A gift.....

A couple weeks ago, I was going to hook up with a friend for a walk/run.  I messaged her and asked "what ratio are you running to walking?"  Her reply?  "Girl, we haven't gotten past a 3' run/3' walk thing".  It reminded me when folks say "I only ran 4 miles", or "I only did a sprint triathlon" or "only a 1/2 marathon".  When I say "that's great!", inevitably, the next statement seems to be "but so and so ran 8 miles!!" or "I have a friend who is going to do a marathon!".  We always compare ourselves to others and many times feel we are lacking.  When in reality the only person we, truly need to be better than, is the person we were yesterday.

I'm very blessed with the people in my life.  My first trainer, Kris, a fantastic endurance athlete, would celebrate any progress I made from the previous week like I had just climbed Mt. Everest.  Wendy, is very similar, an amazing triathlete, is right now preparing to run a 100 mile Ultra race. Yet, when I wrote that I had done a brick workout, she responded with "great job".  And was always so happy when I told her about how I overcame another hurdle on the way to becoming a swimmer.  I have many others like them, in my life.  They don't compare my accomplishments to their own, they rejoice with me, for me.  We are all in different places on our journey but we all have a common thread.  The desire to do what is necessary to improve.  To become more than any of us were in the past.

My only real challenge, every day, is to be better, a better friend, a better daughter, a better athlete, a better human being.  And some days are good, some, not so good.  But each day I get up and try again.  Because, for me, to do otherwise is to waste this gift, called life, I was given.