Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Stop Being a Pussy! The Art of Suffering and Why It's Good For Runners

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of discomfort lately. Somewhere along the line, most of us got it into our heads that it is wrong to be uncomfortable.

I see it in kids these days - how being tired or sick or stressed or hungry or full or constipated or bloated sends them into a tailspin of bitchiness, complaining and victim-hood. Whatever happened to grittiness and sucking it up? What ever happened to experiencing forms of suffering and not falling apart into a puddle of despair and it's-the-end-of-the-worldness? I mean I walked naked 45 miles to school everyday as a child and never once complained.

Then I take a hard look at myself and I do the same thing as those damn kids. I don't like to be uncomfortable. This being the case, why the hell have I chosen to be a runner? As we know, running is highly torturous at times what with all of the sweating, cramping, heavy breathing, fatigue and shitting of one's pants. No, not every run is like this - some are amazingly uneventful and smooth, but as a general rule - to run is to suffer to some extent.

Watching Desi push through horrendous conditions to win Boston on Monday (after she thought of dropping out at mile 6!), really hit home. She accepted the conditions and never looked back, literally. How can I get some of that grit? Truth is, while most of us will never ever run as fast as Desi, we possess the drive and determination if we just tap into it. Or, I'm gonna keep telling myself that.

Image result for des linden
You can just SEE the determination on her face. The will to get it done despite fatigue, cold, wind and pain.
Or, how about Katherine Beiers, an 85 year old who ran Monday's Boston Marathon in 7:50? She never gave up despite the horrendous conditions. Just as much grit as Desi. Story HERE.

Boston Marathon


I used to be better at embracing the suck. I could power through without stopping to walk or get myself together. In fact, during the first marathon I ran in 2009, I did not walk even one step. I've changed a lot from then. Maybe it's age, maybe I am more apathetic. But, I think it's a mentality that I've adopted - it's as if when I get really uncomfortable (I'm talking tired or achy - not injury stuff) a warning sign goes off that something is wrong. It's not, in fact, wrong. It's just discomfort.

Before I did my first Ironman a few years ago, my PT gave me the BEST advice. He said that there would be many times during the race that I'd be suffering or when something would go wrong (like a flat tire, throwing up, whatever). He told me, "Do not assume it will get worse. Just keep moving forward."

I pushed through a choppy ocean swim, a penalty on the bike and illness during the run.
For 12 hours and 50 minutes I found my GRIT

I love that bit of advice. Because in life, not just in running, there are many times when something happens and we panic, assuming the worst. Your child gets a cold and you assume it will turn into the flu. You feel a niggle in your foot while running and assume you're injured. You start a half marathon and are already tired at mile 1 and assume you'll never make it to the finish.

Indeed while the worst case scenario is sometimes true, usually it's not. Often what we worry about never comes to fruition (it's the shit that we don't worry about that catches us off guard and slaps us in the face - like how a tree fell on my house yesterday. I hadn't worried a moment about that and it happened anyway!).

When we get uncomfortable while running, we shouldn't panic. Aches, pains, fatigue, bad moods come and go, much like those wonderful euphoric experiences we have while running come and go. Really, the trick is to accept the discomfort and stop dwelling on it. Chances are it will improve and not get worse. I know this because my PT told me and he was right. I think it's important to remember that the discomfort is temporary and each step forward is one closer to the finish. Research has even shown that pain is often purely in your head and not an accurate signal of physical distress (injuries aside). Keeping this in mind will enable you to push through the discomfort so you can run faster and longer (Active.com)

Bottom line: Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living a dream - Peter McWilliams

SUAR


23 comments:

  1. Oh, so agree. We are such wimps these days. Stuff is hard. Suck it up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ★COMPOSITE HACKS★

      🔍🔍Are you Seeking for the Best Legit Professional Hackers online??❓💻💻💻
      Congratulations Your search ends right here with us. 🔍🔍🔍🔍

      🏅COMPOSITE HACKS is a vibrant squad of dedicated online hackers maintaining the highest standards and unparalleled professionalism in every aspect.
      We Are One Of The Leading Hack Teams in The United States🇺🇸🇺🇸 With So many Awards From The IT Companies🏆🏅🥇. In this online world there is no Electronic Device we cannot hack. Having years of experience in serving Clients with pProfessional Hacking services, we have mastered them all. You might get scammed for wrong hacking services or by fake hackers on the Internet. Don't get fooled by scamers that are advertising false professional hacking services via False Testimonies, and sort of Fake Write Ups.❌❌❌❌

