Monday, September 6, 2021

Who's Your Real Competition?


Who should we really be competing with?

Often times, it's difficult to know just where one belongs in the field of fellow runners. Whether you're just starting out, or have been running for awhile, it's tough to know just where you belong. 

Pin on a race bib, and it can get even more complicated.  All of these fellow racers toeing the start line; all from varied life experiences, genetic lines and training regimens...are any of them actually realistic competition for you or  me?

I have given this plenty of thought. After all, I have been lacing up my running shoes for 16+ years. Here's my take on who we (realistically) should be competing with....


---Someone who has a similar (if not exact) athletic ability as you.  
This person (if they even exist) will be very difficult to find.  Having a similar genetic composition as you will ensure neither of you will have an unfair advantage (or disadvantage). Yes, I'm playing the genetics card here. Like it or not, some runners are just more naturally gifted than others. Some can hold a 5:30 pace (easily) for a 5K, and others have to give it their all (or nearly die trying) to finish the same distance in twice the time. Neither is better (or worse) than the other, so it is foolish to compare their talents.

---Someone who has similar (if not exact) physical features as you. 
Genetics play into this as well. Two runners of different heights (in other words, who probably have legs of different lengths) will have to work differently...the taller one will probably have a longer stride (thus needing fewer steps to cover ground), and the shorter one will need to take more steps (but will have less "leg" weight to propel with each step). Does this all balance out? Not really (but it would be nice if it did). Also, keep in mind, being the same height does not guarantee they will share the same length of legs (not all torsos are created equal, by the way). And I haven't even touched on the body weight issue...people of equal heights quite often are not of the same weight, body fat percentage or muscle tone.



---Someone with a similar (if not exact) training plan. 
This will be the most challenging thing to match up with someone else.  Why? Because for every runner, there is a different desired method of training. All of us are created differently, as are our preferences, and most of us have experienced different challenges in our running. For example, Have they been running as long as you, or longer?  Is this particular event one they have raced before? Did they start their training on the exact same day as you? Did they follow the same plan (same weekly miles, same speed sessions, same cross-training, same diet)? Did they encounter any injuries while training (if so, hopefully they experienced the same injuries as you), or have they been injury-free?



---Someone with a similar (if not exact) family and/or social life as you. 
 Kids are big obstacles (in a very GOOD way) in training for a race, as are family and social obligations. There will be times when scheduled training runs may need rescheduling due to non-training events (vacations, dinners out, children's activities, etc.).  And, let's not forget friends!  Friends are a vital part of our well-being, and they deserve our time and attention as well. If you repeatedly neglect your friends (due to a "more important" training schedule), they will not be your friends much longer. The runner who is constantly training 24/7 may have an unfair advantage over those who occasionally choose other activities, so be mindful in choosing someone whose lifestyle is comparable to yours.

---Someone with a similar (if not exact) competitive drive.
 Some people thrive on constantly trying to run faster and further than other runners, some simply enjoy the passion of the sport in and of  itself. Trying to compete with others who are not in sync with your level of competitiveness will frustrate you to no end....you will either resent the other person's constant "need" to always finish ahead of you, or (conversely) you may think the other is not taking the sport seriously.


So.....do any of these "someones" exist? Probably not. No two runners have the same experiences (in running or in life). Also, very few share the same attributes, goals or priorities in their everyday existence. My advice, to new runners or anyone struggling to find their groove, is to not overthink it. Go ahead, race with other runners, but compete with yourself. Respect that all runners are not created equal, so they shouldn't expect equal results.  And, bottom line, run for yourself, but support your fellow runners. Celebrate their victories as well as your own.  Running is a privilege; be thankful you're able to do it.



What do you think? Have you ever tried to compete (intentionally or otherwise) with someone who had different aspirations? Have you ever felt like the one being "competed against?"

