Competing Against Yourself

“THE PRINCIPLE IS COMPETING AGAINST YOURSELF. IT’S ABOUT SELF-IMPROVEMENT, ABOUT BEING BETTER THAN YOU WERE THE DAY BEFORE.” -STEVE YOUNG

Steve Young has been on my mind a lot lately, with the 49er’s doing so well this season.  He’s my favorite quarterback, with amazing statistics that are often overlooked by a fan base that reveres Joe Montana. This quote is meaningful to me because of the concept of self-improvement over competing against others.  It also mirrors something my dear hubby says to me a lot - to not diminish my accomplishments by comparing them to what others can do.

With that in mind, a few weeks ago I went to Mike’s Bikes in Petaluma, and bought a helmet and a single-bike rack for my hatchback. I was so nervous; I’m sure I sounded like an idiot to the sales clerk. Brought my purchases home and decided that was enough for one day. I was exhausted! The next day I got the helmet figured out, and went to get the bike out of the garage.  

Quick back story on the bike:  a few years ago we bought two bikes for the teenagers.  Boy quickly destroyed his, and because the girl didn't like to ride, he took over her bike.  Both kids have since moved out of the house, so I figured I’d appropriate the girl’s bike.  What I failed to predict was that the girl’s bike was half-destroyed as well.  So, instead of a bike ride that day it was another trip back to Mike’s Bikes. To their credit they didn't laugh at me when I brought it in. Estimated repair costs for two bad brakes & several broken spokes: $65. Lesson learned: don’t give teenagers nice things.

<- This is what my bike looks like now!
I hooked up with a training app for my smartphone called “Strava.”  It’s free, and works for walking, running, or cycling.  You can track progress against yourself (“personal best” times) or against others (fastest time on a route).  I took the bike out for a spin around town, and clocked in 7.8 miles in 45 minutes.  It was exhilarating! I had a blast riding around the neighborhood, and felt like I could have gone another 7 miles.  

Last week was my first “BRICK” which is basically a bike/run combo. For many beginning triathletes, the bike-to-run transition is the most difficult part of the race.  I rode for 4.2 miles, then ran for another 1.4.  Not impressive distances compared to others, but the point was to get used to coming off a bike and then getting my “runner’s legs” working. And I’ll try to remember the words of Steve Young & my husband: it doesn’t matter how I compare to others, I’m just working on making myself better than I was the day before.