‘Just’ a half marathon? ‘Just’ a 5K?

303 Ambassador Michelle Bandur hails from neighbor state Nebraska, but spends a good deal of time in Colorado, racing and training. Here’s her take on a common habit: the “just” syndrome…
I love being part of the endurance sports community, because you’re surrounded by positive people. The encouragement and support athletes give each other makes you want to do your best once the race gets underway. So I always wonder while we raise up our fellow runners, cyclists and triathletes, why do we put ourselves down? Why do we diminish the efforts we are making?
Let me explain. I recently attended an expo for an event that offered a 10K, half marathon and marathon. I asked people which distance they were running, and I heard time and time again, “Oh, I’m just running the half.” “I’m just running the 10K.” “I’m just…”
Just. In this context, it means simply; only; no more than. Just.
I’ve caught myself saying the same thing.
Triathletes and runners like to talk about their training. We discuss what workouts are on our schedule and what we need to do to reach our goals.
If my training plan calls for a 50-mile bike ride, but my friend is riding 70, I catch myself saying, “Oh, I’m just riding 50.” Just 50? That’s the distance between Lincoln and Omaha. Tell someone who isn’t in the endurance sports community that you’re “just” riding 50 miles or “just” running a half, and they’ll look at you like you’re a jerk.
That negative talk we say about our efforts isn’t good for race day. We need to remember positive talk can help improve our performance. The mental aspect is as important as the physical preparation for a race.
We need to rid “just” or “only” from our vocabulary. We need to be proud of our workouts and races, no matter what the distance. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 20-mile run or one-mile walk or 100 miles on the bike or 10 — the fact that you’re off the couch and active is what matters.
I’ve learned to not compare myself and my performance to others. We all just want to do the best we can do in our sport. To borrow a motivational phrase from Nike, the only time we should use the word “just” is when it comes to getting up in the first place: “Just do it!”
Read the original post at LiveWellNebraska.