As it Gets Harder, You Must Get Easier

oedipa_maas

Years ago, I found myself in the same place I am today: struggling to make peace with my body while also working toward its improvement. I found some writings of mine about striving under difficult circumstances. When things are hard, and one feels so weak and discouraged, how to keep on keeping on?

I found that answer in a book I had about fitness. The author, a world class runner, went to Africa to train with the Kenyans. He was brought to the very edge of his endurance, and...well, I'll just let him say it:

"The Kenyan runners are the best in the world. How do these tranquil people from a tiny nation dominate the sport of running worldwide? Much of it has to do with genetics, running great lengths as children, and living in a country that treasures its runners. But there's something bigger--something we can all learn from the Kenyans: they increase their composure as the intensity heightens.

"I decided to train with the Kenyans in order to bring my running to the highest possible level. For the first five days I was an outsider, and the Kenyans did little to help me through the mind-numbingly difficult workouts. They ran, and if I fell behind, tough luck. It wasn't until the sixth day of training that they opened up and revealed their secrets about athletic performance. What took them hundreds of thousands of miles and generations to learn, I had to *earn*. And to do that, I had to run with them. Twenty-two miles a day. In the hills. And *fast*. .

"In the middle of a particularly tough climb, I began to heave from the pain of the effort. I remember pain running so deep, my eyes began to cross. One of the Kenyans leaned over and said, 'As it gets harder, you need to get easier.'"

Then, and now, this spoke to me After I read it, I carried it with me everywhere I went, in everything I did. I softened, softened. I loosened my mind and my body. I became less afraid to feel the intensity of my discomfort--physical, emotional, whatever--and instead stepped right into the center of it and just let it suffuse me, or sit there, or do whatever it would do. Sometimes, it was agony. Sometimes, it began to melt away, just like the nightmare figures I confronted in my dreams. I practice things, like I practiced cursive writing in the third grade or playing the flute when I was 7 or learning to ride a bike again when I was 23. I will practice running like the Kenyans. I'll probably mess up a lot, as I always do. I'll react out of pain and fear. I'll take to my bed and get paralyzed for a spell. I'll make the same old mistakes I make year after year after year. But I will, as an old friend once said to me, remain in motion, remain in light.

Spreyton22K

Beautifully written and expressed.....

Thank you for sharing

CA_Underdog

I would like to say more, but I'm on my way out, so I'll leave it at thanks for such inspiring words.

oedipa_maas

Thanks to both of you for reading!

projhex

Sounds like the famous Greg LeMond cycling quote, "It never gets easier, you just go faster."

Derp_Diggler

Thank you for this.

CindyMarcuzAdams

Nice read, thanks

George_Baileys_Ghost

She also said this was awesome. Thanks for posting!

sheenarama

IN!

_Thriving_

beautiful!

Alluminati

The post wins!

:flowerforyou:

milmomto2

I definitely needed to read this right now. At this time. In this space. Thank you.

jahzbuttafly

Very wise words, thank you for lightening my day! I will try to take this with me as I begin my 5k training (again) .

CuteMonkeyGal

I -NEEDED- this. Been going through a tough time emotionally lately, and exercise has been the only thing I've felt like I can control. I will just let the emotions come and then melt away.

awesome_ani

This is just wonderful, and so apropos. Thank you for sharing this.
Ani

disneygallagirl

That is frickin awesome! Love it! Thanks for sharing.

tmj4477

Very cool

oedipa_maas

Wow, thank you everyone! The concept is so important to me and I wanted to share it in case it resonated with others.

ekat120

Love this! Thanks for sharing!

CA_Underdog

"In the middle of a particularly tough climb, I began to heave from the pain of the effort. I remember pain running so deep, my eyes began to cross. One of the Kenyans leaned over and said, 'As it gets harder, you need to get easier.'"

As I meditated on this, I found a contrary point--pain usually tells us something!

That pan on the stove is hot! It was only a month ago or so that I developed minor wrist pain. I decided to avoid wrist-intensive exercises like push-ups, but kept pushing for PRs in other areas. Wrong move! I've now been in a brace for three weeks and frustratingly incapable of most resistance training.

So don't ignore pain. But, don't exaggerate it either--

"I was in so much more pain than the Kenyans, and it wasn't because they were that much fitter than me. It was almost as if my mind were 'creating' more pain and effort than there really was. Have you ever done that? You're doing something that's stressful, like paying bills, and your mind makes the process *feel* a whole lot worse than it is. My experience with the Kenyans was the physical equivalent of paying the bills. I was getting far more stressed out than I need to be."

Wise oedipa_maas says "I softened, softened. I loosened my mind and my body"

I starting playing the guitar. Four hours in, my fingers bloody ache! I will listen to my fingers. I will make my best call whether to continue. But if I do push on, then I will soften, soften, loosen my mind and body.

dakotababy

This is perfect for me...right now. Thank you so much for posting this.