BEating Pain

Can you remember a time you avoided something painful? Did avoiding it serve you? Why/How?

The author notes that nearly everyone has experienced avoidance of painful situations. He shares that avoidance regularly appears in his trail-running hobby.

The Trail Running Experience

During a morning run from sea level to a 2,500-foot summit and back, the author faced physical pain and breathlessness on steep ascents. His initial reaction involved "negative thought storms and stopping to walk."

The Turning Point

About an hour into the run, during an especially painful section, the author made a deliberate shift. Rather than continuing to avoid discomfort through walking breaks, he decided to "turn into the pain and meet it head on." He refocused on his breathing, allowed himself to feel the pain, and "transitioned it into fuel."

He set a landmark ahead as a goal and continued running until reaching it, then celebrated this small victory.

Reflection

The author realized he had not ignored the pain — he had confronted it directly. Rather than being excessively hard or easy on himself, he transformed pain into motivation. He describes the experience as producing "small victories" with profound life lessons.

"Greeting and transforming vs. avoiding pain served me well that day."

He anticipates improved performance on future runs and heightened resilience. He hopes to apply these same principles to emotional, spiritual, and intellectual challenges.

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