Not all runners are made the same

We clocked our weekly run again, this time we actually decided to make Route C our staple. It was midway through when Ernest found his pace and flow and it wasn't before long I was having trouble keeping up; in fact, I was at the back.

However, it was my best run as I was clocking an average of 5:34 even though I'm well into my 6th km. In relative to my timing, I wasn't happy. The competitive side of me was so caught up with winning that I wasn't even happy with the timing I clocked (an amazing 100sec overall improvement).

"Not all runners are made the same;
just like all races"

We're all different, each and every one of us. We're all made in different ways, from the physical talent to the mental strength and the nature of the race we're "running".

Somewhere in the middle, I figured that out when I couldn't keep up. I was so caught up with catching up that I forgot to be mindful of my run, I forgot to let my pace set in, I forgot the reason why I run. That's where I realize that we're all running a different race, even when Ernest and I were on the same course. We're all in our own fight.

"Every step taken is a step towards your goal"
You might be slow, you might take twice the length of the time taken by most people. But know that people are made to stop, take breaks, breathe. And doing that period you have your "advantage", that's what sets people apart. You work while they play, you move forward while they idle and think that they can play catch up with a last-minute sprint. The beauty of consistency isn't that obvious sometimes.

I tried to push myself forward and I aim to catch up with Ernest at every traffic light. Even though that might sacrifice my time for stopping and catching my breath, I use it to catch up and try to cover as much as I can, as fast as I can. Halfway through, I felt it.

I end my run being too weak for a sprint, but the consistency of keeping up and staying as fast as possible allowed me to clock at 57mins in the end. I have also realized that I do a lot better if I maintain an overall pace than one with a sprint after. However, this is probably just me.

Throughout the reading, I hope this can inspire or even give you some motivation on how we should all keep working harder, running our own race, no matter how hard things can get. The story of the tortoise and the hare have been here forever, but most of us would never think we might be the tortoise, thinking that we're not the "worse" of the lot. However, it is also in us who envy, who think that people are skilled because of their naturally gifted talents that make us feel lesser than who we really are. But are talents really everything? There is one thing that we can always control; how we spend time. Even though life is unfair, people are made different, from the physical and mental aspect of the runner and the difficulty of the race, we're all in control of how we want to finish.

And trust me, we all want to finish with our hands in the air, across the finish line, triumphantly, with our hearts beating against our chest with passion and rage that makes us feel alive.