No Pain, No Gain

With my marathon behind me, I've become rather lackadaisical towards my running regime, only to discover that {surprise!} fitness is like everything else-- I'm either actively progressing or inevitably sliding backward. Yesterday, I went on a four mile jaunt that left me winded and feeling old. 

Our trip to NYC is looming near, and I've been envisioning a long, scenic run through Central Park. I've always wanted to run through Central Park. Stopping to gasp for breath and work out a side stitch has never been part of that picture.

Time to get back into marathoning shape. Or at least half-marathoning shape. :)

As I ran this morning, I tried to distract myself from the drudgery of the first two miles. {Whether I run five miles or twenty-five miles, I've never learned to enjoy those first two. They're always plodding and painful.} I found myself recalling a study that I heard about on Science Friday, wherein scientists explored the reasons behind the fact that humans have the capacity to re-live emotional pain, but not physical pain. 

I'd never really thought about that before, but it's true. Something as simple as a song on the radio can make my mind instantly recall the emotional turmoil I went through years before. If I allow myself to dwell on it long enough, I can actually cry over it all again, put myself into a funk, and force myself to re-process the emotional pain before moving on. However, watching a video of myself giving birth does not make my body re-live the physical pain I was feeling.

Which is probably why I've been able to have more than one child. 

I'm sure they made some kind of amazing conclusions about why our bodies have evolved in such a way, but what I've taken away from that brief broadcast is a mantra for running: it hurts now, but will be forgotten tomorrow. 

Oh, and sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will hurt me even years later. 

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