The Comparison Trap is Real. Especially when we are competing against ourselves.

So how do we stop?

I used to joke that I was a “recovered professional child actor.” A native New Yorker, I survived the gritty and destructive competition from years of auditioning for TV, film, and Broadway roles from age eight to seventeen. When you’re twelve and waiting to hear if you booked a huge new ABC TV series, facing rejection and competition at age 51 seems inconsequential.

Yet, if I am not careful, I sometimes find myself competing again—this time as a runner. Instead of other child actors, I’m competing against myself.

Like so many people, I started running again during COVID-19. I’d run on and off over the years but was mainly a cyclist. In 2021, I started doing Couch to 5k, which was a fantastic way to begin running again healthily. Then, I signed up for a 15K race in Central Park with New York Road Runners. In 2022, after working with the amazing running coach Sara Hayes, founder of Mindful Miles, I ran two marathons at age 50 and six half marathons. Now I am a certified running coach and coach for New York Road Runners and Mindful Miles.

Running brings me so much joy and community. But sometimes I look at my race stats as critically as I used to look at my auditions. I ran 1:59 minutes last year at the Real Simple Women’s half marathon, and last week, I ran the same race two minutes slower. Instead of criticizing my race, how about flipping the thought, looking at the positive, and showing ourselves some grace?

I learn something new after every race. Train more on hills. Hyrdate more the week before. Nothing new on race day.

I know that if I continue to compete against myself, I risk losing my joy of running.

After last Sunday’s race, I am moving forward with a new mantra, a popular phrase at New York Road Runners: Run your race and run your pace!

Jen Rudin is the proud author of Confessions of a Casting Director: Help Actors Land Any Role with Secrets from Inside the Audition Room, a popular podcast. She works in the entertainment industry, is a certified RRCA running coach, and coaches Team for Kids and New York Road Runners. Jen lives in New York City with her husband. Follow Jen @rudinj