Suffer Better - Part 1

"That which does not kill me makes me stronger" - Nietzsche.

I'll keep this simple. You can go out and run everyday at a relaxed, easy pace and go forever and experience a lifetime of relatively pain free, happy running. You can call yourself a runner, and in all honesty, in terms of longevity this is probably the best approach.  

This is not my approach to running, or life for that matter. Although, over the past year or so I've come to appreciate the importance of a nice, easy maintenance run, or a chillaxed day around the house; I like to get out and go. I like the feeling I get from a hard interval session, or a long tempo run, or an incredibly long run through the forest or city (running through a new city, or even a familiar city at night, is invigorating). Heck, in hindsight, I even like the feeling I get from a punishing run through sub-zero temperatures with bone-chilling wind sapping you of nearly every ounce of energy you think you have (thank you Canada). I like the feeling I get from finishing chores around the house. I like the feeling I get from walking to the top of any hill or mountain I can find. At times with a child on my back. In short, I like to move, and if there's some pain or suffering involved with the task I'm okay with it.

Most of the runners I know want to get better in some way. Either they want to get faster, or more efficient, or improve their stamina and endurance. None of these aspects can be improved upon by simply plodding along for an hour everyday. As I said earlier, there's nothing wrong with this approach if you're just after general fitness, a healthy heart and lungs, and an improved mental clarity and state of mind. However, to become a better runner it's going to require some harder efforts in terms of intensity (speed or incline) or increased volume. These harder efforts will involve some degree of suffering. With this in mind we must learn to embrace our inner-sufferer, and make peace with him or her until suffering becomes an old friend. In short, we must "suffer better." 

To suffer better is simply a state of mind. It's in the eye of the beholder as they say. Once you accept suffering as a fact of life, or becoming a better runner, you will be happier, easier to be around, and have more friends.