A Different Kind of Blog Post

by Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS

You may have noticed that I took last week off of blogging to focus on one of my favorite events of the year…RAGBRAI.  For those of you who don’t know what RAGBRAI is, it is the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (or RAGBRAI for short).  It is billed as the biggest party on 2 wheels.A

You may be wondering why people would want to ride their bikes across Iowa, but I will tell you as a 3 year veteran of the event, it is unlike anything I have ever seen or been a part of.  This is the 44th year of the event and it brings in people from all over the world every year.  Depending upon the day, between 15,000 and 20,000 daily riders turn out to ride from town to town.  The entire route this year was an estimated 420 miles and 19,000 feet of climb over the 7 day event.  It is fun, but challenging.

What I love about RAGBRAI is that the event brings out the best in people.  Every small town rolls out their red carpet to welcome riders and their support staff.  It is rare that you hear a complaint from another rider and every year this event restores my hope in humanity.  In a pessimistic and negative society, this week is the exact opposite.  It is simply thousands of people who enjoy  biking, are looking to challenge themselves and just want to be a p
art of something bigger than themselves.

As I spent a lot of time pedaling between the beautiful corn fields of Iowa, I had a lot of time to think about a number of things ranging from my family, work, my faith and what food I should eat in the next town.

The consistent theme that I always come back to during the week is this:

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

The idea of pushing myself to discomfort has served me well in every area of my life over the last 5+ years.  I think it has so many applications that all of us can take into every area of our lives.  Here are a few examples:

• Physical Training:  If we never push our bodies (or our patient’s/client’s bodies) to the point of discomfort, we will never see results.  The human body responds to stimulus.  With proper training (usually uncomfortable), we see great physical improvements.
• Relationships:  Whether it is in your marriage or personal friendships, oftentimes the most difficult times in a relationship lead to the greatest growth.  Difficult times bring us together.
• Faith:  As a devout Christian, I am a strong believer that God puts us in uncomfortable situations in life to bring us closer to Him.  Just as Jesus lived in the desert on his own for 40 days of temptation, there are times in life when we face difficult times as God encourages us to rely on Him.  Oftentimes we don’t fully understand why or how things will work out, but with faith and understanding that God never wastes a “hurt” we have an opportunity for personal growth.
• Academics:  Whether we’re in school or a professional working towards a new certification, there is no doubt that tests of our knowledge are anxious times.  They make us study and train to make sure that we know every possible answer.  This is a time of personal mental growth.
• Speaking:  I do a lot of public speaking and don’t often get nervous anymore.  But, depending on the topic and/or audience, it can be uncomfortable.  The solution?  Be prepared.  Grow personally.

I could obviously go on with more examples, but I think you get the idea.  Times of discomfort provide us with an amazing opportunity for personal growth.  You can either run from them or to them.  While it isn’t always fun to run to them, when you do, you will be happy with the results because you will be better person for it.

Going back to RAGBRAI, I can’t think of a better opportunity to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”  It is a physical challenge.  The first year that I rode, I didn’t know until the last mile if I would actually make it to the end.  What I did know is that I was in great physical condition and a place of strong mental toughness.  It also challenged my faith, as I reached deep inside and asked for help to keep pedaling at times.  It is also a challenge mentally, understanding how to navigate among thousands of people all riding together at different speeds and levels of experience.  And I can go on.  The only area of discomfort that I can’t say for sure leads to growth is the discomfort one experiences in the area of their saddle.  I guess we’ll just go with “that which does not kill you will only make you stronger” for that one.

Enjoy the uneasy, uncomfortable times in life.  Know that they lead to personal growth.  Embrace them.  Run to them.  Have faith that they will make you better.

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