My third-grade math teacher, Mr. Lawson, used to say: 

“He who starts behind remains behind unless he runs faster than the one in front.”

His point was simple. We had to get going. We had to start working to improve, or we would never move off the starting line or get ahead.

As an adult, I know that statement has more nuance. Some people start ahead. In school. In careers. In running. They have talent, experience, or circumstances that give them a head start. Others start behind, through no fault of their own.

Running makes this obvious. Some runners glide effortlessly from day one. Others struggle through their first mile. Some build fitness quickly. Others grind for years. The starting lines aren’t equal.

Mr. Lawson’s point wasn’t about fairness. Life—and running—aren’t fair. It was about agency. If you start behind, staying behind is the default. Progress only happens if you’re willing to move differently. More consistently. More intentionally. Sometimes more patiently. Sometimes more bravely.

That doesn’t mean reckless effort. It doesn’t mean comparing yourself to the fastest runner in the group. It means committing to your own process. Showing up when it would be easier not to. Trusting that steady effort compounds, even when progress isn’t obvious yet.

I started behind as a runner. I know that. And I also know that consistency changed everything. Not overnight. Not dramatically. But slowly, in a way that stuck.

Mr. Lawson, if you’re out there reading or watching—thank you.

Best wishes on chasing your running goals,
George