Ramblings

So I have a couple of personality-twin friends who went from couch potato to marathoning in a couple of years. They started doing strange things like, joining running sites, getting running partners, going to running events, competing in marathons. I viewed this " reliance on others for motivation" asweakness, even though I logically knew that they were actually strengths.I had belonged to various "support groups" my whole life and I knew they were excellent motivators. SoI had to ponder, whywere physicalactivities different in my mind? I concluded the following:Iwas athletically challenged growing up. The extent of "team sports" for me wasbeing picked to be on the 6th grade basketball team (that I knowmy teacher chose me for to boost my self esteem and not for ability). That resultedin being knocked flat on my back, and smacking the back of my head on concrete, duringa game. That was the end of team sports for me.I was also a social outcast and sinceteam sports was not just about team work, but also had astrong social element, that did not jive well with me. And as everyone knows, the most social people in school, were also the ones that always ended up in teamsports.Also, team sports involved competition.Due tofamily dynamics, I came to associate competition with conflict, and I viewed conflict as negative. So conflict/competition, in any area of life, was to be avoided at all costs.Lastly, Ispent the last 10 years fighting chronicmusculoskeletal pain dueto car accidents. Thanks to excellent healthcare, a little luck, and a lot of my own hard work, my pain is now manageable. Though Ido still have limitations and have to be careful.Differentiating "good pain" from "bad pain" is a constant struggle for me.Both of my personality-twin friends had very similarlife experiencesas me. I realized that their journey into the world of running was a testament tothem overcomingvery similar psychological barriers. They both became my inspiration to do the same.So I decided to get over my hangups and get on with it. So I joined this group, I went to a group run (really just to meet some of the people -didn't really run- lol), got a running partner (just once a week but it's a start), and have made strides to push my body just a little harder, and I now regularly get on here and read about others' setbacks and accomplishments, andthis all reallydoes motivate me. And in the back of my mind, I even think about competing (if only with myself). And it's a positive thought.