Bragging or Motivating?

As runners we've all been there... either you, a family member, friend, close acquaintance, or some random runner has shared a recent running accomplishment.  "I won a race", "I placed in my age group", "I set a personal record (PR)".  Many of our friends congratulate us, like our post, or say they'd like to be able to run like that one day.  Alas, a silent select few may think you're bragging.  Better yet, some runners actually don't post their accomplishments because they feel it is bragging.  Having been a part of the running community for some time I've seen and heard many success stories.  From the novice to the elite runner, we all have a story to share.  The question... is it bragging?

Let's look outside the scope of running.  When people share any accomplishment or achievement, can it be considered bragging?  "I lost 20lbs last week", "My child got an A in class", "I got a promotion on my job".  When we hear statements like these we generally feel happy for the person and share in their excitement. Then again, some may still think it's bragging.  It's tough to tell; people view things differently.  For that reason some runners opt not to share their accomplishments.  Dictionary.com defines bragging as such, "to use boastful language; boast".  Exploring this a bit further, boastful language is, "Brag[ging] implies exaggerated claims and often an air of insolent superiority".  Now, unless I'm mistaken simply stating you ran a PR or you finished your 9th marathon cannot be viewed as insolent. More-so, I would say as a runner you're sharing an intimate experience which made you happy you overcame a personal challenge.  To share your experiences with others seems to be more about making a connection or opening up to others.  But it's much too early, I may be jumping to conclusions. Let's explore further...

Looking at the other side of the coin.  By sharing their accomplishments does the runner motivate others to action?  Is the person receiving the news being made to feel inferior?  Let's see, to motivate - "something that motivates; an inducement or incentive".  Looking back at our definition of bragging we know that any language used to air superiority means one is bragging.  Surely by sharing an accomplishment the persons intent is not to air superiority, but more or less the unintended reason is to possibly motivate.  With that said, can one deduce... If it inspires you to try something new; can it fall into the category of motivation?  As athletes, all runners begin somewhere. Whether running at an early age in high school or running later in life, many runners have a story to tell. Whether it's to lose weight, run a 5K, beat a previous PR by 2 minutes, or to lower their blood pressure.  Despite the reason, overcoming challenges is a runners life.  To reach a certain running accomplishment whether large or small becomes a badge of honor.  Both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts use badges to inspire and motivate their troops to overcome and seek new challenges. Some scouts even have badge pinning ceremonies to publicly acknowledge accomplishments.   So could it be through these shared experiences runners are motivating others by talking about their accomplishments?

So can it be viewed as bragging or is it motivating?  Should a runner share when they've run a sub 7 minute 5K?  The runner may think its bragging, another runner may think they're sharing a personal experience with friends.  Some will say its bragging, some will say the story motivates them.  At the end of the day there is no definitive answer. Whether a person decides to share their accomplishments or not is a personal choice.  Just like whether the person receives it as bragging or inspirational is a personal choice. I'm of the opinion... if through sharing a personal accomplishment  I can encourage others to get off the couch and live a healthier lifestyle through running and exercising then so be it.  With that said, I think I will continue to share my experiences.

Keep Running!!