      * COMPOSITE HACKS is the Answers to your prayers. We Can help you to recover the password of your email, Facebook or any other accounts, Facebook Hack, Phone Hack, you wanna monitor your kids/wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend, You Wanna Hack A Website or Database? You wanna Clear your Criminal Records?? Our Team accepts all types of hacking orders and delivers assured results to alleviate your agonies and anxieties. Our main areas of expertise include but is never confined to:

      ✅Website hacking 💻,✅Facebook and social media hacking📲, ✅Database hacking, Email hacking⌨️, ✅Phone and Gadget Hacking📲💻,✅Clearing Of Criminal Records❌ ✅Location Tracking and many More✅

      🏅We have a trained team of seasoned professionals under various skillsets when it comes to online hacking services. Our company in fact houses a separate group of specialists who are productively focussed and established authorities in different platforms. They hail from a proven track record and have cracked even the toughest of barriers to intrude and capture or recapture all relevant data needed by our Clients. 📲💻

      🏅 COMPOSITE HACKS understands your requirements to hire a professional hacker and can perceive what actually threatens you and risk your business⚔️, relationships or even life👌🏽. We are 100% trusted professional hacking Organization and keep your deal entirely confidential💯. We are aware of the hazards involved. Our team under no circumstances disclose information to any third party❌❌. The core values adhered by our firm is based on trust and faith. Our expert hacking online Organization supports you on time and reply to any query related to the unique services we offer. 💯

      🏅COMPOSITE HACKS is available for customer care 24/7, all day and night. We understand that your request might be urgent, so we have a separate team of allocated hackers who interact with our Clients round the clock⏰. You are with the right people so just get started.💯✅

      ✅CONTACT US TODAY VIA:✅
      📲 compositehacks@gmail.com 📲

      And You Can Always Check Out Our Blog For Helpful Tips 👌🏽
      💻 www.compositehacks.blogspot.com 💻

      Delete
  2. I have had similar thoughts since Monday. My life provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to running so I have gotten into the habit of running in the nicest weather of the day. If this weather showed on my race day, I would totally suck. Need to get over that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. to go to your goal you need to be a very brave and strong person to overcome all obstacles on this difficult path. and to get help you can contact our authors who will help to write homework for you

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found it fascinating that the top 10 finishers (women) were all US except for the one Canadian.nAll the other elites dropped out. Who were the real runners that day?

    Oh, and 2 were nurse practitioners. Just saying.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for this post today. Looking at the start line of IMTX next week after a DNF (cut off time) at IMAZ last fall. The mean bitch in my head gets to me once in a while. But she needs to sit down for a while. I will cross that finish line this time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes you will!! Best of luck, you can do it. Embrace the suck.

      Delete
  6. A tree fell on your house? Well, that sucks!
    Hope everyone is okay and the damage wasn't too bad.

    Yes...I've been trying to embrace the feeling that my lungs are going to implode and my heart explode. Lovely feelings... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. After running Boston this year I think I've embraced enough suck to last me a lifetime! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well did not quite finish what I meant to type...but great post and perspectives!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. GREAT advice- both for life and exercise. I have to constantly remind myself that it should NOT feel easy while pushing myself. I am also a "constant worrier" with my kids- thank you for the reminder not to be lame! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. So true, I'm getting worse at the moment. Won't fly anymore, might crash, on a train, will there be a terrorist attack? Wet on the motorway, oh shit we're going to die. Can't run today I'm too tired/hungry/busy/poorly etc etc. This was just the post I needed to read! I need to man-up & stop being a wuss! I THANK YOU 😊

    ReplyDelete
  11. We complain so much nowadays! After reading this I feel all those complains are just trivial

    ReplyDelete
  12. This couldn't have been written at a better time. I was just thinking about how I used to run without worrying about how much it would hurt to push the pace in a race, etc. and now somehow I seem to have a hard time getting out of comfortable easy run paces. Thanks for the reminder and swift kick in the pants. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. We Provide List of Best Packers and Movers Bangalore Local Shifting Charges Approx, Top 4 Movers and Packers Home Shifting @
    Packers And Movers Bangalore Local Shifting Charges Approx

