Lessons learned

It has been a while since I have blogged. I had a hankering, so here it is:

I have been consistently running for a year and a half. I have a few races under my belt, the longest being a Half Marathon. I ran the Marine Corp Half last October in 1:21:17. This has been a somewhat difficult process for me. There have been mental and physical battles. There have been lessons learned and some ignored. I hope you enjoy reading as I share some of them with you.

Let's begin with the scoffers. They are everywhere in our lives, with respect to running, mine were in my family. During our Beginning of the Year Family Gathering, I stated that I would run the River Run. My husband actually laughed. Granted, I had started AND quit running a few times during the years we have been married, but laugh. For some reason, I was determined this time. I found a training plan and completed the full 9.1 miles in 1:41. I was still running when I hit Heartbreak Hill. That was the beginning of my journey that has required persistence, patience, endurance...well the list could go on and on. Let's just say I silenced at least one scoffer in my life, in fact this scoffer has joined me in my running journey.

Some of the greatest battles I have fought have been mental. It hasn't been easy to determine what was mental or physical. My mind is weak. My body is stronger than I think. Being nearly 50, my old body does have it's limitations. I have learned to push it just a little farther. This brings to mind a spiritual analogy: Our flesh will tell us that we can't, God assures us that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can. In fact God takes pleasure in doing great things with the most unlikely people. Still, great things are not done for God without proper nutrition we receive from God's Word. Likewise great things are not accomplished on the running trail without proper nutrition. I have learned that hydration, nutrition and sleep are very important.

The next battle is kin to the aforementioned. I have learned to listen to my body. There are times when I have not slept well and shouldn't go the distance. Running long distances has taught me to pace myself. I won't last the long haul sprinting. Remember the tortoise and the hare? Spiritually, our journey requires pacing and listening to the Holy Spirit. Just like physical cues can keep me from injury, the Spirits cues will also keep us from pain.

Currently, I am again training for the Marine Corp Half. Summer in Florida is not a great time to train, in fact, it can be downright miserable. All you can do is your best and hope that when the temperature cools (if in fact it does) you will run well. In the midst of this difficult time, I have to remind myself to enjoy the journey. Of course the results are most enjoyable. Running itself can be fun. I tend to be somewhat clinical in my approach. I like to see quantitative data. Some of my most enjoyable runs have been those when I just took off with the ipod and ran and ran. When I returned to the structured runs, the enjoyment was still there. I heard something recently that relates to this. Don't always look toward the goal, enjoy the climb. This is a great life lesson. We tend to look to better times, i.e. when we finish school, when the kids get out of diapers, etc., that we don't enjoy the present time. Investing in the lives of my daughters has been one of the long runs for me. That is coming to an end and leaves a little more time for running. It wasn't always easy to stop and enjoy it when times were crazy.

Will I still have the crappy runs? Will I fall on my face spiritually? Yes and more than likely. i have learned to get up and move on to the next run. I love accomplishing what most women my age won't even tackle. I love learning from even the worst runs. They teach me that I am not invincible. In my flesh, I can't do everything. I need the Holy Spirit to truly succeed.