When The Students Beat The Teacher

Have you ever introduced someone to something, showed them the ropes, passed along your hard-earned wisdom, only to watch that someone completely surpass you? How do you usually feel about that? Jealous? Angry? Frustrated?

I'll tell you, it's happened to me before. Back in high school, for example (yes, high school again), I taught someone how to throw the discuss and shot put and he proceeded to break the school record. How did that make me feel? Well, in a word ...

PROUD!

(Okay, maybe a teensy jealous since I had been chasing the record for 4 years before he came along, but mostly proud.)

I'm a teacher-y kind of person. I like the challenge of taking something complicated or daunting and customizing it to my audience. This little piece of me is evident in my writing and my profession, actually. (Funny how those things pop up in your life, huh?) Some of my current co-workers would chalk it up to me being "high-helpful," as evaluated by a certain assessment we use internally.

Enough corporate talk. Blech!

I like to teach people to do stuff and then watch them kick butt. It's one reason I started and continue to use this blog. Now, we all know that I am in no way an expert runner or fitness guru. Faaaaarrrr from it, in fact. But I have learned some things along the way.

I've suffered, I've triumphed, I've been in ruts and I've been on highs. I've hurt and I've doubted, aimed high and achieved. Mostly, I've taken my experiences--good and bad--and paired them with the awesome advice some of my readers provide to me, whether it be in comments on here or discussions elsewhere. Those are the real experts, by the way.

Believe it or not, it looks like some folks have actually started running after reading about my locomotive breathing and shin splints. In a way, my trials have inspired others to get moving. "If Beckey can do it ..." is floating around the noggins of a few folks out there.

I'm extremely hesitant to take any credit for these people's successes. In fact, I don't want any credit at all, but a few of you have been crediting me for getting you started.

Let's think about that though. I certainly did not help you keep running for a whole mile, even when you tripped over a garbage can. I did not sign you up for boot camp or wake you up at 4:30 a.m. to get there. I wasn't there to drag you through Week 3 of Couch to 5K nor push you up the final hill of the Cheetah Run. I didn't kidnap you to run with me at 2 p.m. on the hottest day of the summer or physically drag you to Veterans for a difficult run. It wasn't my legs that carried you around Juilfs when you joined me on a jog this spring.

You did it on your own.

You're still doing it. You're feeling the burn and the joy.

You are doing awesome. PHENOMENAL! I couldn't be prouder.

Pat yourselves on the back, all of you!

One teensy little problem ... you're all passing me up!

I'm seriously stressing here, folks. You're running longer than me and more often. You're kicking butt at boot camp AND watching what you eat (I sure didn't do the second part). You're moving through C25K like there's no tomorrow!

What the heck?

I'm just kidding. Kudos, people!

Let me tell you what has happened. You who claim to have been inspired or motivated--the students, the learners, the newbies--you have become MY inspiration and motivation. I am now your student. Teach me. How are you doing it? How did you advance so quickly through those C25K weeks? How did you overcome barriers? How did you make yourself keep running for a whole mile? What conversations are you having with yourself to keep going, to keep improving, to keep kicking my ass?

I want to know what you know, people! Share the love! Leave comments! Tell me your running stories when you see me. Remember, talk about it ... it makes it easier to keep going.