Why Last Place Feels Like First

I am a pretty competitive person. I like to win and I’ll push myself in ways that will get me to the top. However, lately I’ve been at the end of the line and I don’t exactly hate it.

My friend Sarah, who I run with often, is... how do I say it... so much faster, stronger, and more determined than I am. She’s a machine. Her easy pace is about my moderate pace. All around she’s a great competitor. Sarah has a group she trains with regularly. When I first met her I was invited to train with them but I was a little too intimidated to join the crew thinking I’d be left in their dust.

A few months ago Sarah invited another girl, Hannah, who is part of the running group, to join us for some speed training. In the first sprint I finished first! Let’s not talk about how the other sprints went though. (I am known for going out the gate too hard and losing my steam quickly… It’s something I am working on.) This one random Thursday speed workout became a weekly thing and soon I lost the fear to run with these two girls. Eventually I even made plans to run with Hannah and we were both excited with the outcome. 7:54 pace for a 14 miles run.

A month after running with Hannah I somehow found myself meeting the group I was too intimidated to run with. Early one Saturday morning we ran. My view on the run was most often the back of the runners I was running with, however never was I left in their dust. The result? 7:45 pace for a 16 miles run. The fastest I have ever run for that great of distance.

It’s clear. Surrounding myself by people who are better than me is making me faster, stronger, and more determined, like my friend Sarah. So though I may be coming in last place, it still feels like first.

#selfimprovement #lifecoach #mindfulness #runner #fitness