One on None

Have you ever played any sport one on one with someone? Let's look at Basketball for instance. I take the ball at the top of the key and stare you down. My only task is to get around you and put the ball in the hoop. If I am successful, you lose, if I'm unsuccessful, I lose. We repeat this, alternating who has the ball until finally one of us reaches a predetermined score and becomes the winner of the game, bragging rights included.

Being a very competitive person, I love taking people on one on one. It's a rush, it's a thrill, but sometimes... I lose. And I don't like losing. One on one is fun right up until you score the last point and I lose, then it stinks, and I never want to play again (until tomorrow). While I believe there is a beautiful niche for one on one competition, I've learned to favor a new game: one on none.

This is where running comes in. Running is a one on none game. As a runner, you can be in a race with thousands of other people and not care one bit about who beats who to the finish line. Your entire concern is getting to the finish line. This is why this is a one on none game. There is no opponent to face down, no person to be better than, it's you against your body, it's you against what you once believed would never be possible.

As I mentioned before, I'm very competitive by nature. I love being able to say I won! As a runner, I get to say that every single time I go out. Think about it. If I'm trying to run my fastest time, I either do it, or I run slower than my own time. Either way, I win, either current me or past me totally dominated that run. I can feel great about my run today or great about my run yesterday. If I'm trying to run further than I ever have before, all I have to do is take one more step than I did yesterday and I win again. If my goal is to run more often than I did last month, that is totally in my power and up to me. In one on one you can play great and still lose, in one on none you are completely in control of the outcome.

Running is a passion for so many people because it allows us to push ourselves beyond what we think we could ever do. Competition is an amazing driver of success, and when you are competing against yourself that driver becomes even more amplified. Think back to the last time you ran a PR (that's Personal Record for the newbies). How great did that feel? At least for me it's better even than beating someone in one on one. Beating yourself gives the greatest satisfaction because you know you've improved. Whether you run a 5k in 18 minutes or 1k in 30 if you do it 5 seconds faster next week you can feel totally accomplished. That is the joy of one on none.

So if you're sick of always losing (or making others lose), go compete against yourself. See how great you can become! What you think is impossible now will one day seem simple and enjoyable if you stick with it. Keep competing and keep pushing yourself. That's just one of the many joys of running! And if you see me sprinting towards my home one of these days, cheer me on, because I'm probably on the verge of doing the impossible again! See you out there...