08/26/2026
That time I ran the Great Wall Marathon in China because someone told me it was one of the hardest in the world and I thought, “Oh really? How hard?”
I’m not a natural born runner. Not that anyone can be a “natural born marathon runner” because they cannot. Those folks train and train and train…. No one should dismiss their effort and dedication.
In fact, I didn’t quite run correctly when I was younger, leading me to have surgery on both sides of both calves in high school for Compartment Syndrome. My daughter likes to say, “Mom’s legs were just too jacked.” 💪🏼
I do think many of us suffer from a touch of Imposter Syndrome (others definitely have it full blown), with times where the anxiety and self doubt get the better of us. Goals in the back of our mind we fear we will fail to reach so we never bother attempting to.
God knows I do not always have the best mental outlook when it comes to myself, but I think the best trainers are not always the ones who can recite the anatomy and physiology textbook from memory, but for some clients, it’s the ones who can relate. The ones who can empathize. The ones who can have all the paperwork about your medical history that has led you to think, “I just can’t…” and be like, “But actually, you can, you just have to do it this way…”
I watched a reel earlier where Dolly Parton was talking about making a list of all the things you are good at until you believe it, and I think that’s a good place to start for all of us who turn to the negatives a bit too much. Maybe you can’t do pushups like you used to, but you’re great at reading bedtime stories. Maybe you can’t squat as heavy as you did in your 20’s, but you can still throw a football with your son.
If we arm ourselves with the list of “I’m good at…” when we’re in a place where we think, “I’m bad at…” maybe one day the positives will start taking over. Whether that be at home, work, parenthood, the gym…
Stay humble. Stay kind. Stay motivated, friends.
