Take the Pain
Some time ago, actually about a year or so, I recall seeing a very tall young man at my gym lifting some serious weight. He was every bit of 6'5” with an athletic build, doing some athletic lifts. Judging by his workout shwag, he seemed to be a student athlete getting a workout in on his summer break. Something I have seen time and time again at my current gym. Division 1 athletes adorning their team workout gear getting a lift in our local commercial gym. Something I used to do during my college days on a break at my hometown, minus the d1 athlete stuff haha.
As time passed, I noticed he was around during what would be his fall semester, and beyond. I've seen this guy on and off at the gym well past summer. Soon enough, he started to bring a normal guy to the gym with him. They seemed related, and he seemed to be helping said normal man. Rather, coaching him during his workout. Normal man seemed closer to middle age, was showing some gray in the 2-week shadow adorning his face, and was also showing a bit of a protruding stomach. Judging by how he was getting along during his workouts, it seemed as though he either had not worked out in years, perhaps a couple decades. Or, he just never gave it a go ever.
I was near this duo doing my own thing during one of my own training sessions. Curious, I asked if they were brothers. The tall young man said in fact they were cousins. What made me so eager to drum up a conversation was the fact that the middle-aged cousin was expressing some trouble completing a certain exercise. To my memory, I interjected stating to the tall dude to go easy on his cousin. And then saying to the cousin, with a wry smile of sorts, to get accustomed to taking the pain...associated with exercise. Particularly during the initial phase he is embarking on. Something the well-conditioned tall young man emphatically agreed with. Interjecting with an addition to this phrase which is the title of this post.
Taking the pain is a phrase I've used on here before. Having first learned it during a very popular TV show in America from roughly 15-16 years prior to the release date on this post. It was all about the dirty sort of jobs enterprising individuals do to provide goods and services to the unsuspecting and an unaware general population. Far beyond the janitor and garbage man. Think the most gross and disgusting working environments you can think of. This show highlighted these jobs. And it would be quite comical thanks to the host with his common humor and distinct voice. During one episode, a proprietor of some dirty job asked the host to do a task he does every day. When the host tried to do it, it said it hurt his hands. As soon as he said this, one of the proprietor’s employees just shouted out, 'Take the pain.' Which was actually funny at the time. You just gotta believe me.
Cut to a few weekends ago, again as of writing this, and I decided to go to my local soccer fields to commence my warm season lonesome training sessions. Attempting to improve my juggling, and also to keep my soccer legs beneath me. Genuinely, I was only going to do a light workout for a half hour as I was nursing a lower back muscle strain. But when I got there, I noticed people assembling for a pickup game, something I've failed to find during the last 6 years. Something I gave up looking for a few years ago actually, because I would find a potential group to play with, then the whole prospect would fold for whatever reason. Anyway, when I saw them assembling, I told myself, 'if they ask me to play I'm playin.' And they did, and I did.
I joined in. Played with them FULL FIELD with barely any warmup. Not only had I not played with people in a real lengthy pickup situation for six years, back then it was mostly 5 v 5 (5 people per team), or 7 v 7, on a shortened field. Within 15 minutes my legs felt like petrified wood. They were like, 'oh you wanna run huh... No run for you haha...'
Rather than quit, I took the pain and accepted the fact that I had to play at reduced power, speed, and overall intensity. I got through the match and immediately stiffened up afterwards. Something I am accustomed too when doing anything new. Whether from a fresh intellectual endeavor, or, a physical activity completely foreign to my body due to never having done it before, or in my case, laying pickup soccer dormant for years.
Pain is temporary, this much I've learned from experience. By taking the pain, pushing through it, I know I would come out the other side better prepared and conditioned to deal with what is coming my way next time I decided to play with these people.
On the following Saturday, I decided to play again. This time my brain anticipated what my body was about to endure. When I arrived, I did my normal soccer warm up, lasting all but 20 minutes. I thoroughly stretched. And began to play with my normal strategy, which is to take it easy during the first 10-15 minutes of the match, then slowly increase the intensity and effort levels. Although we did play on a field that was roughly three quarters the size due to it being 7v7, the results were rather alarming.
Not only was I more productive in just my second time playing with people in 6 years, but afterwards. Like in the days afterwards, my body seemed to be ok. Less soreness. Less pain. My body and brain were beginning to form a callous associated with the pain and soreness of playing. My body starting to recall its muscle memory not only from the previous weekend, but from all that experience I gained playing over my lifetime.
In short, the pain like I said was temporary. The warm and fuzzies associated with the fun of playing a game that I love to play. With really cool, new, and interesting people, hold more magnitude in my heart and soul that the magnitude of the pain that my body felt.
Exercise. Playing sports. Moving your body is something that is FAR beyond just looking good. It's about feeling good mind, body, and soul. It can and will do that to you if you dedicate yourself to a workable weekly schedule. And if you can take the pain so you can get to the good stuff.
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