Another Nike Plus Challenger Squashed!

Rush challenged me to a 30 mile distance race-first one to 30 wins.  Since I am up into the higher milage parts of my training program now, I pounded out thirty in about 2 weeks.  I ran a mile beyond my planned run yesterday just so I would hit the 30 mark and complete the challenge.  I only realized recently how powerful a motivator challenge is to me.

 I did not grow up an athlete-or even a very active kid.  I played on a few teams, softball, vollyball and ran track. But I was invariably the worst of the team.  The only reason I was on the track team was because I volunteered to run the 2 mile.  No one else wanted to run that event so they let me do it.  Highschool track in my area was pretty non-competitive, but the few spectators that showed up would often jeer at me as I came in last.  I remeber one time, before I had finished my last lap, they started to put up the hurdles for the next event.  When I looked up, an old guy in the stands shouted at me, “I could ran faster than that!”

So I always sort of just assumed I couldn’t compete so I might as well just do my own thing and not worry about every body else.  Then ShoeMoney and I started to compete against eachother.  Our biathalon was a great motivator to me.  I enjoyed beating him and even enjoyed it when I lost to him since it really made him happy and enthusiatic about exercising.

So now I am into this marathon thing.  I love the NikePlus challenges-they really spur me onto to the next level.  There are some challenges I will never win-Dillsmack will always run faster than me.  But I am enjoying having him set a bar that I can strive for.  Plus, it is no fun for my challengers if I don’t try.  Then it is an empty victory.