Tolerance

As runners, training is constant, and as a result so is pain, soreness and exhaustion. I used to believe that as you get into better shape, the pain and soreness isn’t as severe, but what I have come to realize is that it’s always there. In fact, it probably doesn’t get better, but worse. What makes me believe and feel that my body isn’t in pain? Experience. Through experience my body has learned to numb out some of the aches and pains that accompany running.

When I stop and think about it for a moment I realize, that I don’t just ache a little bit in one spot. I feel like a big, black and blue mess from head to toe. An achy shoulder which pops with certain motions, a constant ache from two previously broken big toes that never fully healed because of running, tender shins that even when lightly poked can cause excruciating pain, knots in the outsides of my calves, burning in my chest from hard breathing in cold weather. The list could go on, yet on the average day, the list doesn’t even exist. Why don’t I feel the pain? I believe it’s because none of it is harmful to my health and wellbeing.

Over time as a runner, my body and mind has been trained to let me know what feels bad, and what feels really bad, and then what feels not so bad. It has taken the lesser two and simply crossed them out. By experience I have learned what feelings are simply uncomfortable, but will not affect my running and what feelings are signals to stop. In the end the tolerance and experience we gain is all worth it. The hard work pays off and results are there.