I run because I am slow...

Countless people tell me they are slow. I hear it all the time. I hear it so frequently from so many people, the word 'slow' means very little to me anymore.

Usain Bolt can cover 100 meters in just a hair over nine and a half seconds. This is fast, but it is glacial in comparison to what a cheetah can run for the same distance.

There are those who can run a mile in five minutes. Some can run a mile in less than four minutes. But, this pales in comparison to what your average gazelle can notch a mile in.

Then, there are the world's best marathoners. The current world record stands at 2:03:23 which is nearly 13 miles per hour. Your average golf cart can roll at 15 miles per hour.

Setting aside the handful of athletes who win major races and hold world records, there are the rest of us. We toe the line and rarely (if ever) win. There is almost always someone in front of us when we cross the finish line.

But, it's more than likely that there is at least one person who finishes behind you. Even if you are the last to cross the line, there are countless who would never consider toeing the line. There are innumerable who will never get off the couch.

So, you never need to worry about being slow. There will always be  someone who is slower. But, there is nothing wrong with being slow, however one defines this.

In the grand scheme of things, all of us are slow. There will always be someone (or some thing) faster than us. Being slow isn't a character flaw, it's a universal.

That doesn't mean you have to like it. I don't like it. I yearn to run faster too.

I run because I am slow...