I’ve been in a lot of pain this week. A lot. Running a marathon has literally been the most painful thing I’ve had to do in my entire life. Not only was I hurting immediately after the marathon, but this whole week has been a blend of slow movements, ice baths and newly invented swear words muffled under my breath. My penguin walk upgraded to a hobble and is now a slight limp [Go healing!), but my ankle is still problematic and hurts as I walk so I’m going to go get it checked out soon.
***
Pain isn’t fun. It’s uncomfortable. So much so that people spend their whole life trying to avoid pain as much as possible. But I think pain gets a bad rap. Pain isn’ always that bad. In fact, pain is a natural reaction to let you know when something is wrong so you can change it. Without pain, you would break your arm and not realize it, because there was no pain to signal that something had changed. Pain helps you get better. When pain kicks in, you get that signal that something is wrong and something needs to be changed. It lets you know that something needs to change and gives you the chance to change it.
Pain gives you the opportunity to grow.
If you’re outside your comfort zone, chances are you’re stretching yourself and feeling a little bit of pain while doing so. This isn’t bad. This is actually how you know you’re getting better.
Running a marathon isn’t fun in the traditional sense. You spend months running outside in extreme temperatures to race for one day and you eat a diet that you don’t always want to eat all to spend 3-6 hours pushing your body harder than you ever thought you could.
But every year, more people do it. Thousands and thousands of people willingly subject themselves to that type of extreme pain voluntarily. And they do it over and over and over again…
I think we like the pain.
Or at least I do. Maybe I’m weird, but I enjoy the sting of the pain. The part of pain where you get to the edge and think you can’t go any farther. Every bone and muscle in your body doesn’t think it could move another inch. Every fiber of your body feels like it’s about to snap. Going any farther seems impossible.
And then you keep going. And going. And going…
I really love that feeling.
The challenge is fun because of the pain. As much as it sucks right now to be limping, I’m limping around everywhere knowing that I did a marathon last week.
When I pulled up to the gas station and limped to the counter with an over-sized bag of ice in each hand, everyone sort of stared at me like there was something wrong with me, I just smiled to myself knowing they had no idea what I had just been through. Same for the people at the grocery store, on main street and at work. They had no idea what was going on, but I did.
Even now, looking back at the photos from Sunday’s Marathon, I have to laugh. It’s fun to see the pain I was in and look at the really agonizing faces I was making. No, it wasn’t funny at all at the time, but sometimes it’s the worst situations that turn out to be the best stories in hindsight.
I like a little pain every now and then. Pain reminds you that you’re alive. When you’re doing fine, it’s easy to coast through life in a state of semi-unconsciousness. But instead of living, you’re really only existing. Living means pushing through the pain so you can enjoy the highs. Enjoying the hard parts of life so you can appreciate the great parts even more. When you push yourself to the limits so much so that you’ve got nothing left to give and have completely exhausted your body of all of it’s resources and finally accomplish something you’ve been striving towards for months, you get to see both extremes in a short period of time…and that is a lot of fun.
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Great post and I know what you mean about pain! After getting back from Thailand I decided I wasn’t going to buy a car. I was going to bike everywhere. This week alone I’ve broken almost 60 miles of commuting.
Just the other day I was thinking how awesome it feels to do something you thought previously was too hard! Then the next day (yesterday) I wrecked and slid half way through an intersection and I’m REALLY feeling the pain now!
That’s my favorite feeling…looking back on something that was impossible and realizing it isn’t anymore. That never gets old…
Great post. You really captured all the feelings and emotions that go with finishing a marathon. You know with every step after finishing that you’ve completed a 26.2 mile journey that has taken you to the edge and that no one can take that away from you. I’ve felt the same way when finishing my marathons. That I’ve just gone through the worst of what I’ve ever put my own body through and it has allowed me to see how far I can really push myself. (It sounds crazy) But there’s something extremely satisfying and euphoric about being able to take yourself to the max and accomplish what others deem ‘insane’ and ‘impossible.’ (I’ve gotten both of these sentiments from friends and others) Congrats on finishing the marathon, enjoy the pain, and keep up the impossible!
