Want to see excellence? Watch the Olympics - Day 33 of running streak, day 30 of Sugar Free Challenge*

So last evening we were doing some housework and we had the Olympics on in the background.

The women's archery final came on:  Russia vs. South Korea.  Not something I would have sought out on my own.

The South Korean archers had these white outfits with matching white hats on.  They had no facial expressions, even after they shot.

The commentator said that basically the rest of the competition was basically a formality, just to see who would face South Korea.  That the biggest competition that you faced as a South Korean woman archer was making the team.

That caught my attention.  So I watched.

The Russian women did pretty good, lots of 7s and 8s, a few 9s and 10s.  7s and 8s are the red part of the target just outside the bullseye, the 9s and 10s are the yellow bullseye.

Also, they're shooting from about 76 yards away.  Yards.  Three quarters of the length of a football field.

Then the South Koreans took their turn.

First archer:  10.  Next archer:  10.  Next archer:  10.  Then I think a 10, 9, and a 10.  59 points in their first round.  Out of a possible 60.

No expression, no celebration except a little high five after each perfect shot.  10, 10, 10...

How can anyone beat this?  Ever?  This is what total domination looks like.

If you're an Olympic level athlete reading this blog, you should probably look elsewhere.  This blog is about effort, making your life better, eating well, sleeping well, exercising.

It's about my challenge to run every single day no matter what.  And no matter what shape I get in, I know I will never be an Olympic athlete.  I mean, I'm almost 50; is there a sleeping contest?

I'll never be as perfect as the South Korean Olympic archers.  I'll be sweating and running slowly, trying to get another couple hundreds of a mile of another 10 seconds off to be happy about.

And yet...

Right before mile two this morning, I saw another runner in front of me.  I noted their pace, their gait. I thought, "I'm going to pass them."

So I kicked in my faster gear, which isn't much faster than my slower gear, just more determined.  And I saw myself in the Olympics, much younger and slimmer, fit as can be.  I saw the gap close between me and the other runner until I was passing her.  I saw her head turn out of my peripheral vision, and I thought, "Ha!  She's younger than me and I'm passing her!"  The Ha! was for me, not for her.

I rounded to the home stretch and was getting tired.  No Usher music kicking in today,

But I kept it up, just in case she was trying to catch up.  She wasn't.

Then I finished, winded and out of breath and sweaty.  No crowd cheering, just my mind cheering for me, in the dark.

Perfection is for the Olympics.  We must find beauty and strength in our imperfection and our effort.

That will make us Olympians in our minds, which is good enough.

Today's run:  2.42 miles, verified by Nike + running app.  Watch the 2016 Summer Olympics on NBC and their various networks.