I'm Competitive.
In case you didn't know that, it's true. Whether in work or play, I like to win. It's weird, cannot be explained by logic, and awkward at times, because I've actually tried tricking my husband into stopping near the finish line of a race so I could ditch him to finish first. True story.
With that said, let me tell you about this woman in my neighborhood that I don't know. She's slightly over weight (she just had a baby), but she's been running pretty consistently. At first, she was doing a lot of very short runs with longer walking periods, but she's been VERY consistent over the past few months and is now running a lot. I know this because I've seen her run by our house many times, and I always take note because you can tell she's been dropping the weight and getting faster. I smile whenever she passes my house - it's pretty awesome to see someone make such wonderful improvements over time. I'm genuinely happy for her and how awesome she is for losing her baby weight through hard work and dedication (because there have been mornings that I've refused to go outside due to chilly temps).
Well, yesterday while I was out running, I saw her in front of me as I rounded a corner. Instinctively, I picked up my pace...my usual race strategy is to find someone ahead of me and pass them....but this time, I laid off the gas and slowed down. I don't know why, but there was a part of me that didn't want this woman to be my "person to pass" - she's been working so hard that I didn't want to come off as a jerk who likes to show off that they're faster than you (although don't get me wrong, I'm no Lolo Jones).
She "won" yesterday....because she has silently earned my respect and admiration over the past few months.
You go, girl...you go...
