Pain, Hair, and Bargaining with the Running Gods
Pain, Hair, and Bargaining with the Running Gods

Pain is a good motivator.

My most painful moments act as catalysts for my own resurrection.

When Andrew’s first marathon was done and we were pigging out at Red Robin he told me that while he was out there under the relentless heat of the sun he began to bargain with the marathon gods. He would do whatever they asked of him if it meant getting out of this marathon early. He told them that he’d go bald. He’d lose all his hair if they could please, if only just this once have mercy on him and get him out of this god-forsaken race at 16 miles instead of 26.2.

Bald is fine for most people but for Andrew, it would be catastrophic. To say he loves his hair is an understatement. I once mistakenly went to grab his hair during a make-out sesh before he had to go to a work appointment and let’s just say that when he ducked out of the way, Suzy didn’t get to the next base.

He’s hot, so he’s allowed to be all about his perfect hair. But I knew when he told me he had offered up his locks in exchange for an early out, that he really must have been in a lot of pain.

Marathons hurt. So does guilt. And mental illness. And cancer. And eating too much and being fat and having people stare. And sitting alone in a city full of people where nobody sees past your acne scars. And wearing fancy clothes while you live in a fancy house on a fancy hill while you sip fancy wine on your fancy furniture and everyone assumes you have it all and all you want is for somebody to see past all the fancy shit and just love you in all your ugliness.

I’ve been in so much pain that I’ve curled up on the ground of the shower in the bathroom and cried so hard that I thought my internal organs would push through my stomach muscles. Even with the slightest discomfort, the Julia Roberts vein in my forehead shows up like a traffic light.

But it’s in these moments, either the big ones on the shower floor or the small ones found in the flush of my face, that I find myself at a crossroads.

Does it hurt bad enough to change directions?

Have you ever looked back on your life and been thankful for the pain that motivated you to change for the better?

Yep. I have lilies tattooed on my arm for that reason: as a reminder that we are all capable of being resurrected. We need to accept where we are right now, take responsibility for our lives and then ask ourselves: what are we going to do about it? You can grow flowers from where dirt used to be.

Have you ever bargained with the running gods?

Reposted with Permission from Suzy Has the Runs

 
 
Seen a lot of slim chicks posting their

workouts on here so I thought I'd join 

the fun
Warning : I will bully every one of you

into daily stretches, plyo drills, crazy 

intervals, lifting heavy weights and 

epic long runs
104 °F.....  As my Grandma says, 

"Marathon training ain't for p*ssies."



Crazy old lady is right.

New Featured eBibs

Best thing about Monday? Telling everyone about your PR from the race  over the weekend!
Well, I went for a run in the rain today... And I didn't melt.  So there goes that theory.
The awkward moment when you are  lifting more than the guy next to you... Just kidding.. not awkward, straight awesome!
I'm really sick and tired of food having calories.
What do I think about when I run? Sometimes I fantasize about a world where I'm in charge, chocolate makes  you skinny, and everything is always  75% off.
Difficulty sitting on a toilet? Dread even the sight of stairs? Difficulty getting out of bed? Difficulty walking?   DIAGNOSIS: ran a marathon!
Always keep a good bottle of wine  in the fridge for "special occasions." Obviously, my run is a  "special occasion". I've  started running daily!
You know you're a runner when...  Your Sunday mornings are earlier  than your Mondays.
How do you know if someone is  a runner? You'll know because it's  all they talk about.
"Training is making me lose so much weight!!"  ...said no marathoner ever!
I may appear harmless... But inside I'm completely badass.
1 mile = 11O calories  1 Beer = 145 calories  Guess it's time to run  another marathon...
Dear boys, until you start having  periods, babies, ...and run 26.2 miles  just for fun, you're not as strong  as you think.
Win or Lose... We Booze !!
Yes, I'm guilty! I just killed  my workout.
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