"Unless 'racing' someone will spur you to work harder." You don't think this is the case? When I was on cross country I usually just tried to pass the person

"Unless 'racing' someone will spur you to work harder." You don't think this is the case? When I was on cross country I usually just tried to pass the person in front of me... having other people to compete with is a huge part of what drives athletes, especially in sports that are directly competitive like basketball as opposed to sports that are about the clock (such as running).