Lost in the Middle

There is something odd about how the number of years that you attach to a particular activity defines you. I've been running for five years now which is not long enough to be impressive but no longer short enough to be impressive.

As in, I've only been running for a year and I already ran my first half marathon impressive.

I'm now just one of the running gang. I have not yet been around long enough to say things that make people gasp like "I've been running for 25 years".

Swimming has been fun for the past few months because I've been able to tell people that I've only been swimming for a year and I'm (kinda) keeping up to the faster, more experienced swimmers.

Curling has also been fun because I could claim that I had only been curling for 8 months. Our team did relatively well on Fridays despite the inexperience of three out of four members so only curling for 8 months seemed like a big deal to people.

Now swimming is entering year two - which means that I'm no longer the new kid on the block and yet haven't been swimming long enough to be a veteran. I'm now one of the gang who has not yet been around long enough to know everyone.

Curling is entering year two as well - so I'm now expected to know what I'm doing. No more 'wow, you've only been curling for a year - you look like you've been curling longer than that'. Translation: 'wow, you haven't fallen on your a$$ once tonight. Good for you!'. Now I'm sparing for teams who have decades of experience and the fact that I don't fall on my a$$ when I throw the rock isn't going to cut it anymore. There are now expectations to be met.

So in all my favourite athletic pursuits I have now officially passed being a newbie and yet have nowhere near enough experience to stand up and be counted.

Is there a name for that phase?

Never never land?

Middle age?