5K

I have never been much of a runner , but I am willing to move past that. There is a 5k coming up in a month and I am wondering if I should give it a go. I can make the distance but won't be competitive. I see times posted from last year at like 20-21 minutes. I know I can do 40 and maybe pu**** to 35. Is this worth it to try or should I wait until I can compete? Let me know what you think.

You need to decide what is important to you. 

It sounds like from your note that competing is important to you.  Is it important to be competitive?  If that were important to me, I would have never started running, and I would have stopped after my first event.  In my neck of the woods, most of the older runners seem to be former track or olympic runners.  I do not even run in the same stratosphere with those people. 

If it is important to set a goal and accompli**** I would say go for it.  For me starting an event and crossing the finishing line are thrills that are undescribable.  Time doesn't matter.  Having fun and achieving results are important.   The worst that can happen if you sign up for the 5k and come in last is that you have to help take the water tables down (lol).  If you sign up you have something to work towards.

Decide what makes you tick and go for it.
Rob

Try it, everyone starts somewhere.
I bet you will find that you run it faster than you anticipate.  At least this has been the case for me.
The excitement and adrenaline of race day can take you out faster than you intend, just maintain your composure and run what's comfortable.

Your first race is the building block.  Do it in whatever time it takes.
Then the next time you have something to compete against.  You can always challenge yourself that way.  You may never do 5-6 minute miles for 3 miles, but you can always try to improve your last performance.
No matter what happens, your first race time will be your personal best.  At least until the next race.

Scott

i'm just about as competitive as they come, but i don't have any illusions that i will ever win a 5K or any other race.  i just go out and compete against myself, and try to improve my time, my rank etc.  that seems to be good enough for me. 

as far as when to start, i had similar thoughts as you,  and i still have this in my head when i start anything new.  i like to be in a position that i've trained and prepared more than i need to just finish, i like to shoot my training goals to be in the middle of the pack for my first events, so far with decent success.  my new goals are to get into the top 10% in the races i'm experienced in (like sprints or 5Ks) or even to podium in my best events like sprints.  because of this, my first 5K was last memorial day, i started running last March.  it really depends on you and what you have determined to be the most important aspects of competing.  there is a very real positive social aspect to it as well.  best of luck, given what you've been posting for workouts, your fitness has to be top notch!

 I was in the same boat as you a couple months back.  I was hoping for around the same times and ran it a lot faster than I thought.  From how you work out, I bet you will too.  I would go for it.  I can tell you we all say we only compete against ourselves, but there will always be some folks out there running near you to race against - I sprinted right past this dude at the finish in my last one - that will teach the next  4th grader from trying to beat me!  JK :)  

Go for it - its pretty addicting, and so far at least int he circles by me, lots of good folks who you can learn a bit from too (most of whom will seriously respect how tough a journey this has been for us from where we came from).

Thanks guys for the input. I think I will give it a try. It is 4/29 so I still have a little time to improve b4 it.

The only person you should compete with is yourself. Get out there and have fun!

I'm with Dan - I compete with myself and no one else. The act of even entering a race is a huge win for me! 

Go for it!  Have a great time, do a comfy pace...and have a blas****ching as you improve each time!

Go for it man. Once you are out there, you will find a bunch of ways to make it competitive. Picking off someone in the last mile is one way, PR's are another. There are age group awards and some races have clydesdale divisions for bigger people.