Impostor Syndrome And The @runingproject

I forget sometimes how far I've come. Especially when it comes to racing or even small things like going to the gym. It wasn't always this way, just like of a lot of other people there were times when it felt embarrassed or anxious that I wasn't good enough to be there.

Back in 2014 I had the opportunity to go to Fiji and race my first international triathlon. With a week away from work and my bags packed, waiting for my taxi to the airport, the nerves that started to take over, had me feeling the best options would be to take everything back up to my apartment and crawl into bed of the week. The taxi came before I was able to let these feelings take over and I got on my plane to Fiji had an amazing week. Warm weather, had an awesome race, met some amazing people and the locals treated us like rock stars.

Growing up, I mostly played team sports so I didn't grow up with other runners or running groups or triathlon teams. In recent years I've been able to dismiss these feelings of being an impostor and own what ever comes my way, weather I am getting good results or bad results from both training or races. But as you can see with my trip to Fiji, it doesn't always come that easily.

My feelings of being an impostor may come with a of low self esteem which running and sport has been a big help in improving my own sense of self worth but it doesn't mean that these feelings don't come up every now and then. Ultimately, are these feelings holding us back from reaching our true potential, maybe by stopping us from completing a certain set of training or holding us back from racing at a pace faster than you usually do.

“I’ll often hear someone say, ‘I’m not a real runner’. We are all runners – some just run faster than others. I’ve never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso, inductee of the Running USA Hall Of Fame

Although imposter syndrome has some benefits, such as driving people to work harder, it can also lead to burnout and should not be considered a desirable condition. But what can you do to get over these feelings when you recognise them

1. Vent to Someone Who Won’t Say “Just Get Over It”. I think I've been guilty of this one, but more and more, I remind myself where I was a few years ago.
2. Recognize that there will always be people who are better and more skilled than you are, and be okay with that. Unless you just ran a world record at the Berlin Marathon, there is generally going to be someone faster and better than you. It doesn't mean you can't achieve something awesome, it just means you shouldn't be put off by people being better than you.
3. Review What You’ve Accomplished Recently. We sometimes forget how far we have come, you may be running further, faster, more times a month. There is some pretty good information you can get out of apps like Strava and remember you're lapping everyone else sitting on the couch.
4. Let go of being a perfectionist. It's pretty rare training sessions or races will work out exactly the way you plan, when they do, that's awesome, when they don't, move one cause there will always be more.
5. Find fellow runner who may not know as much as you or have as much experience and begin to teach them.
6. Write down what you’re truly good at with your running and training and what could use work to get a firm understanding of your abilities. This can really put things into perspective just like reviewing your recent accomplishments.
7. Compare yourself to the population and not your fellow runners. Look around a the people you work or your family, if you walked past 100 people in the street, how many of them would have been able to say they have done what you have.

For me it has come with the appreciation that I am living my life on my own terms and having an awesome time doing it. I know I will never be the best but there is no reason why I can't keep trying to be better than what I am today.

Now over two years ago, a pic of me running Ironman New Zealand

About the Author
Hey I'm Vince, an Aussie living in New Zealand, trying my best to make the most of the time I have. I work as a Software Engineer but love to run and all aspects of it, including geeking out on the latest science to help get the most out of my body.

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