"Pain is Nothing Compared to What it Feels Like to Quit"

Weather forecasts predicted scattered thunderstorms for the entire weekend in Dallas, TX.  I was definitely not excited about this, because I had signed up for 2 races.  Unbelievably, I was able to run both races under sunny skies!  Saturday morning I ran a 5K, and Sunday morning I ran my 5th half marathon.  I think I have become addicted to pain.  Allow me to explain...

Along with my two races, I also played 2 indoor soccer games this weekend.  One of them was a scheduled game with my team, and the other was a pickup game.  I regretfully admit that due to playing soccer my entire life, my left ankle is incredibly unstable.  As fate would have it, I rolled my left ankle last night.  Not once, but twice!  (I should definitely wear a brace, but they are extremely uncomfortable!)

Sunday morning's run was an out-and-back trek along White Rock Creek Trail.  Basically, we ran from Flag Pole Hill on Northwest Highway all the way north to I-635, and then we turned around and ran back to where we began.  With only about 50 people running the race, I felt as though I was running by myself most of the time.  This made me even more aware of the pain I was feeling in my ankle.

Someone once asked me what I think about as I run.  Usually, my mind goes blank or I just follow along with the lyrics of the songs that are playing on my iPhone.  During the time that I have been running with the cause of helping homeless people, I have tried to understand how my running can be related to the struggles of homeless people.  Today's 13.1 miles were no different.

It's very difficult to run.  Mark Will-Weber has been quoted with saying, "Running is real and relatively simple - but it ain't easy."  It's definitely not easy when you only have one ankle that you want to run on!  Herein lies a struggle that is ever-present for the people I encounter everyday through work.  The people I attempt to help are homeless, but they also have a disability.  They suffer from a major mental illness.

"Running is 90% mental.  The rest is physical."  I will take a sore ankle over an ill-prepared mind ANY race day!  Every runner gets to the finish line by believing that it can be reached.  The urge to succomb to the pain and quit is overwhelming, but the mind is able to conquer physical pain.

How hard must it be for homeless people to press on when they mentally can't endure the battle?  How tempting must it be for them to quit?  How much of a responsibility do we have to help them endure?

I always get so much encouragement from the audience at races as they hold up their signs and cheer on the runners.  This race was extremely small, so I had to run without that motivation.  Let's be those signs, a source of encouragement, for the homeless people in our part of the world.  Let's help them cross the finish line and see their struggle of homelessness finally end.  Like the title of this post says...

"Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit"

Thanks,

Brandon