Pain is a distraction,

A seductive jab at our pride, An enticing resignation.

It eats at us from the inside

Slowly at first:

"You can stop. What's the difference?"

Then more persuasive:

"You will stop hurting. Everything will feel better."

And as your feet pound on pavement, monotonously, for miles upon miles,

Pain gradually wins out.

It takes faith to say the end is near, to deceieve the body over and over:

"Just over the hill."

It takes a clenched jaw of determination and the steely glance of guts to brave pain.

And at the end of the run you say, "I did it. I won."

Against who?

Against what mysterious force do we conquer with streaming sweat and aching limbs, the race?

For what godforsaken reason do we brave the pain?

To defeat pain.

To kick pain in the dust and leave it to rot.

The glory which resides in hearts rests on the laurels of a little temporary pain, a token to our wills.

Our beating hearts, our pounding feat, our swinging arms, our breath going in and out....

whoooo whoooo whoooo......

It fuels on the combustion of pain; it feeds off of victory after victory after victory.

Every runner worth his or her salt has conquered pain.

Pain may have slapped them in the face.

Pain may have denied them an opportunity of a lifetime.

Pain may have dragged their minds to the darkest corners of humanity, but pain can be overcome.

And that is the testament to the human spirit, the mind's control, and the ability to overwrite what's natural.

But pain is not the culprit; we are.

It is our decision to defy pain or to consign to defeat, to every last drop of conciousness.

We are afraid of that decision.

That we are powerful beyond measure scares us.

That we can overcome pain, that we have the choice to be the best runners we can be frightens us beyond anything else.

When we run, we run to expand ourselves.

We run for to be stronger people, inside and out.

We run to laugh in the face of that which limits our ability.

We run to disregard nature.

We run to prove to humanity time and time again, its sheer fortitude which has been for millenia, the root of its progress.