My Own Records

In one of the drawers of my desk at home, there is a rather old book; the first page says: “I Miei Records” (i.e. My Own Records). 

On the now yellowed pages are accurately noted down all my best performances since 1968, for all the sports I was able to do. 

Since my childhood, even though my specialty was middle-distance running (2’32” on 1000 m at 17 years old), I loved practicing all the disciplines of athletics: from 100 m sprinting to discus throwing, from 400 m HS to pole vault, from triple/long jump to marathon. 

The so called ”transverse” competition, the winning over other people, surely has given me satisfaction; but I’ve always preferred, back then just as nowadays, to improve my own single performances, although of modest value. 
To keep track and write down my progresses rewarded my efforts, proposed new objectives to reach, expanded my dreams. 

Also in other sports such as cycling and triathlon, which I practiced in more recent years, victories in races did not excite me as much as improving my times over circuits or courses that I used to repeat, race and train on from time to time. 
My VAM progresses in climbing or my best average speeds over certain time trial/triathlon courses are all meticulously noted on the pages of this book, even though I failed to update it for some years now… 
I should have to begin a new one, and name it “Over 50”. 

“Longitudinal” competition, or racing against ourselves, should in my opinion be the primary motivation for amateur sports: every improvement, no matter how small, would equal to a victory. 
In every race, instead of just one winner, there would be several. 

And any cheat or illegal aid would not have reason to exist.