Week Three: Competition

on one end of the spectrum, there are people who thrive on competition. nothing is as exciting as it is when you are against someone else. what are your strengths? who can you beat? are you faster, or are they? the motivation that comes from competition is often unmatched.

on the other end are those who shy from competition. they fear the attention of coming in first, the disappointment of coming in last, and simply shy away from being compared to others. i would have to place myself more in this category. i was not raised in competitive sports and i rarely found myself placed against someone in a physical challenge. now when i do enter a competition, i am easily intimidated and discouraged.

i am slowly trying to overcome this challenge. i do not enter very many competitions, but when i do, i am often filled with anxiety the week before and i have to remember that above all, i am doing this for fun. but even i have discovered benefits form competitive actives if i am in the right mindset. i try to let the event and those people around me build my energy and enthusiasm for the race, not detract from it. and in the moment (and afterwards) i do enjoy it. encouragement from other competitors and the excitement of the spectators really mean the world to me! i can not even express how much this influences my race. this year, at the gunner shaw 2011, as i was running up a particularly difficult hill, an elderly gentleman reminded me how great i was doing and that it was so wonderful i was out here trail running. his kind encouragement really boosted my motivation and that hill suddenly seemed not as steep.

i was also fortunate to run this race with friends again this year, and competing with those you respect and love often makes the experience that much more memorable. without a doubt, my favorite part of the race this year was coming around the corrner near the finish and seeing by good friend waiting for me.
"what are you doing?!" i yelled. "you're not supposed to wait!!"
"i know," she laughed. "but i wanted to finish the race with you!"

we raced across the finish line, linking arms and laughing, which confused the race volunteers to some degree.
"Girls, stay in order! Who finished first here!"
"We finished together!!" we shouted.
"no girls, this is very important. you don't understand."
"no, i don't think you understand. its not important. we don't care which order we are in".

...and maybe that is the value of competion.
you get out of it what you want to. if you can use it to psych you up and motivate your body and mind to race stronger and faster than you have in the past, then that's amazing. if you use it to push your boundaries, instil a few pre-race jitters, but throw it away at the end in favor of having more fun, than that is also just as amazing.

a sincere 'thank you' to all those involved in organizing an hosting this amazing race, as well as a thank you to all the competitors and spectators.

14.11.11: day 14
30min spin

15.11.11: day 15
45min walk

16.11.11: day 16
30min walk

17.11.11: day 17
30min spin

18.11.11: day 18
30min walk

19.11.11: day 19
Gunner Shaw 10km trail run (1:06)

20.11.11: day 20
30 min stretching
felt amazing after my run yesterday, but i still wanted to take it easy today. i thought some dedicated flexibility practice would be beneficial.