Sore Feels So Sweet!

Occasionally, after recounting a fairly normal day of martial arts training, my friends from college and grad school would shoot some weird facial expressions my way.  They wouldn't always be the same, but a few would look like I just described a brief foray into kitten torture.  After the facial expressions, I would usually hear a litany of "that's intense" and variants or "better you than me."  I once got a "Dude, that's pretty twisted" after describing some Tabata-style kicking shield drills.

Here's the part I find funny:  I can't understand what in the world they're talking about.

I don't know when the mental shift happened, but it did.  I used to despise discomfort of any type, and I went out of my way to be comfortable just about anywhere I went.  To be honest, that mindset probably led me right here to a re-evaluation of my motivation and personal fitness.  I know one thing; I owe the shift to martial arts.

Before getting back into martial arts (I trained as a small child--didn't we all?), I spend a year doing some pretty intense weight-training with my buddy Chase.  It was fun.  Actually, it was a lot of fun.  But, my mindset towards discomfort always loomed over my training, and if Chase ever needed to cancel to accommodate one of his personal training clients, I rarely felt the need to get the job done on my own.

Enter the martial arts.  I hadn't even promoted to yellow belt in Yoshukai before hitting several tough classes and walking out grinning like a fool.  Something rewired me.  It may have been the community; it may have been the art.  In fact, it may have been an x-factor that I am not far enough along in the process to completely understand.

I think it boils down to this realization:  pain and discomfort are different.  And, the difference matters.

I've heard on many occasions that "Pain is only weakness leaving the body."  This statement has been made time and again from legitimately tough people who I train with and admire.  And, I respectfully disagree.  I view pain--and I mean legitimate pain--as the body's way to tell you that something is about to snap...something you will definitely miss.  Discomfort, on the other hand, is something entirely different.  That burn after you've just wailed on the bag for a full-tilt round is discomfort, and nowadays, discomfort feels good.  So good.

I know that part of my non-budo friends' issue with training stories probably deal more with the idea of hitting and getting hit than the actual workout discomfort.  I'll definitely talk about that later because the feel of the fight is blog-worthy on its own.  But, I firmly believe that those who don't get us are not yet aware of the difference between pain and discomfort.

Anyway, back to the title of this post.  I woke up this morning feeling a nice, fully-formed burn in my chest, quads, and calves, which given yesterday's workout, I would be disappointed if I didn't feel.  That burn is more than a badge of honor or any tough-guy stuff like that.  I feel that burn as proof that what I'm doing is working.  My body is changing.  My goals are possible.  And, it's almost time for a much-needed day of rest...almost.

Soreness...ain't she sweet?