leisurely pace until it's over.

When I read this blog post from BKB Limited it made me think about the difference between merely participating and actually competing. One the one hand I think any event that gets people off the couch and moving is good. It shouldn't matter if it's timed or not. On the other hand I see his point about the lack of investment in training to see a payoff in the finishing time. Do we need competition to make us push ourselves? What about if it's just competition with ourselves?