Beauty in the breakdown

I've had this song stuck in my head for weeks now. If you're as in tune with the electronica Britpop scene as I am, then you've most assuredly heard Frou Frou's "Let Go". I love this song, and it's a staple on my long run playlist. But why has it been haunting my mind for what seems like eternity? Have I, in an endorphin altered state of mind, subconsciously internalized the lyrics in response to the goings-on in my life? And maybe not even my life, but a few of my friends?

So, let go, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, let go
Just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

It's as if the singer is imploring the listener to be present, engaged in the moment. So often, society encourages us to evade our feelings, lulling us into complacency. This is our life! It's okay to be sad, it's okay to feel pain. If we don't fully embrace the discomfort, then how can we truly appreciate the joy and triumph of overcoming?

I think runners get it. No logical person goes into a 20 mile run expecting to not feel pain, mental and physical. Some would argue that no logical person would run 20 miles...but I digress. For as miserable as it can get when you've been on your feet for two hours, it gets just a little bit worse when you face the fact that you still have at least another hour to go. This is my favorite part of the run. I'm not the fastest, but I'm really good at suffering. Because I know what comes after the suffering. It's the high. It's when you notice the sun glinting off the dewy grass, the wind cooling your sweat-soaked brow, your stride so sure, you feel as if you could take flight at any moment. I've never done elicit drugs, but I'm fairly certain nothing can make me feel as good as I feel when I've reached this part of my runs.

The parallel between running and everyday life is so obvious to me that I have a hard time conveying this to others. The inevitable hard times in life happen to make us better. Let's try not to shirk from reality. Allow yourself to feel, to heal, to grow. There IS beauty in the breakdown.