Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Becoming an Athlete

I’ve been rolling this thought around in my head the past few weeks and decided to get your thoughts on the matter!

In our running circles it’s not uncommon to hear people say “Oh I’m not a runner, I’m not fast” or “I don’t run long distance like him/her!”.

I’ve read before that it’s ok to call yourself a runner when you begin your journey – putting one foot in front of the other. In my case, I didn’t necessarily call myself a “runner” until I had a consistent weekly routine and was well underway in training for my first Half Marathon. Why? I honestly can’t tell you why. I loved to run….so why did I have such a hard time calling myself a runner?

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Source: Google Images

Which leads to my question….what defines an “athlete”?

Is an athlete someone who trains and competes at their sport on a professional level? Is an athlete a person who wins a lot of races? Does it take working out all the time to be considered an athlete?

Wikipedia says an athlete is: A person who is involved in Athletics (sport), which involves track and field events, long distance, cross-country and road running, and race walking.

Last year while at a physical therapy session for my ITBand, my PT called me an athlete. I brushed his comment off at the time and tried to pretend like I didn’t hear him but to be honest, his comment really struck a cord. An athlete? ME? I’m not THAT good at what I do. Maybe in high school/college, when I played softball…but not now. I’m just a runner.

Last night while watching Biggest Loser, I heard Bob call one of the contestants an athlete. Jackson still has a long way to go on his Biggest Loser journey…..and Bob Harper called him an athlete. I loved the look on Jackson’s face when Bob said those words – he seemed shocked at first, then he grinned as if the thought set in, and he realized the truth behind Bob’s statement. What a huge confidence boost (and from Bob Harper at that)!!

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Source: Google Images

To me, I think an athlete is someone who works hard to reach their fitness goals. To have the heart of an athlete, you have to want something so bad, you have to have that burning desire for accomplishment, and you cannot let anything stop you.

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Source: Google Images

I love this quote by Nike. So fitting for where I’m trying to go with this.

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Do I have that desire? You bet I do! Can I truly call myself an athlete now? I’m not perfect and I know I have a LONG way to go, but yes, I can honestly say – I am an athlete.

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Source: Google Images

What’s your take on it? What does the word “athlete” mean to you? When do you think a person truly becomes an athlete?

6 comments:

  1. I LOVE this post. So thoughtful and well written. I only recently have started considering myself a runner, but honestly I've always thought of myself as an athlete. I've always been on some sort of team, even if not that competitive (ahem work softball league). I think being an athlete is sort of part of your DNA if that makes any sense... :)

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  2. I've been thinking of doing a post like this for a long time because I constantly refer to myself as "not being a REAL athlete". But, I've now completed the Goofy Challenge and I know A LOT of people that I consider true athletes, that thought I was absolutely insane for tackling that.

    My horse trainer is in incredible shape and doesn't participate in traditional sports of any kind, but I consider her an athlete... Maybe it's because she has 6-pack abs, lol!

    Anyway, lots to think about and I loved this post!

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  3. This is a fantastic post! I think a lot of people have a hard time determining when they are a "runner" or when they are an "athlete". We tend to think of those words in association with elite/Olympian/etc, or with a certain pace/level of competition. However, when someone calls you a runner or an athlete - it immediately boosts your confidence! I think anyone who is out there giving it their all should be considered an athlete. Any sport. Any pace. Any distance. Any level. Love it :)

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  4. This is a fantastic post! I think a lot of people have a hard time determining when they are a "runner" or when they are an "athlete". We tend to think of those words in association with elite/Olympian/etc, or with a certain pace/level of competition. However, when someone calls you a runner or an athlete - it immediately boosts your confidence! I think anyone who is out there giving it their all should be considered an athlete. Any sport. Any pace. Any distance. Any level. Love it :)

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  5. I actually had the thought yesterday that I would feel like a real runner once I did my second half (this year). Which is funny, because I just wrote a post about 'no more disclaimers' attached to my running/life last week. So guess I should just suck it up and claim to be a 'Runner'!

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  6. Just finished catching up on that episode lol! Jackson cracks me up. I def consider myself an athlete. It's honestly not really something I have thought about just something I have always categorized myself as.

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