In the height of my running I trained to compete. I ran intervals, hills, speed, and long distance. I did pushups and situps. I ate right. I did all of this to win.
My hard work paid off. First, I began placing in my age group at 5Ks. Then 10Ks. After a while I began placing in the overalls. Third, second, and eventually, and only once I might add, I won a 5K.
Now, years later, I am slowly gaining my competitive fervor. This time around, something has changed a bit. I run each race to win, but not against others. I race to PR.
I train with this mentality. I train to best my personal record. Come race day I want to destroy my slower self. Does that mean I don’t want to win? Hell no. I want to finish ahead of as many others as I can. But that won’t always be the case.
And, if you ask Reese Bobby about his famous one liner he’ll tell ya that it:
Doesn’t make any sense at all, you can be second, third, fourth…hell you can even be fifth.
And you will. Or at least I will. And I’m OK with that because the most important thing for me to remember is that I am my most difficult competitor. Everyone else is just a spectator.