Inner Dialogue

Today a friend asked me what I thought about while running.  It changes from day to day.  I give thanks and gratitude to every person who has supported me and my fundraising.  I list off all of the reasons I love my life.  I fantasize.  I day dream.  I think about my upcoming trip to Italy.  I make grocery lists.  Most frequently I hold a focused inner dialogue between my mind and my body.  Today it went something like this:

MIND:  Wow, beautiful, clear, sunny Sunday evening - perfect for our run!

BODY:  Define perfect.  I am sore.  Attention: Pain in lower left calf!  I think we should walk.

MIND:  We have been running for three minutes.  Hang in there.  Legs: you have done this many times before, you know the drill.   One foot in front of the other.

BODY:  Walk break.  Walk break.  Walk break.  Walk break.

MIND:  Be quiet.  You sound like a spoiled, whiny child.

BODY:  Better than a mean old drill sergeant.  You are not the boss of me.

MIND:  Yes, I am.  Run until you get to the stop light.  You can take a walk break crossing the street.

BODY:  Thank you.  

MIND:  You are welcome

Run continues for 5 kms.  Body is begging to stop running period, turn around and go home.  Mind knows better and distracts Body by reciting Shakespeare and telling whimsical stories about Venice.

Around 7 km we approach a hill.

BODY:  I am NOT running up that hill.  I will run to the bottom and I will walk up the hill.  This is ridiculous.  Alert:  right thigh muscle is seizing!

MIND:  Relax your right thigh.  You are moving smooth and fluid.  You will run up that hill.

BODY:  I CAN'T!  I WON'T!  Give me a break.  I haven't run in a week.  I have been sick.  I am still healing.  Let's take the bus the rest of the way.

MIND:  You love hill training!  Remember?  You can do it.

BODY:  I remember nothing of the sort.

MIND:  I believe in you.  Remember the feeling of standing at the top of the hill with a sense of accomplishment?  It will only take a few minutes.  You are shortening your run tonight by 2 kms, challenge yourself with a hill run.

BODY:  Fine.  I will not like it.  It won't be easy.  It is going to hurt.  I may die.  (I am at the top already?)

MIND:  See, you did fine.  You can walk for a minute to rest.

BODY:  Whew.

The next kilometer glides by nearly effortlessly.  We approach a second and final hill.

BODY:  Don't even think about it.  This one we are walking up.  You already made my run the last one.

MIND:  Why don't you try this one too?  Imagine your body floating up the hill.

BODY:  Float?  These legs are heavy as lead.  No.

MIND:  Wimp.

BODY:  Bully.

MIND:  Fine, you are recovering from being sick.  Walk up this hill.  You deserve a break.

thirty seconds of silence...

BODY:  Maybe I'll run half way up the hill.

MIND:  That's the spirit.

Half way up Body wanted to show Mind how strong it was.  Together they ran the hill.  At the top there was no stopping.  They continued to run.  Body and Mind smiled in unison.  

"Each of us is something of a schizophrenic personality, tragically divided against ourselves." - Martin Luther King Jr. - Strength to Love - 1963