From Christine: Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable

I’ve been a runner for most of my life, since age 11 to be exact. However, we didn’t always get along so well, running and I. It began as more of a love-hate relationship to be perfectly honest.

In junior high, in P.E. class of all places, I discovered a hidden talent – my ability to run the mile. Now, for those of you who have erased these painful images from your memory, let me give you a quick refresher. The mile was one of the most dreaded days in all of P.E. class. Four laps around the track felt like f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Thus, any and all excuses to avoid being exposed to such evil pain and torture were exhausted. There were definitely some Oscar worthy performances, my favorite including one of my classmates who made her own splint out of cardboard and masking tape to go along with her ‘broken wrist’ story. Still to this day, I give her props for creativity.

In all fairness, I never wanted to run the mile either. I tried coming up with a creative excuse to get out of this dreadfully uncomfortable task every semester. Yet, to no avail, I always chickened out at the last minute. So, my backup plan you ask? Lace up my shoes and regretfully approach the starting line. Then run the mile as fast as possible so I could just be done with this vile task as fast as possible! Foolproof right? Or so I thought…

The first two laps were usually pretty friendly. However, the second half of the race was when the real test would begin. That painfully winded feeling with the burning taste of blood in the back my throat would start to creep up around lap three and keep increasing exponentially as I approached the final bend of the track. As I sailed across the finish line, a wave of relief would wash over me, or was it actually sinking in?

Towards the end of eighth grade, I had come to terms with the dreaded mile, and had actually grown to enjoy it (shhhh…don’t tell anyone). After the numerous trials I had completed in my young running career, I had learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I pushed myself outside my comfort zone. I faced something I feared with a fiery passion, and made it my mission to conquer it (even if it was only subconsciously in the beginning). I realized there was nothing wrong with being afraid or scared, it was all about how you internalized those feelings, and in turn chose to respond. Ironically, I chose to join the cross-country team freshman year, and have been a proud runner ever since.

This idea of learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable is something that has stuck with me all these years, and has helped motivate me when faced with life’s challenges. I’ve never run 31.07 miles before, all at one time, on a trail, in Berkeley, CA. Sure I’ve had my moments where I wonder if my legs will be able to carry me for that long, if the hills will be too steep, or if I’ve gotten myself in way over my head to be perfectly honest. And just as quickly as those fears surface in my mind, so does the friendly reminder of learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I know the Grizzly Peak Trail will put up a good fight on April 7th, but so will Marissa and I as we embark on our adventure together. I know there will be moments along the course where I feel uncomfortable, and I’m ready to accept the challenge of being comfortable with that ☺