Giving In, Not Up.

It’s been a while since I last posted. But it isn’t because I haven’t been running. I definitely have. I just haven’t quite known what to say about my runs. So, I’ll just tell you how it is: lately, running is emotional.

At some point years ago, running became both meditation and therapy for me. I guess that’s why I’m out on trails by myself so often. Not that I don’t like running with people. I do! And I should really run with people more often. But, when I run alone, it’s my time to just be with myself to think and reflect and feel.

I’ve written before about using running as a tool to deal with those difficult moments in our lives. In running you have to accept pain. Things are going to hurt. Climbs are going to be hard. You might even fall down. And during my long run this past Saturday I decided the same is true about life. So, I turned Stava off and gave in to my feelings as I made my way up and down the Oakland hills.

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” -Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

As usual, I don’t have a point with this post. Except to say that I’m embracing pain. Pain in my quads and in my heart. It’s what’s pushing me forward. I’m giving in, not giving up.