You are a runner.

Own the identity.

For some runners I meet, they would quickly self-identify a "slow runner".

I appreciate some self-deprecation, but I think labeling yourself as a "slow runner" is really unnecessary. Doing so may even hold you back from improving too.

For most of us, running is a sport and activity we love to do - we are not professionals. Or in the words of my favorite running YouTuber, we're considered non-elite.

As a runner you need to own the identity to the fullest.

Being a runner already makes you special. Unlike most people in America, you're getting regular exercise. If you also train and run races, that too makes you an achiever.

You're training for something outside of your 9-5 job?!

Runners are a special bunch.

So no matter how fast or slow you run, you're a runner. Like any sport, you can improve with the right amount of practice, patience, and help.

Yes, there are physiological and genetic limits to your running performance, but I'd argue that most of us have not even touched our full potential.

You're a runner. Own it!

Thank you for reading. Happy running out there!