Managing Pain

Everyday I have been doing what I need to do to make sure I am not in pain everyday. I ice my feet at least twice a day, more on weekends, do my stretching and frequently get massages. After only 5 weeks of official training (plus 5 weeks of base building before that) something on my body hurts at some point every day, even if it is just a toe. I have new calluses on my toes that I didn’t have before and my toe nails hurt most of the time. My right hip is usually tight as is my left hamstring. I think this is going to be the norm for the next few months.

I had some hope that eventually my body would get used to it, but tonight I read an article in one of my running magazines on how the elite runners manage pain. What? They have pain, too? You would think that professional runners would be immune to pain – that is all they do is run and train… shouldn’t it get easier? I guess not. I do not think it will ever get easier because as you get better you have to constantly push harder to improve.

Most of the elites said that they use mind games and mantras to get them through hard runs. They all have phrases that they say over and over to motivate them. I guess I will have to think of something to say to myself other than the common thoughts I usually have when I run… my brain converation usually always has one or more of these things on each run:

• My hip hurts
• My hamstring is tight
• I need to stop and stretch
• Horses stink
• I need to go faster
• I can’t
• It doesn’t matter if I go faster
• Stupid horse people leaving horse poop on the path
• I hope there is nobody in the stall waiting to jump out at me
• Do I smile at this person every time I pass?
• I breath too loudly
• Why am I breathing so weird
• Is there something in my shoe?
• Am I getting weird tan lines?
• My glasses are fogging up
• My ipod arm band is pinching me
• I earphones cord is sticking to my shoulder skin and annoying me
• I feel like I am fast, I wonder if I look fast
• I don’t look fast, that is ridiculous
• Is it time for a snack?
• I have to pee
• If I stop to pee I will have to pull down my compression shorts and they are hard to get back up
• I think I can hold it
• Stop slouching
• How do people run barefoot
• What if they step on something
• Do I really like running or do I just pretend to like it?
• I do like it but I am not sure why
• I like being in shape
• I like training for something
• I am training for something
• I am going to run a marathon
• My toes hurt
• How badly are my toes going to hurt when I run the marathon
• I do not think I can do it
• Of course I can
• I still need to lose a lot of weight
• I need to do better
• I am happy

Seriously, these are common thoughts on most every run. Supplement these with random thoughts about the people I pass. and the music I am listening to….I really have a lot going on up there. I read stories about people zoning out on runs – I apparently cannot do that. I probably should try to focus a bit more. My poor brain!

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