This got me thinking about my own fears, and how many of them over the last few years have involved getting hurt. In some ways I have considered these completely justified fears for someone who has gone through an extreme amount of pain and injury, but rationally...who fears pain? Other than me?
I don't think anyone (sane) relishes pain or looks forward to it, or seeks it out, but I've come to realize that pain is inevitable. In CrossFit, it's the closest thing to a certainty there is. At some point, pretty much everyday, you're going to do something that's going to give you pain. Not always lasting, not always excruciating, but something's gonna hurt. If it doesn't, you're probably not working hard enough. Right? The trick is coming to terms with this fact and also learning to read your pain. Is this soreness pain, muscles screaming in protest of the work you've just forced upon them? Or is it the "yep it's cold and rainy and you're getting old so everything's gonna ache" kind of pain? Or maybe it's the "yeah I was totally not using my legs and hips on those kettlebell swings and now my lower back hurts" kind of pain? The pain is there to tell you something, but you have to listen.
So, being a rational, intelligent person, knowing that pain is inevitable, there's really nothing to be afraid of, is there? I know I'm going to hurt, but the likelihood of "getting hurt", especially under the watchful eyes of skilled and certified coaches, is relatively low. Still the fear creeps in. It tells you that you can't do something, or that you shouldn't do something. It keeps you from progressing by building walls and setting boundaries that you allow yourself to live within. (As a side note, I think in some cases this is a good system. I'm terrified of driving fast, so I don't. This fear sets a limit in my life that keeps me from speeding, which is universally accepted as a bad practice.)
This is how fear lies. It tells us we can't until we find ourselves walled in to the point of paralysis. "I can't run, I have bad knees." "I can't do a handstand, I weigh too much and I'll break my arms." "That seems like a bad idea, I'll probably get hurt if I try..." This leads to a plethora of missed opportunities and chances not taken, and a lack-luster life spent feeling like you'll never succeed or be good at anything.
You know what feels completely amazing? When you shut down the fear and turn off the voices that have been telling you "you can't." Calling out fear on its lies and proving them false. Lifting heavier than you thought you could. Going unbroken on 21 kettlebell swings when you usually start out planning to break them into 3 sets of 7. Running farther than you've tried before, even if you got lapped by everyone. Twice. Kicking up into a handstand and hanging out there for a while. Not only without breaking your arms, but feeling STRONG while you held the position.
Was some of that painful? Sure. My lungs were burning after the kettlebells and after running 400 meters 3 times. The handstand didn't hurt at all and it was a movement I was most afraid of trying. Did I get hurt? Absolutely not.
Fear is a Liar. Pain will tell you the truth. It will tell you just how hard you worked. It will tell you what you still need to work on and how far you need to go to get there. It will even tell you when you pushed too hard or pushed incorrectly. Listen. When you lay in bed at night, sore in a million different places, completely exhausted, pain is screaming its truth. "You are awesome. You worked so hard today and it's making a difference. You are getting stronger and you are capable of so much more than you ever imagined." Listen.
Shut out the fear. Embrace the pain. Break down your walls and revel in the awesomeness that's waiting on the other side.
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