Learning to take a Beating.

1 Corinthians 9:26 "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;"

Many moons ago, when I boxed I had to learn how to desensitize my body as part of training.
I needed to know what it felt like to get punched in the nose or have the wind knocked out of me. I think the guys just had fun messing with us newbies.
The guys that sparred with me would throw jabs at my face, really irritating me. With bare feet, I would throw kicks until the top of my feet were numb and angry red.
Yes, I had bloody knuckles, you didn't have a good workout unless you did.
But the first time you took a blow you had a good idea what it was going to feel like. You were not going to be so shocked that you cowered, bowing out. It didn't take the pain away, it just reminded you what it felt like without being stunned.
The more you quit fighting the pain the stronger you got.

I hurt real bad this morning. My lower extremities were not in agreement with the leg work I gave them yesterday. My poor hammies hated me. I stretched, rolled, massaged, only to do it all over again a couple hours later. I woke up doing the same. The good news is the pain in my legs camouflaged my piriformis issue, making it seem non existent.

With the cold rainy weather daunting outside, I wanted nothing more than to crawl back in bed. But I had Kris and Ken meeting up in Linden to run.

I pulled up my running tights. "UGH, they are so tight." Andy looked at me trying to squeeze my legs and toosh into what looked like a pair of Barbie doll pants. I pulled on the waistband trying to loosen it, then I attempted to stretch out the legs. "Its so tight." I whined. Andy replied what he always replies to most of my conversations or actions "You got issues."

I would love to just run in my favorite over sized gray sweatpants. The crouch hangs down 10 inches. I roll them up around the waist but love how roomie they are every where. I could live in them. The fleece inside is always so cozy. But I wouldn't be able to run a mile in them. The wind would penetrate the fabric and not only slow me down but keep me cold.

So I headed out in my hooker tights, running top with a cow neck and a tight vest to seal my warmth in.
But as I was pulling out of the garage, I threw my truck into park and ran back in to grab another jacket. One can never be too cautious.

Learning to take a Beating:

Kris and Ken were waiting for me when I pulled into Clover beach parking lot.

The first mile, we set out pretty easy, this only tricked me into thinking I was going to get some easy miles in. These easy miles would be great recovery for my damaged body.
Kris lead our route and picked a route scattered in hills. 4 miles we nailed some good elevation. My body warmed up quick even with the icy rain spitting on us.
The three of us ran close picking it up as we hit the hills.
It hurt.
But I remembered the pain. I took it like a champ. I poised myself up on my toes and dug it in all the way to the top.
I got so focused I forgot about Ken and Kris behind me.

This was the kind of run I needed.
It needed to hurt. It was supposed to hurt. I needed the miles, I needed the hills, I needed the pace and I was thankful for the company helping me through the beating.
We picked the pace up slowly. We were all just getting warmed up.
Ken bowed at the 7 mile marker. He is tapering for a 50m ultra in November.
Kris was in for another 2 miles.
Mile 8, I was huffing it as we came unto another hill and my legs were screaming. Or that could have been my lungs. Something was screaming. Everything was screaming.
We finished 9 miles. I could hardly squat down. I could barely even lift my legs but I took the beating. But I didn't feel beat up.

COLLISION:
On Tuesday nights, I facilitate a support group for families and friends that have loved ones struggling with addiction.
The group is growing every week. I average between 15-17 people. They have taken a beating. Some want to give up. Some wonder how much more they can take. And some want to support those who are new to all this.
While the pain is familiar it still hurts.
This is life. It is so painful. We take so many blows. Most of us try to go another round but some of us just don't know how much more we can take. They seem like they come right on top of each other. Sometimes we even feel sucker punched being hit in the teeth and we never saw it coming. It knocks the wind out of you, it crushes you, confuses you. We do our best to get our grounding, assess the damage only to get knocked again.

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control,^b lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

It's learning how to take the BEATING and be BETTER from it.
"Life will make you bitter or Life will make you better."
Learning how to MANAGE IT and not let it MANAGE YOU.
Self Control in the middle of a chaos can be your saving grace.
The picture is bigger than today. It is eternity.

Yesterday, at the gym a sweet older lady and I were chatting in the sauna. She mentioned she lost her husband of 48 years. She said this "LIFE was MEANT to LIVE. " She didn't discount her broken heart, but she was ready to go another round. I was in awe of her zeal.

Some days are so hard. Some days you feel defeated before you even have a chance to gear up. Get it together, dig in to Gods promises. Remember, we live in a broken world. Life will beat you down if you let it. But get back out there for another round. Don't give up.


RUNDOWN:
Distance: 9 miles
Pace: 9;17/mi
Elevation Gain: 548ft
Max Elevation: 971ft

Anita