You may not know this but I have great admiration for Dave Ramsey and his belief of a debt free lifestyle. One of my favorite quotes from Dave is “Don’t try keeping up with the Joneses. They’re broke.” The theory is simple…do what you feel is right for you and not what everyone else does. I bring this up because sometimes I really have to check myself. I have been running since last July and in that time I have run six 5K’s, two 10K’s, and a half marathon.

When I first started running I could barely do a 16 min mile. I would huff and puff and sometimes feel like a loser but I never gave up. I would look at the times others were able to run and again feel really inferior. After a couple races where I got down on myself for being slow, I finally realized that the only person I really have to beat is me. I don’t have to keep up with the Joneses because they have a different story and path than I do.

I didn’t give up and I’m not planning on doing so any time soon. I really enjoy running and I’m very proud of the fact that I got my lazy butt off the couch last summer. I have lost fifty pounds, improved my time to 12.5 min miles, and gained a lot if confidence.

If you have been in this situation or have hit a wall in your training, weight loss, or any other challenging task remember not to get too down on yourself. Take it one step at a time. One mile at a time. One race at a time. Above all don’t try keeping up with the Joneses. They are not you and can’t bring you down. You only have to beat yourself!