If you’ve ever been a serious runner, you know more than half the battle is mental. Even the world’s best-trained athletes eventually enter into an ego battle against their bodies.
But the issue is never can you finish. It’s will you choose to finish?
Sure, it doesn’t sound like that in your head. In your head it sounds more like “Dear God, please stop or your lungs are going to explode and your legs are going to melt off.” But the reality is, for periods of time, you can ignore that voice. And an amazing thing happens—your body accepts it.
I call it the truce. It’s the point where your body accepts that no matter what it says, you are going to ignore it. So for a little while, it doesn’t fight you on it and you can carry on stronger than ever. Being in good shape doesn’t eliminate the need for a truce, it just delays it.
Life is sort of like that on a larger scale. I’ve been going through a lot of changes since I left Gainesville for good last year. At times it’s felt like I’ve been pushed to the breaking point. I think at an earlier time in my life, I probably would have broken. But not this time. Not now. I’ve got too many good things going for me to ease off.
There’s a saying that God never gives a person more than they can handle. I think the truth is people rise to meet their adversity. They do so because they have no other choice.
When I look at my life, I don’t have a single thing worth breaking down for. When things get stressful or emotions run high, I kick it into overdrive and ride it out. And eventually, the inevitable happens. Things carry on much the way they always do. So while it may not always be as easy as I’d like, it’s nice to know I’m in better shape than I thought I was. I think if we really thought about it, most of us are.