How do you balance the desire to beat your personal best with the pressure to compete against others? Do you find yourself getting caught up in comparing your times to others, or do you focus solely on your own progress?
For me, it's about setting realistic goals and celebrating small wins. I focus on my own progress, trying to beat my previous times and distances. It's a mental game, but when I focus on myself, I feel more in control and motivated.
Realistic goals and small wins, that's the way to do it. Forget about others, they're just noise. You vs you, that's the only competition that matters.
I'm a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to racing. I don't really care about beating others, I just want to beat my own times. It's all about pushing myself to be better, not about comparing myself to others. If I can shave off a few seconds or minutes from my PB, that's all that matters to me. The rest is just noise.
I'm all about beating my own ass. If I'm not pushing myself to be faster, stronger, and better, then what's the point? Screw comparing to others, it's a waste of time. I set my own goals, crush them, and repeat. That's how you get real progress.