You are totally awesome for telling that man he belongs!! 🙂 I feel out of place too when I try new things and I would love it if someone would come up to me and tell me I belong. You rock! You probably made his day.

Caitlin that was SO nice of you. I bet you really affected his morning in a positive way.

I always feel like I “don’t belong” when I try a new-to-me group fitness class. This stuff can be intimidating!

Aww Caitlin, I’m sure you totally made this guy’s day! Thanks for the reminder – it’s little things like encouraging people who share the same struggles as us that make the difference, and I bet you felt great for it after too. 🙂

I feel like an imposter all of the time! Especially when I walk into a running store. I see everyone else with their fancy running clothes and I think to myself “oh my god, I don’t know a dern thing!” and it’s funny… even though I’ve run a marathon and several halves. I STILL don’t consider myself a “runner” even though I’ve been running for 3 years or more.

I feel that way at the pool all the time! I actually time my swim workouts for when I don’t think the pool will be as crowded. It’s not so much that I don’t think I deserve space in the pool, but I feel like I slow other people down. When other people ask if we can circle swim I always tell them they may want to ask someone else since I’m slow and have to take breaks semi-often.

This was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear today! I’m training for my second half marathon, and on my sloooow run this morning I felt…..like kind of a poser. But I’m proud of my friends who are training with me, so why not be proud of myself? Thanks for yet another great post 🙂

Wow – that post brought tears to my eyes! No doubt that that man truly appreciated your kindness. Awesome!

It’s awesome that you encouraged him like that! I think swimming laps is TERRIFYING because I feel that people are judging me for not knowing what’s going on or what the proper etiquette is.

So glad you posted this! I am trying to teach myself how to swim. I’ve gone twice. I get in the “recreational lane” and still feel ridiculous but I struggle along. This reminds I need to get back to the pool. I will only get better if I keep trying.
I wish someone like you was there to help me out!

How could chickpeas, Mmmm Sauce, and goat cheese possibly sound disgusting?! You’re cray cray. That sounds amazing.

I think it’s really great that you encouraged the newbie. I walk into the weight room of my gym like I own the place, but I know there are a lot of girls out there who are too intimidated to even set foot in it. It’s unfortunate that so many people miss out on things because they’re afraid of looking foolish. Good for him for being there anyway! I’m sure you made his day. I always love meeting really nice strangers.

That’s something I would do with a complete stranger 🙂 Every time I’m at a race and notice that someone is struggling I’ll typically cheer them. Typically I notice those people get their second wind and a little pep in their step. It makes me so happy and proud not only for helping but for knowing they pushed past their boundaries.

Oh my gosh! You probably made that guy’s day. That is so awesome, and yes, you undoubtedly sell yourself short. Get in those workouts! 🙂

This post gave me goosebumps, and the motivation I need to not be scared to go in the “men’s weight room” I always feel like I don’t belong there and just gaze at the machines as I go by! lol you’re awesome 🙂

Every time, I try something new – sports or life related – I feel like a fish out of water. But then I realize that a lot of great things in my life have come out of trying something that felt foreign and intimidating. Thanks for reminding me that everyone feels like this when they try something new, and that its perfectly normal to feel that way.

What a sweet story, it made me smile from ear to ear. Everyone needs to a hear a pick me up, especially in times of struggle.

You really expressed what so many of us feel so well being an “impostor”

totally random side note, what brand of bread is that? the slices look like the perfect size, and i love plain toasted bread.

I LOVE THIS POST! I appreciate it so, so much when someone I pass on a run offers me any bit of encouragement. Sometimes it makes all the difference!

Good work Caitlin! Positive Karma on you for reaching out to a fellow human being and offering some encouragement and compassion (some things that are scarce sometimes in this world). I experienced an amazing thing this weekend that arose from a bad situation. My husband and I were signed up to do the Pacific Coast Trail Run 21k in the Santa Cruz mountains…alas, the event organizers no showed and left all us trailrunners high and dry. Instead just walking away we all banded together to run the race on our own, with no marked trail nor any aid stations. People were so positive and encouraging. People shared food, iPhones, trailmaps and pulled through (some even completing the 50k distance). If that’s not the power of positivity, team work and a sense of community I don’t know what is. It was awesome!

I am lost looking at that work out. “Pull”, “kick”, “swim hard”… What exactly do they mean by all that?

I would really like to get more into swimming for exercise, as I have a completely torn ACL and a bad tear in the meniscus on the same knee. I need surgery, but I’m still trying to figure out a good time for me and my family to deal with it all. In the meantime, I’m having a hard time figuring out what cardio I can do because everything hurts my knee! Boo hoo.

I’m tring to be tough and just deal with it, but it’s getting harder as time goes on and I gain weight.