"TO THE PAIN!"

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US??????"
If my legs could talk, this is what they would be screaming at me, and in their own polite way, they have been doing just that for the past few days now. I really think that they're more passive-aggressive than anything; Just quietly revolting against the rest of my body and my noble efforts.
It started on January 1. Training for this marathon, that is. There were a lot of things that sealed the deal for me. It was Sue Demmit telling me I needed to work towards a goal. Then my friend Luke told me about the Lincoln Marathon and printed out the training schedule. Then I happened upon this stellar movie called "Saint Ralph" right around Christmas time. I mean, if a scrawny pre-pubescent boy can run the Boston Marathon, then surely I, Krista can take on this lofty goal with ease! Ease, I say! I was so ready to go for it! I still am. But my legs are not.
Up until about 2 weeks ago, things were great. I was getting out there. I was running 10 miles, then 15 and feeling pretty darn good about it. Sure it was a challenge, but I did it- and in fairly respectable fashion, if I do say so myself. So, I don't know what happened. I wish I could actually point to something, but no. It's just like my previously confident legs of steel have morphed into legs of lead. I feel like I can't go anywhere, and even when I do, they're just trying to run in the opposite direction (picture that, please!)
So, where does this leave the rest of me? I do not know. I will not give up, but there is some kind of wall that I must now push through in leiu of my legs kicking through! They will not seem to do this sort of action as of late. If I were to take my Grandpa's advice, ("You better knock that running business off, you're gonna give yourself a heart attack!") I would have already stopped, but aye, I cannot. What is started must be completed.
A scene from "Princess Bride" comes to mind just now. Remember at the end of the movie when Wesley is laying on the bed, paralyzed, but Prince Humperdink doesn't realize this. Humperdink challenges him to a fight "To the Death" and Wesley says, "No! To the 'Pain'", then proceeds to describe in graphic terms how he will cut off his nose, arms and legs, but will leave him alive with only his ears intact so that he can hear the children shrieking in horror at the sight of him, and Humperdink is duped and runs away from the helpless Wesley...ah, what a great movie! But anyway, somewhere there was a correlation between that and how I feel right now. I think that I am Wesley, slightly paralyzed, but determined, and my legs are Humperdink and I will challenge my legs "to the pain", until they start to run at just the sound of my voice!
Memo to my legs: We are going to Lincoln, babies, whether you like it or not!
TO THE PAIN!!!