We are all real runners…regardless of how much we run, how far, or how fast. But it’s much easier to tell that to others than to believe it for ourselves. Why? Because of Imposter Syndrome. Those with Imposter Syndrome doubt accomplishments as real successes and often pass them off as flukes or good luck. When we fail, we actually feel shame.
You feel like you don’t belong
I have a friend, let’s call her Gina because that’s her name, who has been running since she was a kid. She’s really talented. She’s headed to the Olympic Trials for the marathon. Her passion for the sport is unwavering. But she admits that sometimes when she’s standing on the line for a competitive race, she battles thoughts that she doesn’t belong.
“I’m looking around at these elites thinking, ‘I was up nursing a baby last night and changing diapers, what am I doing here?’”
For most of you reading this, you probably think those thoughts are crazy. Of course, she belongs. She’s trained so hard (while taking care of tiny humans, mind you) that she’s one of a few hundred in the country to qualify for the Olympic Trials! Yet, she sometimes thinks she doesn’t stack up.