It occurred to me when I had myself knee deep in insults and accusations. What is the point of responding back when you know it will just lead to more problems. By paying attention to things that are trying to nag us, we are just led down a road of problems and frustration. So why do we respond back to these nagging things? This does not just apply to people but just problems in general.
We always feel like we need to put in the last word. Somehow we are led to believe that if we put in the last word we win. It's not always like that.
There are times where there are things that are trying to inflict damage upon us. Many times these problems can be solved by just not responding, by blocking it out. Literally and figuratively. I have been dealing with problems with my arches recently and it has been taking a toll on me mentally. It has led me to just dread doing the thing I love doing the most. I was left dreading a pain that I knew was going to come, not something I was feeling at the moment. So then I am bummed for something that has yet to happen. I waste my time being sad over something that I am currently fixing. Now if I had just had just blocked out what I knew was coming I could have spent that time doing things more productive instead of wondering why am I hurt at this time. When the time finally comes to run I'll be in a good mood instead of waiting for the pain to surge up from the bottom of my feet. Then when it comes I can just shrug it off, its a painful road to recovery but recover I will, theres no use in being frustrated when you know you are doing everything you possibly can.
Same comes when you are dealing with a people that love to antagonize you. I'm sure many can relate to these kinds of situations, where you are basically being pushed into losing your cool. Now-a-days it seems like it is all a match of wits. A chess game of sorts. Sadly at times that is what communication is. One person trying to gain the upper hand on the other. Such is the case when one begins to insult the other into losing their cool. You see it all the time, where people are just throwing insults out just to make it seem like they are in control. The person being insulted has to realize that they are really in control because once one is reduced to insulting someone on the basis of nothing at all they have already lost. All the person that is being insulted has to do is keep their cool while the the person that is insulting looks like a jackass. Ironically by keeping your cool you piss them off beyond belief and when that moment comes all one has to is press the eject button. Remember you don't need to talk to people if you do not want to. You don't need to put in that last word. Just block them out and it is one less problem to deal with.
This is not to say that one should just go out and block everything out, making yourself numb to the pains that come with life. No, we have to deal with these things to make us strong. What I'm saying is that their is some things that one does not have to deal with, people you don't have to deal with, things that you don't have to let get to you etc.
Life is more chill when you just block things out.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A Break for the Body and Soul
I took the advice and it came after another disappointing run.
I arrived at Athletic Training to go for my scheduled pre-practice evaluation. Got both of my arches all taped up and basically kept in one piece. I have to say, it hurt like hell.
Finished the stretches which with every jump I had to do I could feel my arches hurt. Every step. I switched shoes like they told me, no more Kinvara's unfortunately. New shoes feel so heavy. I miss minimalism.
I began the warm up. Every step hurt again but I was able to make it. Did the second set of stretches but they were all done crappy. I have to skip the workout. No tempo for me unfortunately. I watch as they all look like they have a great workout and I cheer them on. Not used to being on this side of things.
They finish and I head out for the cool down. I only get 2 miles done with them when I have to stop. It still hurts and I have to get driven back to school. I am left with another day under 5 miles. Sucks.
What goes through my mind is something that I have never thought would cross my mind during regular season. Take some time off. I sit there in a pensive state on the way back to campus, debating whether to ask the question or not. I take the wrap off of my legs and it peels the skin off of the top of my foot. That's it.
I ask coach, "Coach should I take some time off?" Coach responds to me with a joking smile, "Yes. I've been telling you this." I stand there waiting for him to say something to the effect of when shall I return to practice. "Tuesday." I get 5 days to try and heal up.
It's a needed rest. Both mentally and physically. My body has been in pain and mentally I am wreck due to my body not being able to be in sync with what I know I can do. I need this. I need to take some time and evaluate myself. I will be taking care of my body in any way possible so I can be back and hopefully be able to do at least one steeple race.
I'm not going to lie. I'm really bummed about this. I'm no longer frustrated though. I can't be. I'm doing what I can to get better now. I am being mature about this. It's what I do from here that will determine whether I will stay healthy this season or crash and burn so I must take advantage at what I have before me, my teammates, coach, and the athletic trainers that are there to help us.
I will get better and be where I know I should be. I'll take these couple days to let myself reach that point where I am again in sync.
I arrived at Athletic Training to go for my scheduled pre-practice evaluation. Got both of my arches all taped up and basically kept in one piece. I have to say, it hurt like hell.
Finished the stretches which with every jump I had to do I could feel my arches hurt. Every step. I switched shoes like they told me, no more Kinvara's unfortunately. New shoes feel so heavy. I miss minimalism.
I began the warm up. Every step hurt again but I was able to make it. Did the second set of stretches but they were all done crappy. I have to skip the workout. No tempo for me unfortunately. I watch as they all look like they have a great workout and I cheer them on. Not used to being on this side of things.
They finish and I head out for the cool down. I only get 2 miles done with them when I have to stop. It still hurts and I have to get driven back to school. I am left with another day under 5 miles. Sucks.
What goes through my mind is something that I have never thought would cross my mind during regular season. Take some time off. I sit there in a pensive state on the way back to campus, debating whether to ask the question or not. I take the wrap off of my legs and it peels the skin off of the top of my foot. That's it.
I ask coach, "Coach should I take some time off?" Coach responds to me with a joking smile, "Yes. I've been telling you this." I stand there waiting for him to say something to the effect of when shall I return to practice. "Tuesday." I get 5 days to try and heal up.
