self-compassion

Good article in today's NYT about self compassion.  Scientists say go easy on yourself about your imperfections.  Not bad advice.  What's striking about this article is that the examples of imperfections are failures to diet and exercise.  People castigate who themselves "for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising" would do well to ease up on the self-flagellating.  Apropos of the last post here, we have another example of exercise turned into, if not a moral issue, at least another category of behaviors to chastise ourselves about.  What gives?

Anyhow--check this out.  An ameteur runner, government worker Yuki Kawauchi, took third at the Tokyo marathon, running 2:08.  He passed out after crossing the finish line, which according to him was the fifth time he's ended up in the medical tent after a marathon.  In a race, there's always a little more to give.  Amazingly, he did it by himself.  The Japanese running scene is dominated by corporate teams (like company softball teams, but for serious runners), but he didn't join one.