This week it was announced that the Olympic Marathon champion, Sammy Wanjiru, will run this year’s edition of the Chicago Marathon. I, for one, am very happy that Sammy has chosen to come back and defend his title. His presence in the race will certainly push us all along to run faster than we otherwise could. I believe that running with others who have experienced their own breakthrough helps me to enter into a breakthrough of my own.A good example of what I am talking about is the atmosphere at the Stanford Invitational, where breakthroughs are contagious. Every year guys and girls pop big personal bests, like when Chris Solinsky became the first American to break 27 minutes for the 10,000 meters. There is something about certain atmospheres–and even more than that, being around certain people–that allow runners to break barriers that have stood for years.
Competition is good when it draws out the gold in us, when it makes us stronger, faster, and better than we could be on our own. But sometimes competition doesn’t make us better, it makes us worse. I have come to a point were I look at competitors not as people I am running against, but rather people I am running with. There is a big difference between being focused on beating someone and trying to push and be pushed by others. I am looking forward to pushing–and being pushed by–Sammy when we run together at the Chicago Marathon in October. Maybe we will see a breakthrough that surprises both of us. Chicago, like Stanford, certainly has that special atmosphere that it takes to run faster than anyone has run before, as numerous marathon world records have been set there. It should be a special day.
Ryan blogs on Competitor
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