Do you compete?

SharpByCoop

SharpByCoop

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"Men judge their self-worth based upon success. The easiest way to measure success is through competition." ...anonymous

I heard this quote years ago, and it stuck like glue. I have ALWAYS been attracted to competition: Motorcycle racing, rowing, photo contests, trail running, and just today I finished my fifth Sprint Triathlon. (I finished 153 out of 426 total and 10th of 26 in my age category (M50-54) 1:21:03") I can't remember ever working so hard than I did today. I do this once every year, so I am NOT a hard-core triathlete, but I row and train regularly to keep me in shape. As my other full-time job I am a coach for a competitive northeast Youth Rowing Crew. I know what it takes to perform well.

Anyway, I am certain with the breadth of hard-core individuals we have in this forum, there must be many who also compete at something....ANYTHING. It does not have to be physical. Just subjecting yourself to the stresses of competition is enough to get a 'Hurrah!' from me.

What do you compete in?

Coop
 
Well i compete in soccer though our school team isn't very good, so i pretty much have given up competition there although i'm still ready for a physical game. Secondary i love working out and lifting weights. For me i am very proud of what i can do for my size, I weigh 135 and can bench 185 and for squat i can do 285. I'm only in 11th grade and hopefully overtime i will get better and better.

I also like competeing with my dad and brother in just stupid stuff like who can shoot a bb gun better.:) The little things are the ones i get the most satisfaction out of.
 
Growing up I ws pretty hardcore when it came to competing. I lived on it really. I've mellowed out in that respect nowadays, not so big on proving myself through competition with others. Only things I've competed in recently would be some games of skate (Like horse in basketball except it's with skateboards. One guy does a trick, then the next few people follow) and I'm getting a little competitive with bass guitar. Trying to surpass the friend who got me into it, though it'll be a while (If it happens).
 
Combat pistol shooting...The Glock GSSF and such, and actually I do pretty well.:).
 
Well my friends and I are going to the Marine's Mud Run in Virginia on Sept 9, but I don't plan on winning. I'm there strictly to dunk my friends in the mud. There will always be races to win, but dunking my friends will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. :D On a serious note, I am considering doing a triathalon. I was a competitive swimmer growing up. I swam on three teams a day for six years back then. I also competed in gymnastics at the same time. I was a bit extreme growing up.

I plan on joining in on a lot of 5ks and the like in my area. But, there is a definite difference nowadays for me. I don't plan on competing with the people in the race as much as I plan on competing with myself (my own times).
 
jsmatos said:
I don't plan on competing with the people in the race as much as I plan on competing with myself (my own times).
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Exactly, Jen. The core of any great athlete. This is also your very toughest competitor. The little voices that scream at you "You CAN'T! It's time to stop", but you continue onward anyway.

Allowing yourself to lose is another tough lesson. I can't place too much importance on a poor finish if it's married to my self-esteem. There's a lesson on why we did poorly that needs to be addressed, and then corrective steps placed to ensure a better chance next time.

I don't need the perks to make me feel complete, but it's inescapable to enjoy hard work and it's rewards.

Heck, I ride a Yamaha scooter nowadays. Twenty years ago I was a baddass drag strip star. I can relax now.... ;)

Coop
 
The odds are in my favor. There are many more single ladies out there than I could ever imagine. I stopped looking after the first find. I might be premature but she looks VERY promising.

One thing quickened my pulse was the fact she has eaten 2 of my meals [from scratch ] and she loved them. To add to the mix, my devoted,very efficient cleaning lady just announced she was moving back to Noo Yawk pretty soon.

My first pick announced she'd do my housework as needed if I'd cook for her ! And I thought the way to a man's heart is through his stomach . If this is part of the Lib thing,well , I endorse it .

She loves this large home & maybe in the future...

If this is a pipe dream,okay, there are a lot more out there.


This went from competing to an advice column for single ,older men . Excuse me .


Uncle Alan
 
SharpByCoop said:
What do you compete in?

Coop
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I'm into orienteering, which is land navigation by map and compass over courses laid out in state parks, battlefields, etc. You have to hit checkpoints in order but you choose your own way of getting to them (over the hill or around it, for example, or ford the stream versus going down to where the bridge is). I don't usually do it competitively but I do participate when we compete in the regional competitions. A couple of years ago I finished fourth in my category - good enough to score points for my club, and we won the Mid-Atlantic Regionals! What I lack in speed I make up for with navigational skills.
 
Hey Coop,

You know they have kickball leagues popping up all over the place. It is a cool way to get out and have fun. Some of them are serious and others are total screw ups. I, myself, would like to join a team called "last pick in gym class" since it fits me so perfectly. And, best of all, after the games, the real competition begins at the local pub. :D
 
I'm not the type that cares to participate in organized competive sports. I choose to do my own thing and compete to break goals I set for myself. A good example of this is mountain biking and hiking. I always set my goals slightly out of reach and strive to go further whether it means going an extra 1/4 mile on the track or 500 ft. further up the mountain trail.
 