    ReplyDelete
  14. The ultrarunning version of that saying is "It never always gets worse".
    At mile *14* of my last 100 (actually 108)I was lying on the side of the trail so sick I was trying to take a nap; then staggered up and puked my guts out. I kept moving forward(was in DFL for a few hours) and eventually finished with a couple hours to spare. Oh, after running the last 15 hours of the race in the rain and chafing such that I thought my crotch was on fire. I'm all about embracing the suck :)
    I'll see you twice when you do Dirty Thirty (I course marshal right before and after Windy Peak) and I'll remind you about this...hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  15. ★COMPOSITE HACKS★

    🔍🔍Are you Seeking for the Best Legit Professional Hackers online??❓💻💻💻
    Congratulations Your search ends right here with us. 🔍🔍🔍🔍

    🏅COMPOSITE HACKS is a vibrant squad of dedicated online hackers maintaining the highest standards and unparalleled professionalism in every aspect.
    We Are One Of The Leading Hack Teams in The United States🇺🇸🇺🇸 With So many Accolades From The IT Companies🏆🏅🥇. In this online world there is no Electronic Device we cannot hack. Having years of experience in serving Clients with pProfessional Hacking services, we have mastered them all. You might get scammed for wrong hacking services or by fake hackers on the Internet. Don't get fooled by scamers that are advertising false professional hacking services via False Testimonies, and sort of Fake Write Ups.❌❌❌❌

    * COMPOSITE HACKS is the Answers to your prayers. We Can help you to recover the password of your email, Facebook or any other accounts, Facebook Hack, Phone Hack, you wanna monitor your kids/wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend, You Wanna Hack A Website or Database? You wanna Clear your Criminal Records?? Our Team accepts all types of hacking orders and delivers assured results to alleviate your agonies and anxieties. Our main areas of expertise include but is never confined to:

    ✅Website hacking 💻,✅Facebook and social media hacking📲, ✅Database hacking, Email hacking⌨️, ✅Phone and Gadget Hacking📲💻,✅Clearing Of Criminal Records❌ ✅Location Tracking and many More✅

    🏅We have a trained team of seasoned professionals under various skillsets when it comes to online hacking services. Our company in fact houses a separate group of specialists who are productively focussed and established authorities in different platforms. They hail from a proven track record and have cracked even the toughest of barriers to intrude and capture or recapture all relevant data needed by our Clients. 📲💻

    🏅 COMPOSITE HACKS understands your requirements to hire a professional hacker and can perceive what actually threatens you and risk your business⚔️, relationships or even life👌🏽. We are 100% trusted professional hacking Organization and keep your deal entirely confidential💯. We are aware of the hazards involved. Our team under no circumstances disclose information to any third party❌❌. The core values adhered by our firm is based on trust and faith. Our expert hacking online Organization supports you on time and reply to any query related to the unique services we offer. 💯

    🏅COMPOSITE HACKS is available for customer care 24/7, all day and night. We understand that your request might be urgent, so we have a separate team of allocated hackers who interact with our Clients round the clock⏰. You are with the right people so just get started.💯✅

    ✅CONTACT US TODAY VIA:✅
    📲 compositehacks@gmail.com 📲

    And You Can Always Check Out Our Blog For Helpful Tips 👌🏽
    💻 www.compositehacks.blogspot.com 💻

    ReplyDelete
  16. With great respect and honor to a real spell caster Dr Obasi who restored back my husband after a fight with him i contact him for a love spell and he cast it for me with-in the rang of 48 hours, and my husband was back home all thanks to him please my advise is for you all who have the same problem to contact him via obasispelltemple@gmail.com call or whatsapp +2348145643630
    Best Regards

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello,

    I'm Dr Ogudugu a real and genuine spell caster with years of experience in spell casting and an expert in all spells, i specialize exclusively in LOVE SPELL/GET YOUR EX LOVER BACK, FRUIT OF THE WOMB SPELL, HIV CURE SPELL, BECOMING A MERMAID SPELL, BECOMING A VAMPIRE SPELL, SAVE CHILD BIRTH SPELL. If you have any problem and you need a real and genuine spell caster to solve your problems, contact me now through my personal Email Address...Note-you can also Call and WhatsApp.

    Contact me -
    Email: greatogudugu@gmail.com
    Phone No: +2348139793075
    WhatsApp No: +2348139793075

    ReplyDelete