Pain

Change is painful, and physical change can be more painful than most. In the case of starting this daily exercise regimen on my way toward 1,000 miles, it's more than pain - crippling agony would be a more accurate description. Various weight training exercises have brutalized my muscles into a pulp, but while that may seem harsh, it's a good sign - if you do a workout and come away without any twinges at all, you didn't actually give your muscles a workout at all.

The difference between useful pain and injury pain is important to understand, however. The easiest way to tell is twofold: location and intensity. The good pain, that which tells you you've worked out effectively, is concentrated in the center of muscles and is more of an ache, albeit a strong one. Bad pain that tells you you've overstretched yourself is concentrated more toward the joints and is more piercing.

I may be hobbling a bit and thankful for handrails on the stairs, but in a good way. Working out with weights and weight-bearing exercise will build the muscle I need to press on mile after mile, and I'm still incorporating walking into my workouts as well. But how does one cope with the pain and continue going to the gym? I've asked this question of a number of sources, and there is no definitive, magical answer or cure. But what does work for me...

• Aspirin as needed (though I minimize medications in my life)
• Daily stretching to move around the acids causing the muscle pain
• Hot pads for extreme aches, otherwise warming the muscles with proper gear
• Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated
• Continuing to move, even when under duress, so the muscles get used to the work
• Adequate rest, even a day off if necessary

It takes time, of course, but so does walking 1,000 miles. This early in the year, the physical journey I'm on is by far the most difficult, and I haven't yet begun much for the mental and spiritual components of this change. But like any change, it will come, and the pain will be overcome in time.