I hear from Runners over the years that our running programs are really great because they creates a framework to help them maintain a running schedule despite the many obstacles such as lack of time or the difficulty of going out to exercise. However sometimes during the program they also share how really difficult the running can be and how they wish it wasn’t so hard. I usually assure them that it will get easier and often by the middle of the training program they admit that the running doesn’t seem as difficult anymore. But the truth is there is another perspective and a tremendous value that can be gained from running even during the “hard” phase of the training.
Rav Wolbe explains in Alei Shor Chelek Aleph that we cant take for granted that we are exercising free will all the time. In fact it’s very possible that many people actually spend only a few minutes of actual free will time during their entire life. This is true because if for most of our decisions we simply are choosing pleasure over pain, or more pleasure over less pleasure, we have not entered into the world of Free Will. What we get credit for after 120 years is making difficult decisions, and tough decisions only begin when the pleasure and the pain are irrelevant. When we make choices because it’s the right thing to do that is when we are really exercising our Free Will muscles. How frightening it is to imagine having this incredible tool that G-d gives us in order to draw close to him and we may only be using it for just a few minutes or hours
Fear not. As it turns out, running is an incredible training ground for building this skill of choosing pain over pleasure. Twice a week every week we can choose to go out for a run despite the difficulty of the task and do it just because it’s the right thing to do. When we look at the running from that perspective we may be more likely to appreciate and welcome the discomfort and challenge that comes along with the exercise. So the next time we choose to run despite all the reasons not to, we should smile and remember that one of the greatest benefits that running provides, has already occurred before we even break a sweat.
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