Should I Race?

As a web developer, I like to build things that solve real problems. The idea for “Should I Race?” originated from my years of running into the wind. Everyone trains so hard, sometimes travelling hours for a race, only to find strong headwinds that ruin their performance. This seemed like a waste of time and effort. I thought, “What if athletes could know about the wind before they leave?” This project provided an opportunity to create something genuinely beneficial for a specific group of individuals who are passionate about their sport.

The big problem for athletes is showing up to a competition and facing wind that hurts their race. A strong headwind can really slow you down, making it hard to get your best time. I wanted to make a simple website where an athlete could type in a track’s location and quickly see if there would be a good wind (a tailwind) or a bad wind (a headwind) on upcoming days. This would help them decide if the trip was worth it. To do this, I used the OpenWeather API to get weather data. Then, using JavaScript, I wrote code to look at the wind direction and speed from that data and tell users if it was a headwind or a tailwind. I built the whole site using WordPress.

“Should I Race?” now helps sprinters make smarter choices about their competitions. They can avoid races with headwinds, saving time and money, and focus on events where they can perform their best. It demonstrates how a simple website can make a significant difference for individuals pursuing their passions.