>Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional
Someone once said this in relation to cycling. I disagree. For anyone who truly embraces cycling, especially endurance cycling, suffering is inevitable too. Someone who truly embraces cycling, a true cyclist, will not stop simply when they reach pain. They will keep pushing themselves until they are in so much pain that suffering is no longer optional. And they will embrace that suffering. For an endurance cyclist, or any endurance athlete, heaven and hell become synonymous. To an endurance athlete, heaven is the glory in going beyond one's physical and mental limits. And hell is the suffering in doing so. The suffering is the glory.
What would be the point of cycling if it didn't involve suffering?