There’s a phrase I’ve carried with me since high school—something my grandfather once told me when I was buried in the grind of competitive sports:
“Run your own race.”
At the time, I didn’t fully get it. I was constantly surrounded by teammates, coaches, expectations, and pressure to keep up with the “favorites.” I’d spend hours training, not just for the love of the sport, but to earn someone else’s approval—to try and become someone else. Eventually, that caught up with me. The burnout hit. The joy disappeared.
And then those four words started to hit differently:
Run your own race.
It’s easy to get caught up in comparison—especially in today’s world. Social media is a highlight reel. Gyms are full of people chasing PRs and perfect physiques. It can feel like everyone’s moving faster, lifting heavier, or looking better.
But here’s the truth: you’re not them. You were never supposed to be.
Running your own race means focusing on your journey, your growth, your goals. It means honoring where you are right now, without letting someone else's pace make you feel like you're falling behind.
Every workout is a chance to prove something to yourself—not anyone else. Sure, it helps to have people around you pushing the pace. That little extra spark can drive you to dig deeper.
But it’s only healthy if you keep your own goals in focus. Otherwise? You end up resenting others—or worse, yourself.
Someone will always lift more than you. Run faster. Look fitter. But none of that has anything to do with you.
You are your own competition. And when you train for yourself, when you show up for you, the progress feels real. It’s not borrowed from someone else’s highlight reel. It’s earned.
Don’t get me wrong—having someone to chase can be powerful. A training partner, a coach, even a role model can serve as fuel to get you to that next level. But chasing someone is not the same as becoming them. You need your own “why.” Your own fire.
If you’re always trying to match someone else’s life, pace, or progress, you’ll always fall short. Not because you’re not good enough—but because it was never your race to begin with.
When I finally started training for me, everything changed. I still wanted to win. Still wanted to compete. Still wanted to kick ass. But I was doing it my way. The pressure eased, and the joy returned.
Workouts became fun again. I started setting goals that actually meant something to me—not goals someone else handed down. I stopped caring about impressing others and focused on becoming the version of me I wanted to be.
I still failed. I still struggled. But I bounced back quicker, because I knew exactly why I was showing up.
And yeah, you’re still going to fail. That doesn’t stop. But when you’re running your own race, those failures hit different. They don’t define you. They teach you. You see them as fuel. Feedback. Part of the process.
It’s easier to bounce back when the stakes are personal—not performative.
You’re going to have setbacks. That’s life, in and out of the gym. But when you’re running your own race, those failures don’t shake your foundation—they build it. They become stepping stones.
You’re not trying to beat someone else. You’re trying to become the best version of you—and that’s always enough.
So next time you step into the gym, into life, or into whatever challenge you’re facing, remember this:
Run your own race. And don’t look back.
