The Strength of Pain

2 Minute Read

"The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow." – Unknown

Pain…

Love it.
Hate it.

Runners are confusing sometimes. We all know that pain is necessary, and sometimes look forward to it... in a weird way.

But we all wish for it to be over at the same time.

So how do we truly take to heart that pain is good for us, and can we get to a point where we don’t wish for it to be over?

Pain is the Catalyst for Growth

Pain is always present.

Long runs, short runs, hard runs, "easy" runs... effort is always required. And with it, a bit of pain.

Every training season we kick off, pain is right there waiting for us at the start of every run. And even the most season runners dread the pain they know they're walking into.

But at the same time we all know it's necessary. So can we work to see pain differently? Not as something to dread, but something to willingly accept and look forward to - because without pain we’d never get better. Really, it’s something to appreciate.

Pain during training is the body letting you know that your actions are resulting in change. Muscles are breaking down to rebuild stronger, and our mental toughness is being tested and developed. This is the essential process for improvement. Without it, our endurance and power would remain stagnant.

Transforming Pain into Strength

Pain today is strength tomorrow.

The brick house analogy is commonly used to communicate this. Every challenging run is like laying a single brick when building a house. With each single brick, you may not be able to see any difference or real progress. But over time, the vision of what you’re building will start to come together. And so, each drop of sweat and every ounce of effort you put in, gets you one step closer to what you’re trying to build.

The pain we experience is what moves this process forward. So we can enjoy it! We can look forward to it. It is the basis for training. It’s why we’re here.

And if the non-runners among your friends and family didn’t think runners were weird before, they definitely will when you tell them you’re looking forward to pain.

In Real Life

Pain can come in many forms! And each form that pain exists in is a new area that we can seek improvement. For example, the pain of a long run is different from the pain of an all-out one mile sprint. Similarly, the pain of forcing yourself to run in the rain is its own challenge. And pushing through the different types of pain each brings their own strength and benefits.

Just pay attention to feelings of discomfort - this is your tell-tale sign that whatever you’re facing has some form of strength on the other side.

Final Thoughts

Pain is never pleasant, but it’s a crucial part of the journey to becoming stronger. Embrace it, push through it, and recognize it for what it truly is: the only way to grow.

And with this mindset, we can build a routine we love, and train consistently. Because with consistency, we build passion.