Being a Nice Girl

Raphael says I'm an athlete, and a highly competitive one at that. Raphael is a straightforward kind of guy, and he's not one to flatter so I have to think about that.

Most days I don't feel like an athlete. I feel like a former fatgirl pretending to be a triathlete. Any day now the Triathlete police are going to knock on my door and ask for my medal back. "sorry, made a mistake, meant to give it to the person behind you. What were you doing at the tri anyway? I don't know how you made it through the screening process."

I guess by definition I could pass as an athlete in polite society: I train, I compete in athletic events-well, okay, 1 athletic event, but that counts. I own several pairs of running shoes, and shorts and more than one pair of swim goggles. It's weird though. I don't feel like an athlete. I feel like me, just sweatier. *grin*

And competitive? Do I have to confess to that? It sounds bad. Nice girls aren't competitive. Nice girls always root for the other team. They support others, help others. It's the old "nice girls never vote for themselves" syndrome. But I am competitive, and I think I'm a nice girl. I'm not out there to destroy the competition. I'm not putting spikes on my bike wheels chariot racing style. I just want to know what I can do. I never even thought of curling 20 pounds until Vicky told me she could do 25. I hadn't even considered running 5 miles until Karen told me she ran 10. That's when the little voice in my head says "you could do that!"(it is NOT insane to hear voices in your head, unless they are telling you to set the neighbors cat on fire) So then I have to try. I'm hoping none of my friends tell me they are parachuting out of planes; I don't want to hear what the little voice has to say about that.

Raphael says I'm an athlete and a highly competitive one. I don't believe him yet, but it was sure nice to hear.