It's a needed rest. Both mentally and physically. My body has been in pain and mentally I am wreck due to my body not being able to be in sync with what I know I can do. I need this. I need to take some time and evaluate myself. I will be taking care of my body in any way possible so I can be back and hopefully be able to do at least one steeple race.
I'm not going to lie. I'm really bummed about this. I'm no longer frustrated though. I can't be. I'm doing what I can to get better now. I am being mature about this. It's what I do from here that will determine whether I will stay healthy this season or crash and burn so I must take advantage at what I have before me, my teammates, coach, and the athletic trainers that are there to help us.
I will get better and be where I know I should be. I'll take these couple days to let myself reach that point where I am again in sync.
A Sudden Drop in Altitude
I have come to a point where the frustration has become unbearable. I am in good shape and I know if I was healthy I could finish every workout flawlessly. That's just it, if I was healthy.
Practice begins every day at 2:20 PM. From the time that I awake in the morning to the seconds leading up to practice I am scared. I am scared of what is to come and unsure whether my body will remain in one piece by the end of the run. My run switches from pleasant to hell with one bad step and then begins the pain. Each unforgiving step leads to pain shooting into my foot. It becomes too bothersome to continue and I just want to stop.
This is college though. This isn't high school where it was okay to walk a little if you were in pain. I can't act like a little kid anymore. I hate telling coach that I can't go on and feel like I am disappointing those around me when I have to stop early. So I stop telling people how much I am hurting because to be honest the feeling of finishing a workout is much more fulfilling than just stopping early. It's a pride thing and it will be hard to overcome. I want to get better. I am sick of being a mediocre runner. I want to run long runs at a fast pace and make it feel easy. I want to get to that point where people say, "Wow he's got something special." Not just people, I want to achieve the goals I have set out.
I have yet to have a single real track season. This is my first. My history with track has been horrible. 7th grade making the mile team and getting subbed out and having to sit for hours at our only track meet while someone took my spot. Freshman year not being able to finish a full season because a back injury cause by a certain "Coach". Sophomore year not finishing because of the lack of a distance coach. Junior year again not having a coach. Senior year not finishing the season because a certain "Coach" would not let me race. Now I am here to my first track season and what happens? I cannot do steeple, the race I have been wanting to do since I was a sophomore and I worry that I can't even finish a short run.
It is all probably due to what I did in high school. Not any mileage at all, no correct workouts etc. I am now in college struggling to get through because I was not prepared. There's a reason why I am the first guy from my school running competitively post high school and now I know why. I am doing double the workload and I am struggling. In Cross Country I had trouble with keeping up with the other guys and now I am having trouble just being able to finish.
I now hear it often, that I should take some time off, maybe a week or a month or a season. It hurts to have to hear that. I feel like I have done whatever I could and it's all gone to nothing because again my body can't take it.
I will listen though. Whatever they tell me to do I will follow. I have great teammates helping me through this and an amazing coach guiding the way for me because he doesn't want me to be permanently injured. I have the support I need I just need the support of myself. I need to be all there again, mentally. I have to get back into cruising altitude.
Practice begins every day at 2:20 PM. From the time that I awake in the morning to the seconds leading up to practice I am scared. I am scared of what is to come and unsure whether my body will remain in one piece by the end of the run. My run switches from pleasant to hell with one bad step and then begins the pain. Each unforgiving step leads to pain shooting into my foot. It becomes too bothersome to continue and I just want to stop.
This is college though. This isn't high school where it was okay to walk a little if you were in pain. I can't act like a little kid anymore. I hate telling coach that I can't go on and feel like I am disappointing those around me when I have to stop early. So I stop telling people how much I am hurting because to be honest the feeling of finishing a workout is much more fulfilling than just stopping early. It's a pride thing and it will be hard to overcome. I want to get better. I am sick of being a mediocre runner. I want to run long runs at a fast pace and make it feel easy. I want to get to that point where people say, "Wow he's got something special." Not just people, I want to achieve the goals I have set out.
I have yet to have a single real track season. This is my first. My history with track has been horrible. 7th grade making the mile team and getting subbed out and having to sit for hours at our only track meet while someone took my spot. Freshman year not being able to finish a full season because a back injury cause by a certain "Coach". Sophomore year not finishing because of the lack of a distance coach. Junior year again not having a coach. Senior year not finishing the season because a certain "Coach" would not let me race. Now I am here to my first track season and what happens? I cannot do steeple, the race I have been wanting to do since I was a sophomore and I worry that I can't even finish a short run.
It is all probably due to what I did in high school. Not any mileage at all, no correct workouts etc. I am now in college struggling to get through because I was not prepared. There's a reason why I am the first guy from my school running competitively post high school and now I know why. I am doing double the workload and I am struggling. In Cross Country I had trouble with keeping up with the other guys and now I am having trouble just being able to finish.
I now hear it often, that I should take some time off, maybe a week or a month or a season. It hurts to have to hear that. I feel like I have done whatever I could and it's all gone to nothing because again my body can't take it.
I will listen though. Whatever they tell me to do I will follow. I have great teammates helping me through this and an amazing coach guiding the way for me because he doesn't want me to be permanently injured. I have the support I need I just need the support of myself. I need to be all there again, mentally. I have to get back into cruising altitude.
