Hi XX,
I just wanted to drop you an email and let you know what I think about dropping out of a race. Once you start doing that it becomes easier to quit or drop out the next time you aren't feeling good or aren't in the position you want to be. It is a bad habit.
The only good reason to DNF is if both of your legs snap. The thing to remember is that while racing for 6th or 7th place is not very good from your point of view, there are plenty of people around who would love to be able to go that fast. By not finishing you give people the impression that you don't care. I know that's not what you want people to think and I know that's not how you feel. But that's how it looks.
If I dropped out of the race every time I was getting beat or felt bad I would only finish 2 or 3 races a year.
You have a great amount of ability and I don't want to see you become one of the many elite athletes who simply drops out when the day isn't going the way you want it. You made the trip, you paid the entry fee, you should finish the race even if you have to crawl across the finish line. Every race is another chance to learn something about yourself.
This is just my two cents. You can drop out all you want as that would simply ensure that I finish ahead of you. But that's not what you want, is it?
Take care, train smart,
Marty Gaal