Some of you may recall the story of my first bike ride. I rode my shiny new hybrid home from the LBS. I had to stop and rest for five minutes halfway home. I required a two-hour nap once I got there. The distance? 0.67 miles at -1% grade. Yes, two-thirds of a mile (a smidge over a kilometer) ever so slightly downhill. I was exhausted.
But I'm now a racer. Even if it's 4½ miles to work in the snow at 9 MPH average, I'm racing against the Grim Reaper—a contest I know I'll ultimately lose. But compared to those poor bastards trapped in their cars and heated leather seats, I know that I'm likely to make it quite a bit longer than them. Certainly much longer than I would have, had I stayed the course and skipped cycling.
So there you have the final piece. Competition. Since I "train in an exercise or contest involving physical agility, stamina, or strength" I meet all the criteria of the dictionary definition.
While all the replies to this thread have been very good and uplifting, that was one of the best posts I've seen in quite a while. I just left in my favorite parts, although the rest was great as well. Thanks for a much-needed chuckle.