Why we do what we do

Happy Wednesday Folks, when this post finally makes it onto the internet, and by the time that you actually get around to reading it, I will more than likely be crazily cramming for my three finals coming up this Friday.  So chances are most of the posts this week will have been written ahead of time.  Today's post comes from a quote seen on a friends blog.

"People ask why I run. I say, “If you have to ask, you will never understand”. It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels" ~Erin Leonard


This quote really does signify any athlete who puts themselves through the things that suck in pursuit of a higher goal.  No one likes waking up when it's still dark outside and going for a long run.  I don't like coming home from labs at 7 and having to go out for a run lit by street lights. But it's things like that gets you through 4 hours of running hell.  After completing a marathon, you have a feeling like none other and all the training, all the pain, blood, sweat and tears that you've put in, it feels worth it.  Although it didn't set in till after I had popped a few advil's ate some food and what not.  The reminder of the accomplishment stuck around for many days (I couldn't quite walk).  

Speaking of which a random anecdote, I was working in a lab at the hospital during the summer and our floor was getting renovations and thus did not have washrooms on the floor, they were either one floor up or one floor down.  So one day, decided needed to make a visit there and took the elevator up one floor (breaking a personal rule of mine) and happened a washroom closed for cleaning.  The cleaning lady was like oh this washroom is closed for cleaning, but there's one on the other side of the building, so I said my thanks, walked away and proceeded to wait for the elevator to take me down to the main floor.  The cleaning lady comes out and is perplexed, thinking I didn't understand her instructions, I told her I did, but that I can't walk.  She then had pity and was like wellll..... alright go ahead and use this one.  So word or friendly advice to those that are running their first long distance event, stretch LOTS after your run, and then go take an ice bath, drink up on some recovery drinks, and wear some compression gear if you can after.


But back to the quote, we put ourselves through all this, there's no words to describe the feeling.  My brother once told me, that pain you feel after working out just means the muscles are there.  To this day I still hold that to heart, if it hurts it means they're there and you worked them hard. Just make sure you don't overtrain.  I'll let you know what the feeling is for my second marathon maybe it won't be quite as awesome, maybe it will.


~Cheers