"Comparison" Shopping

Today is the first day of the Bootie Challenge and I got out and ran my modest amount of miles at my usual turtle pace.  4 miles at 42:51:59.  Avg pace 10:43/mile. 
So I'm feeling pretty good that I beat my goal of trying to get in UNDER an 11:00/mile average for the entire run and that I kept going even tho my lower leg muscles (not the calf, the one on the front outside of leg) were crying for mercy. I was feeling OK for most of the run but tired at the same time.

I get home, load my times from my trusty Garmin into the computer and compare my times with previous days and paces then take the dog on a walk.
Come home to check out my blogs I like to read of other runners and this one had run 20 MILES this morning in 3 hours!!  20 FREAKIN MILES!!  And that was just a training run and all her times were in the 8's and 9's.  I am immediately feeling defeated......I could NEVER do that.....I can't even run ONE MILE at a pace faster than 10:14!!  And she ran her last mile....mile 19 to 20 in 8:43.  WTF???  I'm exhausted thinking about it!

So I'm in the shower lamenting my sorry state and reason flows over me and I immediately start putting things into perspective:

1.  I am going to be 49 tomorrow - she is probably mid to late twenties. (Still couldn't have run that fast in my 20's but it sounds good)
2.  I have just been running again (and it wasn't alot before) in July.  Time is a big component in speed (I think - or hope!)  She has run MANY marathons.
3.  She's 30 lbs lighter than me.......I have some to lose hence the running......
4.  She doesn't have hills - I have lots of hills here in the sticks.  Can you tell I'm makin this up as I go along?? LOL
5.  She eats better quality food than I.......I have a GREAT relationship with crappy food! Trying to improve this.
6.  Etc, Etc.......

Biggest thing I realized tho.......I AM NOT HER!  I AM ME!   And I need to give myself a little more credit for getting out there and doing it when it's 33 degrees outside and it would have been A LOT.....I mean A LOT easier to have just stayed in bed or in my chair watching the morning shows and drinking coffee!!  I'm doubtful that I will ever be that fast....even when I was running before I just didn't have the speed.  I did a half marathon in 2 hrs 20 min.......I'm not Speedy Gonzales!  And I will have to say that doing 4 miles in July would have been unheard of so I am making progress.  Purchasing something that tracks my progress has helped tremendously.....now I am AWARE.

So the soon to be 49 year old is doing something that most 49 year old's don't do......so don't COMPARE, BE HAPPY!!