Hey folks. Triathlon training is whipping me. My 70.3 race is now less than 3 weeks away and I am nervous, stoked, scared, thrilled…all of it. I go to bed at like 9:30 these days. And that cuts into my post writing, seeing as how I mostly write in the evening. But I HAD to write this. It has been on my mind for more than a week now.
I get a handful of emails from people telling me how this blog is an inspiration or how someone is encouraged to step out of their comfort zone or how someone has made a decision to do whatever it takes to lose weight. I recently got an email from Jay. I want to share part of it…
” Just 2 weeks ago, I officially lost 100 pounds. 2 days ago I ran a quarter marathon in 1:22:22…hardly world class but light years from the couch dweller I’d been. I love your blog and the inspiration. ”
Good stuff right? Jay, you rock.
But something started to eat at me a little about this email. Something about it touched a nerve. And I think that the reason it did was it sounded a lot like something I would write…have written. Jay said that running a 10k in 1:22 was “hardly world class…”
I have a problem with self-deprecation. I never feel like what I am doing is good enough. Since I never feel like what I am doing is good enough, I talk down about myself. I make jokes about myself. After having lost over 100 pounds I still joke about being the “fattest guy” in the room or about how I am going to look like a manatee in the pool or whatever. I need to stop that. Jay, you need to stop that too.
“I ran a quarter marathon in 1:22:22…hardly world class…”
Here are the facts. Most people in the world DO NOT run. Most people in the world would get winded LOOKING at someone run. The thought of running 6 miles in ANY amount of time is enough to make most people want to just sit down. I am willing to bet that if you put Jay’s hour and 22 minute 10k time up against the world average, he would be in the top 1%. Someone prove me wrong.
Jay, you not only RAN the 10k, you FINISHED it. You ARE a world class runner in my book.
Don’t ever forget it.
Twitter: lessofless
I have a problem with self-deprecation too. My first instinct was to write “That’s awesome. I can’t run that fast.” So good advice.
Exactly… 🙂
Every now and then its ok to glance in the rear view and see how far you’ve come.
If your dreams (and races) don’t scare you they aren’t big enough right?
So well said.