Competition...

There's a great scene in the movie "Caddyshack" where the Judge (Ted Knight) approaches Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) and asks "Ty, what did you shoot today?" Ty modestly responds by saying, "Oh, I really don't keep score, Judge." The Judge then asks, "Well then, how do you measure yourself against other golfers?" Wittingly, Chevy's character Ty says, "By height!"

When I really think about that scene I think it can relate to running when we look at it from a competitive standpoint. When Ty responds, "By height", he is throwing out such an obtuse answer that it absolutely does not make sense. The answer the Judge was looking for was first a hard physical number, a score. Then when he didn't get it he was looking for reason. He himself was trying to establish how good he was compared to Chevy's character by associating a number to it. The same holds true for anything of a competitive nature because those of us who are competitive (and runners generally are) all want a ranking. How do we hold up to other runners, our peers, our age group?

In reality this is all okay. I mean when I run a race I want to be within the top percentage of finishers in my age group. I see a guy ahead of me with 500 yards to go, and I want to beat him. Someone is gaining right behind me, just footsteps away, and I try to kick it into another gear. When its all said and done, I want to give my competitive best.

For my fellow runners, I don't get caught up in competing with them individually. That would drive me nuts. When I golf with others, I know that each player is at a different level. The same holds true for my running buddies. Collectively we can almost guess to the minute what the spread will be between us at any given race. We also know that at any given race, one of us could have a great day, or just bottom out. In golf, you know what people shoot, and can guess the score. There are good days and bad too...however, there is a handicapping system. In running, we don't handicap...it would be too difficult. Inately the competitive drive to "catch" the next fastest runner kicks in. So this takes us back to the beginning. How do we measure ourselves against other runners?

My answer is simple..."By height."

When it all comes down to it, my competition isn't one of my fellow run club buddies, or the guy just ahead or behind me in a race. Sure, those mechanisms help me to push myself, and in the end, that is what matters most. Am I pushing myself greater than before? This is the true essence of competition as I see it. I am competing against myself and nothing else. How is this measured best? By the clock...period! Am I running better, stronger, and faster than last race, last month, last year? If I threw up a PR in my last 10K, can I beat it in my next one? Will I have a better track workout next week? Will I improve my overall well being and awareness of what my body can do? Can I push new limits and reach new heights beyond what I ever thought I was capabale of doing before? Competing against that is what sparks the fire and drives my competitive nature.

This is how I measure myself against other runners...how about you?