You can't compare apples and oranges.
We've all heard this old saying time and again.
I think most of us have played the comparison game at certain times.
At least, I have.
The COMPARING Me Thinks:
I don't want to be the bumpy, dimply, rough orange.
Why can't I be the smooth, pretty, shiny red apple?
I don't want to scrap and fight for every mile and every second off my pace.
Why can't I glide effortlessly down the street without breaking a sweat?
I don't want to feel like my heart is going to explode when I run too fast.
Why can't I run as fast as {insert a variety of names here}?
I don't want to run slower.
Why can't I get a new, shiny PR just like {insert a variety of names here too}?
The REALISTIC Me Knows:
I am the rough, bumpy orange.
It is the hand I was dealt. I am what I am.
I am a middle-of-the-packer, not an elite runner.
I do have physical limitations. I am also aging.
I've proudly earned every drop of sweat I've ever created.
And that heart pounding sensation means I'm alive and pushing my limits.
I'll do what I can with what I've got.
It is counterproductive, stressful, and unrealistic to try and be the apple.
All I can do is work just as hard as the apple does...
and be the best damned orange I can be!
Do you play the comparison game?
Are you being the best orange you can be?
I'm linking up with Deb @ Deb Runs for the Wednesday Word. Thanks, Deb!
Please visit Deb and the other participating bloggers. It's really fun!
Comparing yourselves to others is so hard not to. Knowing that your doing the best you can is all that matters. We have to appreciate the things we do and cannot worry about the things we can't change and/or fix.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is difficult and it's something I continue to work on daily.
DeleteIt's so hard not to compare yourself to others, especially with running. We are all innately competitive!
ReplyDeleteI think it's something we all do naturally. But I just can't live there. It's not productive for me.
DeleteLOL. I love oranges!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if anyone would say that! I do too. Especially the little Cutie brand mandarin ones. It's are like eating candy.
DeleteI love this comparison! We are all unique - apples, oranges, bananas, kiwis. Good reminder!
ReplyDeleteAnd all very delicious in our own unique way.
DeleteNice comparison! I do sometimes wish I had found a love for running and tri-ing before I started aging! Even as a mid-packer I think I still have some improvements in me and I try hard to keep the comparisons against my own prior performances. It is hard for me to watch the women who make 6:00/mile pace look effortless (although I'm sure they are busting their tails). There are probably women who think the same of me putting out 200W on the bike, though. This type of post is good for self reflection and being grateful for what we have and striving for personal improvement without marginalizing our performance by comparing to others.
ReplyDeleteI love what you say about striving for improvement, but not marginalizing our performance. It should shine on it's own and never be compared to someone else's.
DeleteI've enjoyed reading these posts this morning. Learning who you are and accepting that makes you a lot happier in life don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI think acceptance causes much less stress, for sure!
DeleteAll we can do is our best with the cards we've been dealt, right? That right there is a win.
ReplyDeleteIt's something I have to work on every day.
DeleteAnd don't forget, oranges smell awesome, are full of Florida sunshine (and vitamin C), and we wouldn't have mimosas without them. Oranges are pretty darned great!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I shouldn't have minimalized the wonderful qualities of an orange!! LOL.
DeleteWhen you're slow, and most of your runner friends are faster, it's very hard not to compare yourself. And of course sometimes I do.
ReplyDeleteI also keep my running journal -- this is the first year I've kept it up! And it helps to look back and see, oh yeah, even though my mileage never got as high as it did training for my spring half, I was actually able to be much, much more consistent. And I forgot about my Dad being in rehab and then in the hospital and all the trips down there and squeezing in the workouts.
Sometimes comparison can be a good thing!
I should really keep a running journal. I look back and see "6". That's it. LOL. I think it's perfectly fine to compare your own performances and a wonderful idea to know what other factors may have affected them.
DeleteI am so guilty of comparing. I try not to. Lately I keep telling myself this "comparison is the thief of joy." I can only do what I can do. I am not the apple, I am not 21, I am Me and I am my worst critic. Thanks
ReplyDeletebakingrunner.blogspot.com
I think we are all guilty of being our own worst critics. It is something I work on daily by striving to be the best orange I can be.
DeleteI read another blog post on this subject today and I have to say that with a sport like running, it is very hard not to compare yourself to others. But as you and I both know, being an older runner makes it a wee bit different. I still want PR's but at the ripe old age of 61, that will not happen much longer if at all. So my goals tend to be focused on qualified for certain races yes, I want to run Boston again without food poisoning) and also I like to place in my age group., I don't always get an award, but I have worked hard on my speed and now I can place at the Disney races. Yes, I am very goal oriented ad many other Type A runners!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a PR in a while and should work on speed once this marathon is over. Since that is just comparing my own times, I think it is OK. But if I like the marathon distance, I may refocus anyway. I want you to run Boston without food poisoning too!
DeleteI have to work hard to turn that comparison button off in my head. so easy to make ourselves feel so 'less than'...
ReplyDeleteLess than is not good...it's something I work on all the time.
DeleteI think the older I get the less I compare myself to others, every now and then I have a moment though. Like why didn't I get any boobs! I try to focus on my good points instead, like damn I have great legs. lol
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the age thing. You really don't care as much about others when you get older. I wish I had your legs -- see there, I shouldn't have done that. LOL.
DeleteWas that summer muck intense or what? OMG. It was warmish this morning too. It needs to be over already. "In the end, we all fruit." LOL. I can't see a bottle of Windex without thinking about that movie! And he is so right, it is so multi-purposeful! Fixes everything.
ReplyDeleteI kind of want that final apple / orange quote on a poster in my office. :)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've been repeating it to myself all week. I think it will be one of my mantras in the marathon.
DeleteYour a great orange! :) I loved the part about earning every drop of sweat and feeling that heart pounding! You are very much alive and working on those goals you have! You never cease to amaze me with what you are capable of!
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind! We are all so much more capable than what we believe. Well...some days anyway. LOL.
DeleteLove this! The comparison trap is an easy one to get caught in, and I think we've all done it at least one time or another.
ReplyDeleteI think it's just human nature to make comparisons but you can't dwell on that stuff. You've got to realize your own merits.
DeleteGreat post! I love this, and can so relate to this. You do a great job at being an orange, and I'm trying to be the best orange I can be, too. Good thing I like oranges :) I love your second, realistic list. It's good to go back to things like that when we start playing that dangerous comparison game.
ReplyDeleteI may chant I'm An Orange in my marathon just to remember this post and to work hard and do MY best. I love the little Cutie mandarin oranges! They are like eating candy.
DeleteSuch cute and clever analogies - I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up!
Thanks, Deb. I love my fruit!
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