While working out on my own this weekend, I was thinks about racing and training and what drives different personalities in training and on race day. I am curious to see what really drives most of you.
I'll start. Largely my interest be it in sport/academics/work has been to push myself to my limit for the things I want to push myself in. If I am ON and feeling like pushing I will dig myself into the ground to the point of breaking (done that too many times, so a bit more experienced and older, I can rein myself in).
I find being out with others is very helpful to pull the final few percent out of me. In a workout with someone stronger, I'll use that as a carrot to push myself, or I'll set the computrainer metal man to a slightly higher wattage than I can achieve to try and chase it. But in head to head battle, it's rare that I care "ENOUGH" about beating the other guy to get 1st on whatever podium. I am generally happy with a second or third if i know I emptied myself. I am not happy with 1st if I knew I could have done better. I can be equally happy with 75th place in a big event knowing that was all I had
But generally, I'll just push myself towards my self generated goals. They might be a time in a race, or stupid things like running 100 days in a row or as was the case last year, the crazy idea to swim 100K per month every month all year.
I "used" to do a ton of racing and thought I would miss it since I have not done a race in 18 months, but I actually find myself not missing head to head competition. Just doing TT's' on the bike, or water against my own times seem to be equally motivating. I was actually a bit surprised by that, but now I realize this is why going back to track in high school, I could not be too bothered if I got a gold or was 4th or 5th in an event. For other guys it was like the end of the world because they were motivated to beat the other guy. I get that mentality, because I can also find myself racing the other guy in the other lane at the pool, or peering at the speed that the guy in the health club is running at beside me (yeah, I know pathetic, but at least I admit it). Maybe I just like to be in the "range" of where the competition is going on. I don't need to win it, but I want to push myself to be in that mix.
Related to this many years ago I have a funny story of this guy who has raced as a pro in cycling and tris. Well the run starts off at 10 min miles and the guy is half stepping me, so pull up even and now we're running 9 min miles, so he starts half stepping me, so I pull even, and now we're going 8:30's, so back to running even and now we're running 7:30's. Pretty soon I am being half stepped at low 6 min mile pace (it's when I used to run reasonably fast), so now I invent an excuse about having to tie my shoes and then we start at 8:30's....and this process itself again...a while later, we're in the low 6's again.
So I end the run, and I said, "You realize what I did to you?". He replied, "No?". I said, "I kept pulling up even with you to see if you'd half step me again, and each time you jacked up the pace and did". He replied, "I can't help it, it does not matter what is going on, I need to be in first place. It can't stop myself from that". I guess that's why he was a pro athlete and not a tourist. Meanwhile, I was just having fun is "2nd/first loser/last place"
I'll start. Largely my interest be it in sport/academics/work has been to push myself to my limit for the things I want to push myself in. If I am ON and feeling like pushing I will dig myself into the ground to the point of breaking (done that too many times, so a bit more experienced and older, I can rein myself in).
I find being out with others is very helpful to pull the final few percent out of me. In a workout with someone stronger, I'll use that as a carrot to push myself, or I'll set the computrainer metal man to a slightly higher wattage than I can achieve to try and chase it. But in head to head battle, it's rare that I care "ENOUGH" about beating the other guy to get 1st on whatever podium. I am generally happy with a second or third if i know I emptied myself. I am not happy with 1st if I knew I could have done better. I can be equally happy with 75th place in a big event knowing that was all I had
But generally, I'll just push myself towards my self generated goals. They might be a time in a race, or stupid things like running 100 days in a row or as was the case last year, the crazy idea to swim 100K per month every month all year.
I "used" to do a ton of racing and thought I would miss it since I have not done a race in 18 months, but I actually find myself not missing head to head competition. Just doing TT's' on the bike, or water against my own times seem to be equally motivating. I was actually a bit surprised by that, but now I realize this is why going back to track in high school, I could not be too bothered if I got a gold or was 4th or 5th in an event. For other guys it was like the end of the world because they were motivated to beat the other guy. I get that mentality, because I can also find myself racing the other guy in the other lane at the pool, or peering at the speed that the guy in the health club is running at beside me (yeah, I know pathetic, but at least I admit it). Maybe I just like to be in the "range" of where the competition is going on. I don't need to win it, but I want to push myself to be in that mix.
Related to this many years ago I have a funny story of this guy who has raced as a pro in cycling and tris. Well the run starts off at 10 min miles and the guy is half stepping me, so pull up even and now we're running 9 min miles, so he starts half stepping me, so I pull even, and now we're going 8:30's, so back to running even and now we're running 7:30's. Pretty soon I am being half stepped at low 6 min mile pace (it's when I used to run reasonably fast), so now I invent an excuse about having to tie my shoes and then we start at 8:30's....and this process itself again...a while later, we're in the low 6's again.
So I end the run, and I said, "You realize what I did to you?". He replied, "No?". I said, "I kept pulling up even with you to see if you'd half step me again, and each time you jacked up the pace and did". He replied, "I can't help it, it does not matter what is going on, I need to be in first place. It can't stop myself from that". I guess that's why he was a pro athlete and not a tourist. Meanwhile, I was just having fun is "2nd/first loser/last place"
