Pain and misery?

dont climb with whinners …theyll bring everyone down … dump em faster than paris hilton dumps BFs …

at least in climbing, a lot of the whinners are virtual climbers much of the time IME … they read a book or two, go on a few forums, may do an occasional easy top rope climb … and when the time comes for the real stuff, they are slow, tired, and complain … go out and practice you skills often, rather than doing it on a keyboard, and youll be less likely to complain

who knows … maybe its the same for walking ;)

Really? I mean, you couldn't re-type that list?

;)

Pain and suffering is something to be embraced.
There is no finer feeling than pushing your body to the limits, and still be smiling.

Mike has obviously never experienced natural unmedicated childbirth.

I can say that none of my hiking trips have ever been as painful as that. And no, I wasn't smiling. I pushed my body to the limit with my last child, born 5 months ago. I have had 3 children. I didn't smile with any of them. Nor did I laugh. I often don't smile as I hike up 4K of elevation gain. I didn't smile after doing my first 20+ mile day.

We handle emotion differently – and pain as well. I have pushed my body to the limit – and ya know? It is OK to whine. Totally OK. And I can say that "embracing pain and suffering" is a load of horse poo. That is called "medication fail".

Totally disagree Sarah. I've run ultra-distance where my body couldn't take any more. But i still pushed on, despite hallucinating due to pain and sleep deprivation. And i loved it.
I thought we were talking about trail issues, not other medical conditions? I now suffer from chronic pain due to surgery that went wrong, but that isn't what is being discussed. And dealing with chronic pain is the hardest thing i've ever had to deal with.

My neighbor once told me, "no pain..no pain!" and the light went on. Wear and tear on the joints for us old guys is what gets ya. Muscle soreness, bad weather, fatigue: who cares? That's easy. Meanwhile, I want my ibuprofen!

I don't think you got my point. And that is OK.

Sorry if i picked you up wrong Sarah. A language seperated by an ocean? :-)

i hurt , therefore i am.

"But i still pushed on, despite hallucinating due to pain and sleep deprivation."

Who knew you could hallucinate so inexpensively! I paid good money for my hallucinations!

A buddy and I were riding around the south island of New Zealand some years back. For nine days we rode into a headwind. Didn't matter which direction we traveled, we were always riding into a fairly strong headwind. Not fun with loaded touring bikes – especially before I knew or cared about lightweight gear (my tent weighed 7 pounds!). As we approached Queensland, it started to rain. Hard. We hunkered down on our bikes with frowns on our faces.

But we were in New Zealand, darnit! So suddenly, at the top of my lungs (no kidding), I started singing 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning.' Off key too. Soon we were cracking up and having a grand old time again, rain and wind regardless.

I agree with someone up above (no, not THAT up above, earlier in the thread) who said it's often a matter of attitude. Often (not always) things suck until you decide they don't. And then they simply don't anymore. Doesn't mean the pain goes away, it just means you've decided the pain won't be joined by misery. Which really ticks pain off – it hates it when you smile right into its red, puffy face. I like making pain mad. It fulfills me.

I totally get your point, Doug.
When you laugh at pain, it loses it's hold over you.

We get good 'shrooms in Scotland. ;-)

I don't think you got my point. And that is OK.

Well, Sarah, it is a bit unfair to compare childbirth to endeavoring to make an effort to not spoil it for others on a hiking trip… something completely voluntary and knowingly and supposedly done for pleasure. And we're not talking about falling off a cliff and snapping your collarbone… we're just talking grinning and bearing simple discomfort. If it became something like childbirth of course it would be all right to complain. Hiking along a trail in pouring rain and going on and on about how uncomfortable the rain is or how tiring the climb is or how many mosquitoes there are, well, that is just simply and unnecessarily annoying. It spoils it for everyone. Such things happen when you go to the mountains. And you knew it before you left the house. So shut up and at least try to let the others enjoy what everyone came for. If you start giving birth to a child during the hike… well, hopefully the others know how to deal with it… and can forget about the trip altogether.

"What are you going to do, bleed on me?"

"i hurt, therfore i am."

Welcome to "50 Shades of Grey."