We Endure

You know in Game of Thrones, when Jon Snow says, “Winter is coming.” I think we would all agree that it’s an inevitable statement.  However, actually living through the brutality of what Winter entails is its own beast.  While my eyelashes were freezing over on my run this morning, I kept thinking of lyrics from the Alice in Chains song “No Excuses”: 

Everyday it’s something
Hits me all so cold
Find me sittin’ by myself
No excuses, then I know

I truly have been inspired over the course of the last few months, not because of respectable performances, or solid workouts or long runs posted on Strava, but simply because of each one of you and your ability to endure!  Now granted, some days the treadmill is the wiser choice, or maybe you really back off the pace of a run because of ice, shitty footing, or the fact that you can’t feel your extremities and immediately start doubting your future ability to procreate. 

Regardless, we’ve all pushed through many rough moments where we weren’t sure what the result would be.  We’ve all come out the other side of some intense suffering.  And you know what, it’s a damn good feeling.  Not the numb fingers or frozen faces, but the realization that our bodies and minds can overcome loads of adversity.  We all run for similar reasons, but also for a variety of different reasons.  Some of us set goals to just run, be healthy, and lead an active lifestyle.  Some of us set goals in regards to performance, which is admirable in a sense, although I believe striving for the consistent process is the better choice in the long run.  Obviously, this dreadful season will come to an end, and we will once again experience the glorious sunshine and warmer temperatures.  In the meantime, we embrace what we’re given, because it will ultimately make the good days feel even better. 

I recently rewatched Good Will Hunting, which is still a damn masterpiece, and one of the many memorable lines that stuck with me was from the late, great Robin Williams, “You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.”           

Keep pushing my brothers and sisters!  The light is at the end of the tunnel.  In the meantime, embrace the suffering and fight like hell.