Pain is your friend

Master Chief John Urgayle said: “Pain is your friend; it is your ally. Pain reminds you to finish the job and get the hell home. Pain tells you when you have been seriously wounded. And you know what the best thing about pain is? It tells you you're not dead yet!”

I will never forget those words spoken by the Master Chief in the movie GI Jane. I’’m sure many of you have seen it, about a female US Navy officer accepted into the Special Forces –– the Seals –– who takes on the ultra-tough training with her male counterparts without special female advantages, training side by side with them as an equal.

Movies: You have to love them. Especially when they are responsible for us pushing ourselves to the limits chasing our dreams and goals, and GI Jane is one of those for me. Hell, I would love to be able to do push-ups on one arm like Demi Moore!

I too, like Moore’’s character, have dreams that I work towards. On the athletic side there is the dream, goal, wish to run Comrades. Not an out of the park dream, it is quite a realistic dream, but one like GI Jane which requires training and toning.

The Master Chief talks about pain being your friend. Well, on the road training to run I have experienced exactly what he meant. In my quest to become a runner I have experienced much pain, but I can truthfully say it wasn’t all friendly as well.

Training to run when you don’t know how to run is quite a feat, because you receive all kinds of advice and you actually need to sift through it to get to the best of it. For me this was my start to running, and mistakes were made and pain was felt. Today, I’m more the wiser and no longer the novice on running... but I still have lots to learn. But then I was lucky enough to have an experienced runner come to me and offer to help me with my training.


My coach, not at all like Master Chief John Urgayle, is a much friendlier character, and he knows what he is talking about. Still, he has set me some goals which scare me. You must understand, I was this 10 minute per kay ‘‘runner’’ who had to walk every three or four hundred meters of every kilometre. So of course when my coach said “I want you to run four kilometres non-stop,” I nearly chocked on my coffee. “Four kays? Are you friggin mad?” Apart from everything else, Queensburgh is undulating with hills no matter which direction you go in!

Anyway, like GI Jane I applied my mind to this and attempted a kilometre non-stop. Man I was chuffed, but totally stuffed too, to the extent that I had to walk the next two kilometres –– but I didn’’t give up. Just the other day on a time trial at the club I ran two kilometres but was angry with myself when at 2.1 kays I was reduced to a walk again. Repeated attempts to break this two-kilometre hold were very unsuccessful and there was much moaning from me to me. I was really starting to get disheartened with my inability to pass this barrier.

Today I went out for my 4:30 training run and decided today is the day, no more excuses. I ran and my GPS sounded off the first kilometre - feeling strong. Second kilometre –– if you stop I am going to kick your butt, mister! Third kilometer –– yes, Master Chief, I feel pain, but not an injury pain. Three-point-five kays –– hang in there, keep running…… beeepp beeepp beep, four kilometres non-stop!!!

Yes, Master Chief, pain was my friend today