So imagine my excitement to see one my colleagues running on the indoor track last week. Now, this guy is a marathon runner who I figured was "slumming" with us slow pokes on the indoor track because of the lousy weather. Maybe he didn't have warm clothes, I don't know, but there he was flying around the track. I'm actually not being sarcastic - I was excited to see him there thinking I would be motivated to run faster with him passing me every few seconds (okay minutes). Having someone run faster than me usually would encourage me and help me compete more with myself and get faster myself. Or one would think. Twice now this has not occurred, however. Thursday was a weird off day anyway cause I was hungry (see my previous blog entry for that riveting story). And then today it happened again. Slow, slow, slow! The different thing about today was that I felt like I was running faster. I felt really good about the run - I was clapping along, singing with my ipod and thought for sure I was back into the 29's again. But no, I looked at my ipod at the end of my run and was shocked to see that I ran my 3 miles in a little over 30 minutes. I was bummed.
Then I caught myself. What was this competition thing about anyway? Why couldn't I just be okay with the fact that I'm usually a 10-minute-miler? I mean the run itself felt great - better than it had in awhile, but as soon as I saw that it was slower I felt worse about it. I mean I get that it is good to have goals and I need them to motivate myself to accomplish new things and to push myself to see what I can achieve, but at some point I think I have to be okay with where I am and what I can do right now.
Isn't this just like life too?! Too often I want to do more, be more, have more and really I would be better off being okay with what I have, making do with what I have and enjoying life just as it is. So, another life lesson learned on the track. But I still blame the marathon runner!
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