Endurance

You're running, you've been running hard for quite awhile. You're exhausted. You see a hill. You have two choices:

A. Take it slow
B. Push harder

Of course, you could just stay at the same pace, but let's assume you're looking to change your pace in hopes things might go better on this tough ascent. Let's take choice A. You take the jog slower, since the hill is tougher. You aren't suffering as much, but you're suffering it longer.
Ok, now choice B. You push harder up the hill, thus killing yourself more but in the process ascending the hill quicker and cutting your amount of pain time to a minimum. Take your pick.


It's kinda like the jellyfish man-o-war situation. Getting stung by a jellyfish they say is less painful, but the sting lasts longer. Man-o-wars tend to hurt more initially, but the sting subsides a lot quicker. So which one is better?

Back to the running idea, I used to pick choice A, both when actually running and with many of my other problems. I'd take it slow and easy, hoping in time the problem would pass. If I didn't have to face the brunt of the problem, I didn't care how long it took to finish it. Back then I was convinced it worked, but now the more I look at it (both my life and my running times) I realize that I was slowing myself up. I didn't take charge, I didn't face the problem head on, I didn't tackle it from the beginning. However much I hate to admit it, though the initial problem might be hard to face or conquer, the lasting consequences of diving into the conflict rather than riding it out really turn out better. The pain I feel from unsolved matters and unfixed relationships can not be compared to the nonexistent pain from solved conflicts I tackled on the spot.

When I run full speed up a hill, sometimes I trip and fall and it hurts even more. We can expect to be successful after every run. But the great thing is that we get better and more conditioned for it the more we do it. You can't however get conditioned by taking things slow. You never learn when you never fall, and you can't grow without pain and challenge.

I'm running the triathlon in two and 1/2 months. I'm excited. I did it last year and it was quite an amazing feeling. But I won't be able to do it if I continue to choose the slow strategy when I go up those hills, whether on bike or running. I have to push forward and suffer the pain now to build the endurance to keep me going when things get tough.