The Power of Competition: How to Stay Sharp Year-Round

What’s good people!

Welcome to today’s Speed Brief, where we dive into the essentials of athletic performance, helping you run faster, train smarter, and stay injury-free.

This week, I’ve been following the news on Michael Johnson’s latest venture in the world of athletics, the Grand Slam Track. If you haven’t heard, this new league is designed to shake up the world of track and field by bringing back the focus to fierce, head-to-head competition. With four major meets each year and big prize money on the line, it’s giving athletes a fresh stage to battle it out at the highest level. Johnson’s vision is all about making sure athletes get the spotlight—and the payday—they deserve.

But like anything new in sports, not everyone is on board. One point of tension that’s come up recently is a clause in the athlete contracts that has sparked some debate. According to reports, athletes might need prior approval to participate in competing leagues that have more than two events per year. Critics, like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who also runs the Athlos NYC competition, think this could limit athletes’ freedom to compete where they want. Johnson’s team, however, has been quick to defend the league, saying they’re working to protect the athletes and grow the sport without stifling opportunities.

So, with these big moves happening in the sport, it raises the question: Does track and field need something like this to thrive? Personally, I think it’s a great idea. We’ve needed something to shake up the competition scene and get more matchups between the best athletes.

This week, we’re diving into the role of competition, how it drives performance, and why it’s crucial for athletes at every level.

In today’s newsletter:

• On Your Marks: Why competition is crucial to athletic growth, inspired by Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track.

• Set: How you can apply competitive principles in your training to boost both mental and physical performance.

• Go: Immediate strategies to introduce competition into your routine today, keeping you sharp year-round.

🏁 On Your Marks: The Essential Role of Competition in Athletic Growth

As athletes, we all know that competition is at the core of what we do. It’s not just about setting personal records or improving stats—those come naturally when you’re consistently testing yourself against others. And that’s exactly what Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track is tapping into: the raw, unfiltered nature of competition. No distractions, no external aids like pacers—just pure head-to-head racing.

The idea behind Grand Slam Track is simple, but crucial: it’s not enough to just race. You have to compete. Athletes at this level are required to compete in multiple events, challenging themselves in various ways across a meet. This setup forces them to consistently show up, adapt, and thrive under pressure—not just perform well in a single race. It’s a reminder that competition isn’t something to shy away from; it’s something that sharpens us.

Why We Need Competition

Competition plays a pivotal role at every level of the sport, from top-tier athletes down to local races or even in training. Here’s why:

1. Pressure Creates Growth: Facing competitors at your level—or ideally, slightly better—forces you to dig deeper than you would training alone. It’s in these moments of high-stakes competition that athletes learn the most about themselves and how they perform under pressure.

2. Mental Toughness: Competing regularly builds mental resilience. You learn how to manage the nerves, stay focused under stress, and overcome mental roadblocks that can hold you back during critical moments.

3. Adaptability: Competition doesn’t just test your speed or strength—it tests how you adapt when things don’t go according to plan. Maybe conditions aren’t ideal, or you face a tougher competitor than expected. Learning to adapt and still perform is key to long-term success in the sport.

4. Motivation and Accountability: Regular competition helps keep athletes motivated by providing clear goals and benchmarks. Without competition, it’s easy to plateau in training. Competing pushes you to train harder, knowing there’s always someone out there to push your limits.

At every level, competition drives us to improve. Michael Johnson’s league is a reflection of that same core principle that we all face, whether we’re running at the highest level or setting goals in local races.

Let’s dive into how you can embrace this competitive mindset in your own training.

⚡ Set: How to Harness the Power of Competition in Your Training

If we agree that competition is critical for growth, the next step is figuring out how to apply that mindset to your own training. While you may not be lining up for a race every weekend, you can still integrate competitive elements that push you beyond your comfort zone. Here are three key strategies to keep you sharp, motivated, and constantly improving:

1. Seek Out Competitive Training Partners

There’s no substitute for training with someone who can push you. When you train with athletes who are slightly faster or more experienced, it forces you to raise your own performance. This isn’t about winning every workout—it’s about learning to respond to pressure. Next time you’re in a group session, focus on matching or beating those around you, and watch how quickly you start improving.

2. Turn Solo Workouts into Competitive Drills

Even when training alone, you can create competition. Set mini-challenges like time trials during your intervals, or aim to match the splits of elite runners you admire. You can also mix up your routines by simulating race conditions, mentally pushing yourself to perform as if you were in a competitive environment. These little mental games help prepare you for real races by keeping the pressure on.

3. Embrace Competitive Mindset in Skill Building

Competing isn’t just about speed or strength—it’s about mastery of technique. Whether you’re working on starts, strides, or form, approach every drill with a mindset of improvement. Track your progress meticulously, aiming to perfect the smallest details. The goal is to turn every rep into a challenge to do better than the last one, even in technical aspects of your sport.

By consistently incorporating these elements into your training, you'll not only boost your physical performance but also develop the mental toughness needed to excel when it really counts.

Now, here’s how you can start putting these competitive principles into practice, even when you're not in season…

🚀 Go: Integrate Competition into Your Routine

Now that we’ve broken down how competition fuels progress, the next step is making sure it’s part of your training, no matter where you are in your season. Here’s a simple approach you can apply immediately to keep that competitive edge sharp:

Find Opportunities to Compete—Daily

Even outside of formal competitions, you can find ways to create a competitive atmosphere in your workouts. Here are a few strategies you can start using today:

• Measure and Beat Your Own Progress: Whether it’s strength, speed, or endurance, pick one element of your workout that you can measure and improve upon. Each session, aim to beat your previous performance. By continuously competing against yourself, you’ll build consistent progress.

• Introduce Competitive Drills: Take routine workouts and add a competitive twist. For example, time a particular drill (like sprint intervals or technical exercises) and push yourself to improve with each round. This not only drives physical gains but conditions you to handle competitive pressure.

• Push Yourself Mentally: Competing isn’t just physical—it’s mental. During your next session, set a specific mental goal, such as staying fully focused or pushing through fatigue when you normally would ease up. Treat these moments as competitive opportunities to test your resilience.

• Healthy Rivalries: If you train with others, introduce friendly competition into your sessions. Choose drills where you challenge each other to improve, not just physically but in skill execution. This will push both you and your training partners to higher levels, without needing a race to do so.

By integrating these small, competitive moments into your training, you’ll keep yourself motivated and ready for when the real competitions come around. Competition isn’t just about race day—it’s about the mindset you bring to your everyday effort.

That’s it for today’s Speed Brief.

Before we wrap up, I’ll say I’m excited to see how Grand Slam Track plays out. Personally, I think the sport needs more matchups between the best athletes. What do you think? Is Grand Slam Track a game-changer, or do you think it’ll shake things up too much? Let me know—hit reply and tell me your thoughts on whether this new league is good for track and field!

Have a great weekend.

Liam

TSP

www.thespeedproject.com