It's Gonna Hurt Anyway
After winning the yearly club cross country run, life goes on. And so do my runs, albeit a little slower than usual today.
This Sunday's session was in the dunes. Part of the training was running up a sandy hill that's actually a horse track. The sand lies so loose on the ground that you slip with every step you take. At some parts it feels like you're making no progress at all, where the top of the hill just doesn't seem to come any closer, no matter how hard you try.
The funny thing is, it actually doesn't matter how fast you run up that hill. It always hurts. The acid builds up in your legs independent of your speed.
Some hills — both in running and in life — are just made that way. You have to overcome them eventually, but it doesn't really matter whether you do it slowly or fast. It's gonna hurt anyway.
But with a win like yesterday in the pocket, I now know why I keep running up that hill.