Recognizing Who The Real Enemy Is

Most of you know me as a fierce competitor in races, as one who will pass you if I can. It doesn't really matter about your age or gender. It doesn't matter if you are in my age group or not. In a race I am out to pass every person I can. That is, to me, just the nature of our sport.

There are those who think it is not good form to pass someone near the end of a race, especially if they are not in your age group. I confess to you that I do not hold that view. So I have made that mad dash for the finish line with fifty year old men and with ten year old boys. There have been times, even in a race, when I have backed off in order to be with someone who was struggling; but I admit that is an exception. I hope I have proper sympathy for others; but I usually feel that the proper time for that is after the race is over. So, old or young, crippled or well, I enter a race to pass every one that I can.

Yet, I clearly recognize that you are not the enemy. You are not even my real competitor, no matter how fast you run. My hardest competitor is ME. I am running against myself, hoping that I can go home pleased with what I have done. If I can do that, this is my victory.

My real enemy is that small voice inside that tells me somewhere in every race to quit...to give up...at least to back away. It insists that it is not worth the effort. That it doesn't really matter how I place today. That perhaps my strongest competitors are not even present. Sometimes the voice is only a whisper, subtle and beguiling. At other times it sounds as loud as a foghorn; but it is ALWAYS there, in the background of my thinking. When I yield to that little voice, even a first place trophy does not ease the pain.

I believe, therefore, that racing demands the best that we have. It does Not demand that we win anything; but it insists on our best effort. I subscribe to the philosophy of that coach who told his students: "If you have anything left at the finish line, you have already made a mistake, for you should have used it up in the race." When you give it your best, you simply can't be defeated. Oh, you may not win a trophy; but you have your victory nevertheless.

Sometimes a well-meaning friend has advised me: "Why don't you jog through this one? You have no real competition here. Why push yourself?" I know the friend means well and I do not fault his thinking. He just doesn't understand who my real competition is. For me, there is no victory if I can’t feel good about myself; and that comes only from doing the best that I can under the circumstances. Just winning a trophy was never what I had in mind when I came.

Notice that this does not rule out proper pacing. There are times when you are not up to an all-out effort. You may know that you are borderline to injury, so that this is not the time to press too hard. You may be recovering and realize that you must return slowly to where you were. Circumstances may have caused you to miss certain training sessions, so that you are not fully prepared for this event. You may have a really important race coming up, so that it is only the point of wisdom not to blow it in this one. Under these circumstances, smart running demands that you take certain precautions. I call this DOING YOUR BEST UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. So before the race you have to decide what it would take to leave you feeling good (or at least satisfied) with yourself. If you can attain that, you are already a winner. Being announced in first place could not add much to your victory.

That is where the real enemy comes in. Your real enemy is discouragement. Getting down on yourself. Doing less than your best. Refusing to cut yourself any slack for bad days and necessary recovery time. Once you recognize and face your real enemy, you will not be as easy to defeat anymore. You will still have your had days, to be sure. There will be times when that little voice inside will not be denied; but the struggle will make you stronger.

Negative thoughts come to us all. Our best defense is to decide in advance what our answer will be. How uplifting it will be to your spirit if you can say: "I'm going to give it my best. I will not defeat myself; and those ahead can't be sure that I am not going to catch them until they actually cross the finish line. "Until then, PRESS ON!