Random Pre-Vacation Musing #1

It's day one of my vacation (at least it will be when this posts!)!!! I am confident that I miss you all already. I have decided to pre-write some blog posts to tide you all over whilst I am away (although, I may just bring my computer and post from there--free wifi in the hotel lobby!).

Today's musing is on...well, I don't even know the word...I want to say 'Good vs. Bad Pain', but I am not sure that covers it. I also want to say 'Feeling Your Body', but *that* sends the *WRONG* message. I supposed it could be called 'What Your Body Tells You Through Pain' but it is one small aspect of that...Anyways, who needs a well-defined topic??? There are good reasons I got a mathematics degree and not an english one. ::wink::

During my long run with Amy on Saturday we were discussing my comment from last week about how I had to hobble every time I got up from my desk the day after my 6 mile run--and that I loved it. I think to the non-runner (or I guess non-athlete/exerciser) this may not make the most sense. AHH put it well when she said it makes you feel like you've accomplished something. I thought about it for awhile and it makes me feel alive. It makes me feel strong--or at least on the path to being stronger than I was before I did whatever activity caused the hobbling.

I think it's important to point out that although it hurts, it is not pain--at least not by my definition. I define pain to be sharp and shooting, the thing you feel when your body is alerting you to the fact that something is wrong. Think how it feels when you stub your toe, or get a paper cut, or a headache, or a massive blood clot spanning a large portion of the left side of your body (::grin::)--that's pain. The hobbling is more soreness; your muscles just saying, 'Hello! I'm here!'

I'm digressing. Back to my conversation with Amy. She pointed out that we have always felt our bodies talking to us but some conversations are positive and some are negative. The post-run soreness is positive. The body is saying, "You worked me and now I am rebuilding stronger than I was before." But when I weighed almost one hundred more pounds (or even average-bodied persons who don't exercise), walking upstairs my body spoke to me. It said something like, "Really, Erin??!?! You want me to walk up two flights of stairs? You will feel your quads--and it won't feel good--and you will breathe heavily...but I guess I'll do it. I mean, you do *have* to get there and there is no escalator or elevator around..." I remember the feeling of approaching a staircase and dreading having to go up it. Please don't misinterpret this, it wasn't *super* difficult. I didn't have to rest mid-way or anything crazy like that. I was just out of shape. Without putting words in her mouth, I think Amy felt similarly at times too when she wasn't as active. I think a lot of people do.

So, one really cool effect of my being more fit is that something that has always been a reinforcement of my negative self-talk has morphed into something that creates positive self-talk. The "Ugh--I do *not* want to climb two flights of stairs" becomes "I love that I can bounce up two flights of stairs with power in my step!" The "Ugh--my back is sore from slouching on my couch all weekend" becomes "Wow! I can feel that run from yesterday... Must have done something right ::wink::!"

You may still think I am crazy. And that's ok. But I LOVE it. And I know at least Amy does too. :)