Stop It. Please.....

I keep hearing this from others and I often hear it in my own head and out of my own mouth:

 I'm not fast.

You. Yes you! Stop it. Stop negating your accomplishments.

For the record let's define the word 'fast' according to Dictionary.com

fast

¹ /fæst, fɑst/ Show Spelled [fast, fahst]  adjective, fast·er, fast·est.

1. moving or able to move, operate, function, or take effect quickly; quick; swift; rapid: a fast horse; a fast pain reliever; a fast thinker. 

2. done in comparatively little time; taking a comparatively short time: a fast race; fast work. 

3. a.indicating a time in advance of the correct time, as of a clock.

b. noting or according to daylight-saving time.

4. adapted to, allowing, productive of, or imparting rapid movement: a hull with fast lines; one of the fastest pitchers in baseball. 

5. characterized by unrestrained conduct or lack of moral conventions, especially in sexual relations; wanton; loose: Some young people in that era were considered fast, if not downright promiscuous.

Since this post is about swimming, biking, running; we can ignore 5.... we can revisit that definition if I ever decide to date again.

And let's use the same source to define 'slow'

slow

/sloʊ/ Show Spelled [sloh]  adjective, slow·er, slow·est.

1. moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed or velocity: a slow train. 

2. characterized by lack of speed: a slow pace. 

3. taking or requiring a comparatively long time for completion: a slow meal; a slow trip. 

4. requiring or taking a long time for growing, changing, or occurring; gradual: a plant of slow growth. 

5. sluggish in nature, disposition, or function.

I'm wondering if anyone noticed that neither definition has a definitive time that demarcates what is fast and what is slow? I have more years of formal education than I'm willing to admit and it gave me a good basis for basic reading comprehension: Both definitions require a COMPARISON.

So what are we comparing?

If I compare myself to the Age Groupers (amateurs who come in the top of their age group) I know and I know a lot of them....I'm SLOW! I mean "turtle crawling through a puddle of molasses" slow. We won't discuss how I compare to the Pros. Let's just put it this way: the pros are getting off their bike as I'm getting done with my swim....

If I compare myself to Mid-packers (those who finish the race towards the middle of the group) I'm pretty solid (with my run being on the faster side).

If I compare myself to me three years ago....I'm AH-MAZE-ING!

What is fast? I could randomly throw out some numbers but they would be arbitrary. My idea of fast and yours may be different. I'm sure they are different. I'm totally stoked when I run an 8:12 mile and you might think that's a great pace for a warm-up.

I can only speak for me when I say I am about as over hearing people lament about being slow as I am seeing the dollar sign after the number: 4$....nails on chalkboard, it is $4.

I digress.

With running...what is so special about a 10mm mile that I've heard people who run slower than this say they aren't real runners? Really? Did you not put on shoes with the intent to go for a run?

Can we all just celebrate that we are getting up and moving?

If you have read this far I want to thank those Age-Groupers and Podium seekers I know who are always encouraging and never condescending. Taking the time to encourage me with my training and talk about my goals and accomplishments is like being invited by the cool kids to join them for lunch.

5 months till Ironman Florida.......