If you try to run at another's pace then it's most likely that you will get out of breath and you will want to give up half way. If you keep running at your own pace then you will be less likely to quit half way through and less likely to cause yourself damage. If you run your race constantly watching another person then you might feel intimidated and you won't run at your best. The worst part is if you run your race with your eyes fixed on your opponent then you become distracted, your opponent is focused on getting their end result, so you need to focus on your end result too. If you run your race with the end goal in sight, focused, determined and resilient then you will accomplish what you set out to achieve. This same principle applies to everyday life: focus on your life and stop watching how fast other people are going, stop competing with everyone else and focus on your own progression
In the words of an athlete, Kerry says:
'Set your own goals and don't compare yourself to others. Have patience and know it will take time and it's about daily improvements to make the bigger picture. The goal will always remain the same but the path to get there may not always be as planned or expected. The success is not the end result but the journey. In my journey to be the best athlete I can be personally, I've had to make tough decisions such as; changing coaches and changing jobs to facilitate "the bigger picture" but along the way you grow as a person, make new friendships and improve. Keep a diary and take pictures so you can document and look back and remind yourself that there has been progress'
Get through life at your own pace and speed, give it your best shot (after all you only get one chance).
Do your personal best!
Have confidence in each stride and each step because it's not about who you are up against, it's about using everything within you to cross the finish line knowing you couldn't have given it a better shot than you did.
Run your race with power
Run your race with courage
Run your race knowing that you can do it!
'The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.'