Thanks Ryan. Glad to know I have someone who can literally “feel my pain.” 🙂
I never have run a marathon, but I played Division 1 water polo in college so I think I know that feeling you’re talking about. As a challenge one year I swam 100 100’s (10,000 yards) on New Years Day, which took over three hours. I have never felt so amazing as getting out of the pool that day, and going on with the rest of my day.
O wow. That’s rough! I’ve swam maybe 2 miles at the most and I was exhausted (it probably took me close to three hours to do THAT). It’s fun to see what’s actually possible when we really push ourselves. Thanks Elana!
I’d go one step further and say that this applies to challenges in general. For me, work and exercise are the same – it is difficult to get going, but once I do I love it. Working out is not the same love as eating ice cream and creating a new piece of software is not the same as watching the latest episode of the Daily Show, but it is a love nonetheless.
It is the idea of fulfillment. I’m not sure if everybody is so motivated by fulfillment, but for me accomplishments are the best motivator at all. The bad points actually become badges of honor… like staying up all night to write an app, living on couches to travel the world, or gritting your teeth to run a marathon 😉
The bad points become badges of honor 🙂 I really like how you put that Zane…Very well said.
“Pain gives you the opportunity to grow.”
When you learn how to overcome the pain, you get stronger and that give you incredible feeling of satisfying. No matter, is it physical or emotional pain!
Btw did you know this one:
Life isn’t a race on short tracks, life is a marathon!
Thanks for sharing,
Jelena
Thank you Jelena!
Hey Joel,
I like what you wrote because I’ve always wanted to do a marathon as well. I think that the need for pain works when you’re going outside of your comfort zone, so you’re absolutely right about that.
“Pain gives you the opportunity to grow.”
Hahaha and why did I put on my bucket list to get blown out by 100 girls?
Pain = opportunity to grow, opportunity to create possibilities, and opportunity to (suck a little less!)
Cheers.
What’s keeping you from running a marathon?
Nothing is stopping me 🙂 I train and run a few miles every other day, so it’s a matter of staying consistent, etc. Definitely going to happen soon.
Regards.
Good to hear! keep me posted!
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
So true when you look at it in this context.
Again, congrats on the marathon, even though you’re still feeling it, the accomplishment will last a lifetime.
I must have had a lot of weakness leaving :). #somuchstrongernow 🙂
Always, always you inspire me Joel!! THANK YOU!!
=)
I ran NY twice, MILWAUKEE twice, Chicago & am doin Chicago in the Fall! I luv the pain!! U pushed yourself to grow. I luv pain after a workout… I know i will build strength that way. No pain no gain!
As i sit here in Urgent Care with a possible broken toe from my half mary last weekend!?!
Ouch! Hope it’s nothing bad! Good luck with recovery!
I didn’t like the pain after my marathon but I do have to say that I love the pain you have after a really good workout. That’s how you know it was good!
The pain after a workout is usually a little more tolerable as well 🙂
You’ll never catch me on the marathon track, but I’ll say this: I respect the hell out of anyone who has the dedication to train, improve, and give it their all on the day of the race.
Even you, Joel. 😉
I agree with the overall point, too. “Pain reminds you that you’re alive.” I don’t encounter agony on a daily basis, heh, but the feeling after a rigorous workout is enjoyable in so many ways.
What’s it gonna take to get you to sign up for one? 🙂
Great post Joel! You make me want to get more serious about this running thing. But all the pain all the pain all the pain…..
Or maybe just laziness. I tend to operate out of passion, so I need to turn this into exactly that.
Do it because you want to. If you try to do it for someone else, you’ll give up as soon as it gets hard. But if you do it because you want to, you’ll have a much better reason why, that will keep you going even when things get rough.
PAIN. I remember hearing a great missionary story of an encounter with a child who had leprosy at an orphanage.
The missionary was being shown around and arrived at a gate where the handle had seized due to rust. The missionary was a strong man and gave the handle all the strength he had, but could not open the gate. The child with leprosy stepped forward and opened the gate easily. The missionary was amazed, and realized the child’s hand was now bleeding profusely, but the child did not seem to mind.
Leprosy takes away any feeling of pain in a person’s body. Without the barrier of pain, we have much more strength than we are aware of.
Congrats on the marathon!
JSJ
Thanks James!