Spartan Race - Stuck in a Tunnel
I went Austin this past weekend to run the Spartan Sprint
with Fred (the same Fred that convinced me to run the half marathon – when will
I learn?)
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| Here we go again.... |
…and although I have completed a Tough Mudder, Half Marathon and
Warrior Dash, I can honestly say this one – the Spartan Race was the worst - simply
horrible. I can’t explain exactly why – other than it was hot, a lot of
“stupid” running and longer than the “5K” that I thought it was. However, the
worst part of the race, the part that still makes me hyperventilate a little
bit when I think about it was the tunnel. *shutter*
The loooooooong horrible tunnel. It was long, tight, hot, dry
and did I mention long? I have done tunnels before, however they usually were
slanted a little to help with momentum or had mud it them so you could slide a little
bit. This one – had nothing but dry dirt and stale air and did I mention how
long it was? It was long!
I don’t know how long it took me to get half way through,
but by then I was gasping for air and mentally trying to make myself keep
moving. It hurt, my knees and elbows were bleeding, my core muscles were
spasming, and my head was spinning. Right there in the middle of the tunnel –
staring at the light at the end, I could not make myself move, but I HAD to
move. There was someone behind me. Ugh! I had to keep going. No matter how
painful, no matter how much longer I had to go, I had to keep moving.
Before entering the tunnel, it didn’t look so bad and I dove
in, head first, not aware of the length, the darkness, the restricted space or
what the other people around me were doing – I just dove in, because it was
there – it was in front of me.
In life we/I “dive-in” to tunnels that don’t necessarily look
so bad from the outside. Situations that may even look fun, challenging, or “no
big deal” - we dive in, only do discover after a few “feet” that it is NOT fun
– it is NOT good and it IS a big deal – it is a tight, dark, looooong tunnel,
that you want nothing more than to get out of, yet you also don’t want to move.
We often do what I did inside that tunnel - we freeze, freak out, stay where we are and just embrace the darkness of the tunnel. In that moment on Sunday, I
thought, “I cannot move, I can’t possibly get out of this tunnel.”
Even though we can
see the light at the end, sometimes the “comfort” of not doing anything, the
"ease" of staying where we are “feels” better than the work it takes to get to
there. We convince ourselves that staying in the "tunnel" will be more comfortable. However, in reality it will eventually suffocate us and it will hold
others back.
In the middle of the Spartan tunnel, I hurt, I was exhausted
and I just didn’t want to move. Two things kept me going – 1) There was a
person behind me, I had to move so they could move. It wasn’t just about me and
“my” tunnel. Your “tunnel” isn’t just about you. There are people who are
affected by the choices and situations we choose. And 2) The knowledge that at
the end there was clearer air, refreshing water and a familiar face (Fred) to
help me out.
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| Thanks Fred, once again for convincing me to do something crazy like this. |
Lately, I have felt stuck in a couple of life's tunnels and have learned a lot from this analogy from the Spartan Race (although I am not thankful that I had to go through THAT tunnel).
If you’re "stuck" in a tunnel, if you think “I can’t move, I
can’t possibly get out of this” – just keep moving – do the work - know that
you are stronger than you feel - the pain is temporary! YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
to get to the light at the end - make up your mind to get there – be determined
- no matter how long it takes.
It IS going to hurt! It IS going to take time! It IS NOT
going to be fun and it may even leave some scars! But, there IS light at the end – and I PROMISE it will feel
better than the dark, stale air that you are currently stuck in. KEEP MOVING!
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| We made it! |
