When I began running my freshman year of high school there were a group of guys on the team that were a bit faster than me. I though if only I could catch these guys I would be a real stud. Within a year I caught those guys, and guess what? There were faster guys on other teams. I thought, If only I could run as fast as these other guys, I would really be a stud. I continued this pattern throughout high school, and guess what? No matter how fast I got, there was always someone faster.
By my senior year I had improved considerably, set a school record, and had overcome a multitude of injuries. These were my accomplishments. I had done this myself, with a little help from my coach. I was satisfied with what I had accomplished, and went on to college, continuing to improve.
Along the way I met lots of runners who were full of B.S. It seemed that everyone I met was a 4:20 miler. I suspect that 4:20 was fast enough to impress most everyone, but not fast enough to be recognized. I know that most, if not all of these runners were full of B.S. Among competitors there were very few runners in front of me, but among runners I met on the street, I was among the slowest.
In retrospect, I am content with what I did. In my youth I had a lot of great times running, and I learned a lot - not just about the sport, but also about life in general. All these B'Sers were not content, and probably didn't learn a thing. Count your blessings.