Still reeling from my unusually fast (for me) run on Saturday, my virtual running buddy Greg cheered me on and said something that hadn’t occurred to me before: “Confidence is also part of training.”
I don’t know why this struck me as such a revelation. I always tend to downplay my skills. Let’s face it, I don’t have the best form, I probably look completely awkward, and I’m certainly not the fastest. But so what? It doesn’t matter.
In any given race, there are maybe 10 people who have a shot at winning. In the case of the Nike Women’s Marathon, there are 20,000 runners. This means that the other 19,990 of us really ought to stop apologizing and psyching ourselves out over the fact that we’re not in the top 10. We should be confident in our abilities, know our limitations, have fun and aim for our own personal records.
There’s a reason why we all get medals at the end of the race. We’re not out there to be the best. We’re out there to do our best.
Someone please remind me of this on race day.
Some running commentary… Q: What if my running form looks awkward? A: You’re not alone! Q: What if I come in last on race day? A: Not likely, but if you do, the crowd usually reserves a great cheer. Q: What if my time on race day isn’t as good as I wanted? A: Think “process” (i.e., all the training, the discipline, the commitment) rather than “result”.
Some great points, Alisa. I have all the same things going through my head when I run too, though you are far more advanced than I am in that area. It helps to know others are thinking the same thing. Once again, I’ve fallen off the regular running wagon, and now I’m inspired to get back on. Thanks for your great posts!