Day 24: hitting the wall

Day 24 and it is beginning to feel like I am running a marathon and have just hit the wall.  For those of you not privileged enough to have run a marathon let me explain.  Why did I say it is a privilege to run a marathon rather than insanity, well if you are fortunate to be able to get your body through the hours of training and it supports you through 26 miles and a few hundred yards of running on tarmac – not the softest of surfaces in the world – I'd say that was a privilege offered to you by your body.  

I'm sure it was your mind that decided to run the marathon not your body. No doubt your body was busy minding its own business coping with the daily tasks of taking in nutrition, eliminating waste and getting you efficiently from place to place; when your mind interrupted this idyllic pattern with its road to Damascus moment of epiphany:

"Hey let's run the marathon" says your mind

"Let’s" respond your body "let's denotes a partnership, a you plus me, a we!  Not sure there's a very big “we” in this idea”

So yes running a marathon is a privilege given to your mind by your body.  I digress

The wall: after running continuously for about 19 to 21 miles your body reaches a point, where the only really effective way of conveying the experience, is with the use of imagery from the most gory, hellish horror movies you've ever seen.  You know the ones that make you look away from the screen and wince before peeking out from half closed eyes to see what other parts of the victim's anatomy are being sliced, flailed, torn, shredded, nailed etc by the bad evil thing doing all the damage.   

The wall is like personally experiencing the pain and torture in all these films at once.  Hell is too pleasant a word.  Having been through childbirth a number of times, I'd say possibly that might come close ...well maybe not.  But you get the picture. 

 

Hitting the wall is literally like hitting a brick wall at 1000 miles per hour, front on, without the protection of any form of vehicle.  It is so painful, you think that it is not possible to move any part of your body at all, let alone put one leg in front of the other.  However, it's do or die.  If you stop you've had it.  You know you will be out of the running for the medal and certificate with 40,080^th in 4hrs 20 min proudly exhorting your achievements.  This is the point that separates the pack into “the finishers” and the "sorry not this time Joe".

Okay, so getting to day 23 of a 50 day blog challenge doesn't involve the physical pain, but the wall is here nonetheless.  Do I go on or give up?  Have I got any more to give?  Any further thoughts to impart as I head towards my 50^th birthday.  It's not that I couldn’t do with the time it takes to write and post it. I'm yet to send out the invites and organise the marquee for my party (by the way if you are reading this, I now count you as a firm friend and you are formally invited so e-mail me for the details).

Life is full of marathon walls, when you think it's too painful to continue.  When you feel stopped, exhausted, that you've given all there is to give.

 

Running past the wall has got to be one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.  I’d just passed the 19 miles mark when I hit it.  Hell, pain, disbelief that moving could be that difficult.  As I got slower and slower I realised I was coming to a stop and if I stopped I would never start again.  Then suddenly I could hear my name being called. 

"Auntie Ola, Auntie Ola, yeah, Auntie Ola, Auntie Ola"

It was my two nieces and their mum who were watching in the crowd cheering me on, willing me to keep going.  Three small voices of encouragement in a crowd of thousands all shouting different things.  But it was enough to re-energise me and slowly I started to run a bit faster, eventually getting back into the flow.  I waved to them and kept going to the finish line.

Sometimes when the going gets tough, in order to keep moving forward, you need a little bit of encouragement from someone you know cares about you succeeding.  Make sure that on your way up to your success, you remember to take these people with you.  You never know when you might need them to cheer you on.  

I guess I’ll “see" you tomorrow: Day 24.

What walls have you hit in your life and how did you deal with them? I look forward to reading about your experiences , so please share :)

Image: Red Brick Wall by happykanppy