Many people are drawn to competition as an opportunity for learning or proving something.  The start of any athletic competition is characterized by uncertainty.  Despite our training and efforts we do not know the outcome; but we are intrigued to find out what will happen.   At the end of the competition, we have a base knowledge and have learned something about ourselves and our competition.   From there we determine the next level of competition- to maintain, to improve upon, and/or to push ourselves to the point we are confident with the extent of our abilities in the sport.  Whether you want to enjoy racing for socializing or to obtain your next PR a good foundation and understanding of the sport is key.