I used to be an avid chess player until I realized the truth of Fritz Lieber's dictum, "Chess makes you crazy".
I have always preferred individual sports over team activities, and have indulged variously in fencing, motocross racing (one year, two broken bones...) and such.

I like online gaming, and play a variety of WWII military sims regularly.

Had I started earlier, I feel I could have become a pretty decent bike racer. However, evem my advanced age (and with wonky knees) I will give the local round-the-park riders a bit of trouble.
 
Long distance cycling..there is something about it...

Last summer I bicycled over 2500 miles..This year closer to 3000 miles when its all said and done..

I like biking in extremes..Last Sunday for instance it was 90 degrees with a head wind of sustained 25 mph..that does not seem like much untill you are riding you bike into it..I rode with my BIL who is 15 years younger and of course it turned into a 40 mile race...I smoked him..

Yesterday the heat index was 110 degrees here..Guess who had to get on his bike and do some riding..I just love riding in the heat..

I compete mostly against my own average but also am racing in several road races ...one this weekend a fifty mile race..I am thinking I should at least place in my age class..I know the course..terrain..and I can maintain a steady pace up and down hills at 23-25 MPH..

I hope its hot as hell on next Saturday because thats when I really can cruise...:)
 
8-ball for me. Last year played in two leagues - in one league, the "carrot" was an all expense paid trip to compete in the BCA North American 8-ball Championship in 'Vegas". The other league was an in-house league for cash to subsidize in case we didn't win a trip and had to pay our own way. Both leagues keep weekly stats, so you know where you stand with the rest. Quite the experience knowing you are playing with against some of the top teams in North America you get to be "amongst them":)

- gord
 
Ren the devils trailboss said:
Long distance cycling..there is something about it...
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was going to say. Just got through with the Ride Across Indiana on Saturday; 160 miles, 1 day, 1 way. Oh and if that’s not enough…They time it. If you finish, you an official time. Talk about trying to compete against yourself. This one will truly make you drool and see colors!
 
Used to compete in falling plate matches and chess but the last 10-20 years, I just don't feel the need to compete any more. Now anything I do is strictly for myself.
 
I play games(first person shooters) online which can turn pretty competitive. Im not that great because im on 56k. It's still fun though.
 
I used to do competitive track and field, during highschool, then came a time were I didn't have the time to train solidly, unfortunately those would have been my best years competitively speaking. Then I turned to inline speed skating and raced competitively for 4 years. My biggest personal achievement being 30th overall in the national 100k championship and first in my category, but simply finishing was the biggest accomplishment...the course isn't exactly flat. Now that I have hip problems I can not skate anymore so I do strength training. I have gained 40 lbs, and I can close a #3 COC with filed down handles to increase the range by a 1/4" and deadlift 500 lbs and squat around 480 lbs. But that is all competing against myself these days, I think the times of organized competition are over for now.
 
Used to compete in archery & chess, did a bit of wrestling in school.

Only thing I compete in now is trying to get to work on time...
 
I have always been a competitive person. Growing up, me and my brother would compete in everything, bowling, video games, racing, you name the game and we would go head to head. I am a good loser though. If there is good, fair competition, I love the game, whatever it may be, win or lose.

However I have quit most competitive sports and hobbies because either there are people who just take them too seriously and get too bent out of shape if they lose or else the game becomes dollars against dollars instead of being about the competitors.

I used to race remote controlled cars and it was really fun for a while. But people were always looking for an edge and would spent $50 on a new "hot" motor to win a $10 trophy. I never could generate much interest in a "stock" class, everyone wanted to spend money to gain an advantage over the competitors.

I had the same experience when I played paintball. When we started out, everybody had a little 10-shot painball gun that you had to manually cock for every shot. It was a level palying field. I have 10 shots before I have to reload, you have 10 shots. The game was about stealth and stategy. You had to make your shots count. Before long people started showing up with $500 full automatic machine guns and just spray the field with thousands of paintballs. It became all about the equipment and he who spends the most money wins.

These days I don't see much competition as mife is completely the non-competitive type and I can't seem to find the time for sports.
 
Used to be a competitive(national and some international) sprinter and played rep hockey and volleyball during my teens. I thought I was done with competition until about 2002 when I entered an adventure race for the first time. It combines different disciplines like orienteering, kayaking, mountainbiking and others over varying lengths of races. The shortest my team has done was a 24 hour race, while the longest thas been 3 days. It's a real love/hate type of sport as you are almost always on the verge of bonking and genarally feel like crap. But after the feet and baboon-ass heal, we're thinking about the next one. We go with the attitude "we just want to finish" and it's true, but I'd be lying to say we weren't there to win. Haven't yet, but that's what competing is about. Our team has been on pause for the last season due to finances, kids and other priorities(one of our team members is an age class long-course triathlon world championship silver medalist), but the stars are aligning once again. I dabble in mountaineering as well and I find that highly competitive from within, as my body is usually saying "This is high enough", but my mind wants one more step until the top. After the summit, my mind wants every step back:D .
 
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