Runners and Imposter Syndrome
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Runners, are you struggling with imposter syndrome? If you aren't right now, there is a good chance you have in the past.
Imposter syndrome - what is it? Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your accomplishments. You feel fraudulent, like you haven't really succeeded, and that you don't deserve the credit that you have received.
But why is this happening to runners? Believe it or not, it is easy to feel this way. Part of the reason is there are so many amazing runners out there and we aren't them. We aren't necessarily winning any races, even within our age category. Some days we struggle just to finish a race. There are people who do not understand running and make comments like, "Oh, you ran for charity - you didn't even qualify," when you run certain marathons. Those comments can make you doubt your worth even though you ran the same 26.2 miles as everyone else on that course. Whether or not you qualified, ran for a charity program, finished first, middle of the pack, or at the very end, does not take anything from you being a marathoner.
It is time to overcome imposter syndrome and embrace where you are at in your running journey.
Acknowledge your achievements: One of the ways to work on overcoming imposter syndrome is to acknowledge your achievements. You might have finished a race but not at the pace that you wanted. Or you started the race and realized that you would be jeopardizing your running health if you kept going and had to choose DNF (Did Not Finish). When you make the decision as a runner to change what you are trying to achieve, whether it be changing pace, walking more, or stopping, you made the decision as a smart runner. Or even just acknowledge you put in your 100% effort - even if it didn't go exactly as planned.
You need to really take a moment and live in those thoughts. Acknowledge yourself and your accomplishment in those thoughts.
Challenging the negative thoughts: The negative thoughts can easily creep into our minds and if we are not careful they can take over. You have to challenge them. You have to stand up to them just like you would a bully. Look them in the eye and say, "No. I am a good runner. I have worked hard and I deserve what I get. Sometimes I have a bad race - and that's okay." Do not allow those negative thoughts into your psyche. If these thoughts take root, they are going to impact all of your future runs and races. It is going to become all mental for you so do not allow them to fester and stay. Focus on acknowledging your achievements and believing in yourself.
Progress over Perfection: One of the things you should be focusing on is your progress, not perfection. No runner is perfect - not even the elites. No one has the perfect training season time and time again or the perfect race over and over. It is hit or miss on all of these. This is why it is so important for you to focus on your progress. This is all a part of your journey. Acknowledge your running journey. Focus on what progress you have made in your running journey versus whether or not you have had the perfect training season or the perfect race.
It is all in your head: The hardest part of overcoming imposter syndrome is it really is all in your head. You have to believe in yourself and surround yourself with a support system that helps you when you are struggling.
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