Just Payin' My Dues

The journey to athletic excellence often means having to deal with occasional roadblocks,obstacles and disappointments.Overcoming these hurdles are a part of the process that will make you a better and smarter athlete if you allow them to.Viewing these things in a strictly negative light will not lead to you becoming a better athlete. What follows is something you can say to yourself in response to those hurdles that are inevitably going to arise.I'm sure all of us have experienced some or all of the following at one time or another.
You are 10 or 15 minutes into your workout and some type of unpleasant weather situation like blowing snow or driving rain begins,at this point you say to yourself:"Just payin' my dues."
You're 50 minutes into a tough workout,something like a hard fartlek over a hilly hour long course,your legs are weak and feeling like rubber,you're very conscious of the fact that the other guys might be closing in on you and you're just hoping to hang on for another 10 minutes, At this point you say to yourself:
"Just payin' my dues."
You have recently been injured and found out you'll have to lay off running for at least two weeks. You are beginning to do the alternative aerobic workouts that will enable you to maintain the highest degree of fitness possible. You find them to be incredibly boring and unsatisfying, At this point you say to yourself:
"Just payin' my dues."
You come to the realization that you are over your ideal weight,you eat too much,you drink too much beer,too often. You start the necessary process of cutting back,in the beginning it is uncomfortable and unnatural but you know you must do it if you are to run smoother and faster, At this point you say to yourself:
"Just payin' my dues."
You turn down a job or promotion because you know it would require you giving up your running aspirations. As you turn it down you take a slow deep breath and say to yourself:
"Just payin' my dues."
You've just hooked up with a new and faster group of training partners and you're getting smoked,embarrasingly so, in every workout. You know you are going to get better but still....,At this point you say to yourself,
 "Just payin' my dues."
And finally,on a lighter note,
Your wife,husband,girlfriend,boyfriend or significant other is giving you grief over the fact that every time she(he) turns around you are buying another pair of $130 shoes as well as making periodic purchases of running gear,food and supplements.Also, they are not particularly happy about the fact that you are chronically late due to a workout that went, "a little longer than I thought it would." At this point you say to yourself,
"Just payin' my dues."
The journey to the goal can be almost as satisfying as achieving it if you have that true love for distance running or your chosen sport.