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You are here: Home / Adventures / A Glutton For Punishment: The Need For Pain

A Glutton For Punishment: The Need For Pain

May 20, 2011 By Joel Runyon 36 Comments

Running PainI’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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Filed Under: Adventures, Fitness, The Impossible Tagged With: Impossible, lots of pain, marathon pain, pain, running pain, the need for pain

About Joel Runyon

I started IMPOSSIBLE to push myself to try to live a life worth writing about by pushing my limits, living an adventure & telling a great story by doing the impossible. You can get free updates in your inbox via your new favorite newsletter, free fitness training tutorials, and see all my businesses at Impossible X and our philanthropic efforts at Impossible.org

Comments

  1. Adam Mayfield says

    May 20, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:34 am

      That’s my favorite feeling…looking back on something that was impossible and realizing it isn’t anymore. That never gets old…

      Reply
  2. Ryan says

    May 20, 2011 at 11:55 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:34 am

      Thanks Ryan. Glad to know I have someone who can literally “feel my pain.” 🙂

      Reply
  3. Elana Miller says

    May 21, 2011 at 12:22 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:36 am

      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!

      Reply
  4. Zane the Experimenter says

    May 21, 2011 at 12:45 am

    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 😉

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:37 am

      The bad points become badges of honor 🙂 I really like how you put that Zane…Very well said.

      Reply
  5. Jelena Milosevic says

    May 21, 2011 at 3:23 am

    “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

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:31 am

      Thank you Jelena!

      Reply
  6. Matt R says

    May 21, 2011 at 5:32 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:31 am

      What’s keeping you from running a marathon?

      Reply
      • Matt R says

        May 21, 2011 at 5:25 pm

        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.

        Reply
        • Joel Runyon says

          May 22, 2011 at 3:35 pm

          Good to hear! keep me posted!

          Reply
  7. Justin Hamlin says

    May 21, 2011 at 10:47 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:28 am

      I must have had a lot of weakness leaving :). #somuchstrongernow 🙂

      Reply
  8. Elena Patrice says

    May 21, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Always, always you inspire me Joel!! THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 21, 2011 at 11:27 am

      =)

      Reply
  9. Jackie says

    May 21, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    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!?!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 22, 2011 at 3:35 pm

      Ouch! Hope it’s nothing bad! Good luck with recovery!

      Reply
  10. 101 Things Before You Die says

    May 22, 2011 at 8:29 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 23, 2011 at 4:11 pm

      The pain after a workout is usually a little more tolerable as well 🙂

      Reply
  11. Matt Madeiro says

    May 23, 2011 at 1:43 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 23, 2011 at 4:11 pm

      What’s it gonna take to get you to sign up for one? 🙂

      Reply
  12. David | Almost Bohemian says

    May 23, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      May 23, 2011 at 4:14 pm

      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.

      Reply
  13. James St. James says

    June 7, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      June 9, 2011 at 2:28 pm

      Thanks James!

      Reply

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