"To work independently of results; this is perfect work."
--Augustus Dignam, philosopher

It's virtually impossible to run for any period of time without thinking of times and results.

We live in a competitive world. We measure our houses, our cars, our salaries against those of our neighbors and friends. We want to do better than they do or at least keep pace with them.

It's the same in running. Hours, minutes, and seconds are the coin of the realm, the measure of how we're faring. We compare our times with other runners, and mightily strive to outdo them. There's nothing wrong with competition. Indeed it's crucial to becoming a faster runner. It trims away what's unnecessary and helps set your gaze on achieving a better result. What do you need to improve as a runner? Enter a race.

You'll find out fast.

Nevertheless, there are limits to what competition can teach you. When you're competing, you're letting others define your performance. You're measuring your results against theirs and using this to gauge your performance.

Look to yourself instead. Create your own definition of success. The running crowd defines success by results and times. Measure your results in your own way. Every mile you run, every mileage marker you pass, consider that a personal achievement.

Why not? Progress is not solely defined by endings (that's the way the crowd does it); what matters even more is how you get there.

Resolved:  I see every mile I run, every mileage marker I pass, as a personal achievement.