July 18, 2011

When Going Through Hell, Keep Going

A bright sun was shinning over my head. But every step I took was into darkness. I was struggling just to hang on. My stomach, legs and feet had all abandoned me. My mind was now slipping.

I recently wrote that running ultras is more about trust in yourself than your god given talent. Sometimes things can get really bleak out there. As if you’re going through hell. But if you keep moving forward, despite your state, eventually you can get through it. And when you do, when you make it through hell, you can learn a lot about yourself.

My very first trail race I was going through hell. My body started to shut down. I couldn’t eat or drink. I could barely walk. I felt helpless. The feeble thoughts that occupied my mind were like gasoline feeding the flames around me. As I stumbled along in this hapless state, I was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind me. I turned to see an elderly runner approaching. He slowed to inquire about my condition. He then reached into his pocket and handed me a small white tablet. "Take this, it will fix your problem."

As I reached out to take the pill from his hand, I noticed he was smiling. He explained to me that my electrolytes were out of balance. I didn't question or doubt him. I believed him and took the pill. From a total stranger. Within 5 minutes I started to feel better, good enough to finish the race. I’ve been using Succeed Tabs as a runner ever since that moment.

Wisdom comes from many places.  But mostly it comes from just being on trail, in the elements, seeking answers. If you have trust, wisdom will smile on you. 

7 comments:

MelB said...

Dang, that sounds rough....must say in South Africa people handing out little white pills tend to me arrested. ;-)

Seriously though - you ultra guys are a different breed eh? I have my first trail run at the end of the month - a meagre 12km and that is like an ULTRA to me!!

Rachel said...

s caps are one of the best discoveries i've made!

Will Cooper said...

Mel, good luck on your first trail run. I bet you're knees will not want to go back to roads after that.

ultrarunnergirl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ultrarunnergirl said...

Succeed has saved me many times. Thanks for sharing your story.oreek

EricG said...

Nice post Will. I too am also a fan of s caps. Peace E

Mike said...

Well, If you look at my last blog posting then you'll know how timely this is to me!. Great post and very best wishes