**some of this text is from a previous post, Who is My Ultimate Competitor?

I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I'm also linking with Debbie, DeborahLisaLaura and Jenn for the Runners' Roundup

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23 comments:

  1. "Compete with yourself"! Such great advice, Kim!
    In pre-Covid times we used to have a race series in Zurich consisting of 12 races per year. Obviously, you got to know the runners in your age group very well. Although friendly, it was very competitive and it got quite exhausting after a while.
    Now, I prefer competing against myself and comparing my times with previous ones.
    It's a lot less stressful! :-)

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    1. I agree! I don't consider myself competitive (among other runners), but I do compare my finish times from previous races (of the same event, that is). Even so...I have run some races numerous times (DAM to DSM, for example) and have never clocked the exact finish time...because the variable are always different (weather, my training, state of injury, fatigue, etc.).

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  2. I compete with myself. Of course during the races I try to be faster than the other runners of my a.g. but I don't have targets like, for instance, runners of my same group, co-workers ecc.
    However I become competitive if, while I am doing a workout, I meet some rude "Sunday runner" (we call Sunday runner the person who is not a runner but think to be "strong" and try to overtake a regular faster runner). I remember many years ago, I was running slowly with a friend to recover after a half marathon run the day before. A "Sunday Runner" overtake us screaming to a friend in slang "Ogni tanto je do (sometimes I do it)". Well, we overtook him, in reverse running, screaming: "Ogni tanto je do"!!!!

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    1. HA HA !! That's a great story! I have a tough time picking out others from my supposed age group...some gals whom I think are my age are actually much younger LOL

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  3. Yes I agree, You are your own opponent. But that's why I like 5 year age group awards. But even so how long you've been racing is even more important than age. I got better at first but now after 10+ years, I'm back where I started. But at least I'm still running.

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    1. I totally forgot to mention plateauing, but that is very real! I think it happens to all of us, at various times. I rode a very long plateau until recovering from my knee surgery...those 3+ months off really did my body well ;-)

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  4. When I first started running I used to focus on trying to see how I places in my age group and gender. Now that I run more for "fun", I just race against myself.

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    1. Oh gosh, preach! Pretty much every race where I've tried to focus on just having fun rewarded me with faster finish times. The stats on my wrist do not inspire or motivate me to run faster...they just stress me out.

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  5. I compete with myself simply because I'm in a different stage of life right now than I was when I was running 30+ miles a week. Heck I usually just get out there and do how many ever miles feel right for me at the moment. It takes the stress off and I enjoy it much more!

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    1. Running should be stress-free! As much as I was looking forward to my marathon this month, I was relieved to have it cancel on me because I was a little worried about my mileage (and the wonky hip/groin issue in recent weeks).

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  6. For the most part, it is, indeed, just competing with myself. Even if you do have a similar body type, you might still be very different runners! Just look at all the different body types in the Olympics.

    Great take on the subject prompt, Kim!

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    1. Agreed, we all have different bodies with different talents (and quirks LOL).

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  7. I'm not really competitive with other runners, although sometimes my husband has liked to challenge me in races! He is way more competitive than me. There are so many factors that play into how we run, so it really is impossible to compare ourselves to other runners.

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    1. You said it well...it is impossible to compare ourselves to others because we all come from different backgrounds and bring so many different "things" to the start line.

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  8. This is an excellent post, Kim. You hit so many great points and I totally agree with the sentiment" race with other runners, but compete with yourself."

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    1. Thank you, San! Your post had a lot of the same thoughts ;-) Comparison is such a time-waster...I'm really glad I didn't have social media around when I began my running journey.

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  9. I used to get upset when others would do better than me. Even more when they would be newer runners. Then I stopped caring and just focused on me. I realized everyone is different and has different goals and expectations. Now I compete against myself.

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    1. Competing with ourselves is really the only thing we have control of ;-)

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  10. I am just competing with myself these days! I used to try to pick out random people during a race to try to overtake for motivation but now I am just happy to finish without hurting myself!

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  11. Yep, myself. Like you said, it would be impossible to match up all the variables to find your perfect opponents. Having said that, it is fun to compete in your age group, especially as you get older- kind of like being rewarded for just hanging in there.

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  12. What an interesting take! My competition is usually just me. Or someone at a race or running event who I suddenly decide I must beat LOL!

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  13. So, after competing with just myself for the last 18 months, I realize that I like have another human being to run against. So I guess I would compete against other women of my age. It really doesn't matter ability/experience or really anything except the idea of pushing myself while running as best I can.

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  14. I do not compete against any directly, but in a race setting I will compete against those who end up around me in the final stretch.

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