Here’s a little test for you (with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy). How many of the following ten items can you relate to?
- If you get up early on weekends to workout or compete, you might be an athlete.
- If you understand how tired muscles can be a good thing, you might be an athlete.
- If you think of work as what you do to pass the time between workouts, you might be an athlete.
- If you consume energy bars, drinks, or gels and actually enjoy them, you might be an athlete.
- If you have a special rack at home for drying your sweaty workout clothes, you might be an athlete.
- If you think of carbs as fuel rather than as something to be avoided in your diet, you might be an athlete.
- If you check out whether a hotel has a fitness center before you make a reservation, you might be an athlete.
- If you can remember your personal best records, but have trouble remembering your age, you might be an athlete.
- If you drive along country roads thinking they look like a good place for a run or bike ride, you might be an athlete.
- If you get more excited when reading about a new training technique than when reading about some whiny celebrity, you might be an athlete.
I score a perfect 10 (but then again, I made up the items). How did you do? If you scored five or more, you might be an athlete.
Dictionaries give a pretty bland description of what an athlete is. They say that an athlete is someone who is trained in or good at sports or exercise that require physical skill, endurance, and strength. For my money, there’s got to be more to it than that.
I was never an athlete in school. Through high school and college, I wasn’t a member of any school teams and I didn’t know many of the “jocks.” I got into fitness gradually. First, I found that I liked riding my bike, then I got into running. I didn’t think of myself as an athlete, just someone who enjoyed the activity and benefits of a healthy workout. Eventually, I got into competition and found myself pushing to get better and faster. Somewhere along the line, I became an athlete.
I think being an athlete is more than just being good at some sport; there’s an athlete way of looking at things that becomes a part of your personality. I was never fully aware of it until recent events forced me to really explore who I am and what I want in life. I found that most of the interests I have and most of what I’m looking for have to do with my expression as an athlete. For example, when looking at prospective employers, I check to see if they have a fitness center or are near exercise facilities so I can more easily incorporate workouts into my day.
Perhaps the greatest moment of clarity I had was when I realized something about the people who I feel most comfortable around. Although I’ve noticed it before, I never really understood that I relate best to other runners and triathletes. Some of my favorite times are just hanging out before and after races talking with my race friends. There’s a connection I feel with them and a fellowship that we share that I don’t get from other people.
I have some friends that I’ve known for years, even traveled abroad with, and they still don’t entirely get me. They can appreciate what I’ve accomplished, but they don’t really understand the athlete part of my personality. My race friends, on the other hand, who I talk to for maybe an hour at most over the course of an entire year, we understand each other. I don’t have to explain myself or my interests, they just get it because they’re athletes, too. I’m not saying this to judge one kind of friend as being better than another, just as something I’ve noticed about who I seem to connect with.
I am an athlete, but there’s much more to it than simply being good at sports. My fitness interests affect my whole outlook on and experience of life. They effect how I’m motivated about things and how I respond to challenges. They effect how I spend my time and how I relate to people. But whatever the effect, it all relates to being an athlete.
Some get it, and some don’t, but if you find yourself hovering over bagels and bananas in the early morning sun, you just might be an athlete.