I ran my third 5K two weeks ago and I was literally bouncing afterwards. I’ve always said that I don’t get a runner’s high, but I think that I have to retract that statement. I was feeling ecstatic and energetic after the race; I was definitely high. My friend David and I talked about the run last night. I looked at him and said, “It was because of the pain, wasn’t it?” and he nodded in agreement. Yes, there had been pain. I had struggled to breathe and my back and left foot had started hurting after the first mile. But, I’d seen that as a challenge. I kept going.
Below, David and me after the Best Damn Race, Safety Harbor 2024.
Dozens of serious athletic events have made David into a bit of an expert on pain. I’ve been there to support him for many of those events, but I’m just now starting to really understand. We also talked about the 109-mile Big Mick he cycled last summer (in one day). It had been cold and rained for most of the time that he was on the bike. I only saw him at the end with a huge smile. We talked about that, too, and again the explanation was the pain of grueling physical demands, that time in miserable weather. He didn’t love the ride in spite of the difficulty; he loved it because of the difficulty. You can’t feel the joy of accomplishment without surmounting the challenges.
As I read about healthy aging, I keep hearing that one must leave their comfort zone. I think this advice applies to all aspects of life – physical, mental, emotional. If we want to do more than build resilience, if we want to thrive, we must learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Travel is a guaranteed way to leave your comfort zone. Almost everything is different in a foreign country and it’s easy to let that be frustrating. Just simple communication about food or directions can seem nearly impossible at times. Throw in jet lag, digestive upset from a change in diet, and, for me, sitting on an airplane for a 16-hour flight and I’m in pain. On my recent trip to India I had all that plus difficulty dealing with the heat. I’m sure that I whined and complained. Fortunately, I had a role-model for thriving in a foreign environment in my friend Linda. She simply accepts difficulties and uses her energy for seeing new things, learning, exploring.
Linda was always smiling, always up for a new adventure, making friends everywhere.
By the end of my month in India, I found myself feeling grateful for the challenges because they gave me an opportunity to grow. Yes, I still want to grow. I used to think that by a certain age one should be all grown-up, a finished product. But, now I want to grow for my entire life. I want to reach the finish line a better person than I was the day before, more kind and tolerant, braver, talking about what I learned yesterday.
So, take me outside my comfort zone, bring on the challenges, let me feel the pain of doing things that are hard. May the adventures continue!
Photo below of a Hoatzin from my 2021 trip to Ecuador. My favorite kind of bird – weird and wonderful. I hope to see many more weird and wonderful creatures in my future travels.
“And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain . . . We choose to go to the moon … not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills …” JFK, 1962.
Birding for Life 