Behind the Mask

Life: My Right Thumb

Today, I participated in a Cross Country meet. I suck at endurance, really. I only joined because I wanted to improve my mile times. This one was against 2 other schools, on a two mile course. 

On the first quarter mile, I was doing well. No cramping. Breathing fine. Ahead of the crowd-ish... 

At the 3/5 point, I felt a knife in my right side. Cutting against my stomach. Breathing problem? Maybe. Dehydration? Maybe. Pacing? Maybe. 

It was awfully pain, unlike most things I've ever faced. My fellow runners ran past, until I was at the back of the crowd. I was still jogging, holding on to pacing. The pain continued. 

To ease the pain, I pressed my thumb into my side, until the stomach pain was balanced out. I held on to the grasp, changing position every once in a while. When it persisted, I shoved harder. 

By the last stretch of the first lap, I came close to 12 minutes. I held my right arm in a half-arm interval. Still in pain. The 7th graders cheered me on, not noticing that there may have been a reason I was at the back. 

By the halfway point of the second mile, I was at such a pacing that matched a walking person. 

When I tried walking, breathed, and continued running, I never felt relief. At the last stretch, I was greeted by empty field and a handful of runner-motivators. Like I've always ended runs, I sprinted. 

I finished in 24:45 minutes. 

When I gathered the most negative amount of energy I could possibly summon, I looked up at the clock, slowed down, and turned to face my team. They were proud of my effort...

Until it came time to leave the junior high field, I was also the last to leave... 

The pain was still there. 

Not just in my stomach, but also in my swollen thumb. 

* * *

Life Lessons:

1) To fight internal pain, turn it into external pain. 

2) Mind over matter; There's a reason why your head rests above your arms and legs. 

3) Better to walk in shadows than to walk in the light. 

4) In life, the audience can only see you when you get in plain view. Make it good. 

5) If an arm is busy fighting pain, use the other one to build momentum. 

6) Little things can be the most painful to endure.