PAIN

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components.

This is a definition I found today while searching the Internet. As I drove my son to his babysitters today, we talked about my upcoming race. Having witnessed a few of my races, he knows how his father will be feeling after the race. Walking upstairs will be challenging for the first few days and my knees and hips will be sore.

I remember after one race when I made sure that I had everything I needed from upstairs so I wouldn't have to make more than one trip on the stairs. Finding a comfortable place to sit will be difficult and getting up will be even tougher.

Most marathon runners acknowledge and accept the fact that they will have to experience some real pain during and immediately after the race. The more I "push it" the more pain I will feel in my hips and thighs. Even if I decide to run rather than race, this weekend, my body will be pounding the pavement for 5 hours (maybe less). There really is no escaping this type of pain.

This type of pain is physical, but overcoming the emotional/mental pain is the thing that runners excel at. Keeping your mind from getting "bored" or from wondering why you are doing this crazy activity, is something that is more challenging than the physical pain. I'll think about everything I can during the race to keep my mind focused. If I concentrate too much on the running then I'll probably come to the realization that I have a long way to go and then I'm finished. Having great friends to run with this weekend will certainly help, but we will each have to keep motivated, and that has to come from within.

So, given all this pain, why do I run? I think part of it is pushing my body to limits that I didn't think I could. Having goals and then accomplishing them is a feeling that is hard to describe. I'm fortunate that my goals are attainable for me and that there are so many goals to achieve with regards to running. I'm already thinking about my next races even though I haven't even finished this one yet. Running not only gives my body a physical workout but also pushes my mind to new limits as well. Another reason I run is because of the amazing people I've met and continue to meet.

This weekend will be a return to my "roots" so to speak, as I'll be running with plenty of trail runners who I've run with during my trail races from last season. I haven't done many trail races this year but the people who do trail races are so nice that I'm sure I'll get a warm welcome back from them this weekend. They'll also probably say, "where have you been?"
My response will be, "running of course!"