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An ultra-marathon runner shares a technique used during a 50-mile race: focusing on pain to manage it. This practice is supported by a new study indicating that voluntary attention to physical discomfort can regulate the body's inflammatory response.
A few years ago, I set a goal to achieve an ultra marathon before my 50th birthday. My goal was to run a 100-miler, but I did not quite hit that objective. Instead, I went for the "50 before 50" target. I would run a 50-mile marathon before my 50th birthday. I was successful, and one of the techniques that I used during the run was to mentally focus on areas in my body where I felt pain. I would essentially cycle through my body, starting at my feet and working up toward my head, asking the question, "Am I feeling pain here?" If the answer was yes, I would focus on it. Why was it painful? How bad was it? Could I manage it? I would focus on it until I felt that I could tolerate the pain in that area and then move on to the next.
The technique proved to be surprisingly effective. I was able to push through knee pain, ankle pain, calf and quad tenderness, and even a small rock in my shoe that was causing me no small amount of distress. I had read many stories of runners who had willed through pain and had learned to focus their minds on resolving issues as if they could somehow control the internal workings of their bodies to repair areas that were in trouble. This all felt a bit far-fetched to me, but I have met some meditation practitioners who swore that they could control things like excessive inflammation, swelling, and joint pain by using concentration.
When you are running for 10 hours straight, you will do just about anything to get through it. So, I started trying this method to aid me in my journey. It worked, and I have always kept an eye open for research or people who have experience with this phenomenon. Yesterday, I came across a new study released: Mizrachi et al., "Voluntary attention regulates acute immune responses in humans," Nature Human Behaviour (2026). This study seems to indicate that turning toward a physical discomfort, rather than distracting yourself from it, actually regulates your body's inflammatory response. The concept is that leaning in is not just a mindset; it shows up in your biology.
This is fascinating and direct proof that there may be some truth to this idea that I learned while running long distances. Across three experiments in healthy volunteers, researchers gave people an identical immune challenge and then had them either attend to the sensations at the inflammation site or distract away from it. Attending to the body measurably changed both the size and the time-course of the inflammatory response, an effect present in roughly 90 percent of participants across two independent groups.
This would indicate that it is better to focus on the problem area than to ignore it. So, I suppose this means Goggins' concept of "Embrace the Suck" has some scientific merit behind it! If this study is accurate, then that means that potentially discomfort met with attention rather than avoidance produces a different, more regulated response inside the body itself. Now, I see the limits of the study. I am not sure that really draws a sweeping conclusion, but it is interesting. I have also seen this happen in the course of my running "through the pain."
So, what can I conclude from this? It seems that focused mental energy on the trouble spots in your body and perhaps your life is a worthy practice. So, apparently, we should lean into our pain.
The 365 Commitment Podcast focuses on helping people make and keep life changing commitments.
This is day three. Fourteen lean into the pain.
A few years ago, I set a goal to achieve an ultra-marathon before my 50th birthday.
My goal was to run, 100 Miler, but I did not quite hit that objective. Instead, I went for the 50 before. 50 Target.
I would run a 50 mile marathon before my 50th birthday.
I was successful and one of the techniques that I used during the Run was to mentally focus on areas in my body where I felt pain.
I would essentially cycle through my body starting at my feet and working up toward my head asking the question. Am I feeling pain here? If the answer was, yes, I would focus on it.
Why was it painful how bad was it? Could I manage it? I would focus on it until I thought that I could tolerate the pain in that area and then moved on to the next. I repeated, this cycle, all throughout my run.
The technique proved to be surprisingly effective.
I was able to push through knee pain, ankle pain, calf and quad tenderness, and even a small rock on my shoe. That was causing me. No small amount of distress.
I had read many stories of Runners who had willed through pain and had learned to focus their minds on resolving issues and think of somehow control the internal workings of the body to repair areas that were in trouble.
The solved felt a little bit far-fetched to me, but I have met some meditation practitioners who swore that they could control things. Like excessive inflammation, swelling and joint pain by using concentration.
When you are running for 10 hours, straight you will do just about anything to get through it.
So I started trying this method to Aid me in my journey, it worked. And I have always kept an eye open for research or people who have experienced with this phenomenon.
Yesterday, I came across the new study released. You can see it in my blog, it's called, voluntary attention. Regulates a cute immune responses in humans.
This study which was released just last month. Seems to indicate that turning toward a physical discomfort rather than distracting yourself from it. Actually regulates your body's implementation inflammatory response.
The concept of does that leaning in is not just a mindset, it shows up in your biology.
This is fascinating and direct prove that there may be some truth to this idea that I learned while running long distance is across three experiments and healthy volunteers. Researchers gave people an identical immune Challenge and they had them either attend to the sensation at the inflammation site, or distract away from it.
Attending to the body measurably changed, both the size and the time course of the Implement inflammatory response, it affect present in roughly 90% of the participants across two completely independent groups.
This would indicate that it is better to focus on the problem area than to ignore it.
So, I suppose, this means that God's concept of embrace. The suck, has some scientific Marathon. It
if this study is accurate, then that means that potentially discomfort met with the tension rather than avoidance produces. A different more regulated response inside the body itself.
Now, I see the limits of this study, I'm not sure that really draws a sweeping conclusion, but it is interesting. I've also seen this happen in the course of my running of my running through the pain.
So what can I conclude from this? It seems that focused mental energy on the trouble spots in your body and perhaps your life is a worthy practice. So apparently, we should actually lean into the pain.