Simply Blessed
I have been wanting to run the Lincoln half marathon for years. Each year it seems I have between a reasonable to ridiculous reason why I can't...excuse actually. I've been pregnant or JUST had a baby...reasonable, and I've also been bored running by myself so training falls quite short of reaching the point that I could endure 13.1 miles...ridiculous! "I am an athlete" I tell myself. I can do this. Nope. Life happens and I just can't seem to muster up the will to change what is standing in the way (the ridiculous things). This year is no different...in January I "committed" that I would be running this year to a friend. Just a verbal "Yes, I'm planning to", but none-the-less a committment. January passed, and then February, and then most of March. Three miles. That was as far as I had gone by myself. BOREDOM. I decided that I have just reached a place in my life where I must admit that I can not do something.
NOPE!! What? Am I just going to give in? FAIL? Never. Nothing can beat me...unless there is good reason, and boredom is NOT a good reason. I AM an athlete...maybe not the same one I used to be, but there is a competitive nature that still resides in me, and I am not going to give in. People do this kind of thing all the time...they make it happen instead of making excuses. While I'm not at the finish line yet, I decided that if my excuse for not running was that I couldn't run by myself, then I would find someone to run with, which might mean the inconvenience of running in Lincoln. FINE.
I was forced to step out of my comfort zone and ask for help. What resulted was a 4 mile run with three friends. Thanks Mary, Laurie and Kim!!! The next morning, a very early 5.5 mile run with another friend. Whew! I would have totally stopped 2 miles in both times!! Both runs were not record setting, rather comfortable paces allowing some chit chat to happen. What a great way to get to know someone...5.5 miles takes close to an hour at our pace. I did another 2.5 on Friday by myself...not as fun as having company, and finally an 8 mile run on Saturday morning! Thanks again Kristi and Lisa!! So, Kristi and I have had the opportunity to "get to know each other better" for almost 14 miles. I'm loving it. What a fabulous way to develop a friendship. I'm looking forward to several more miles with Kristi this week, as well as learning even more about her and her family. I can't help but think that this of course is at God's hand. Good friends are precious. What fun it is to develop a friendship under the circumstances of reaching a personal goal. Our children are similar ages...Thomas and Mathilda were in Kindergarten together last year which was how we met in the first place. With Mathilda repeating Kindergarten, Kristi's daughter Annie is in her class this year. George and Joe are the same age, and Evelyn and Amelia are just weeks apart as well. They have a little Joseph that has most recently returned to Heaven before making his earthly debut.
I feel blessed by these things...things as simple as finding someone to run with me. Simply blessed.
NOPE!! What? Am I just going to give in? FAIL? Never. Nothing can beat me...unless there is good reason, and boredom is NOT a good reason. I AM an athlete...maybe not the same one I used to be, but there is a competitive nature that still resides in me, and I am not going to give in. People do this kind of thing all the time...they make it happen instead of making excuses. While I'm not at the finish line yet, I decided that if my excuse for not running was that I couldn't run by myself, then I would find someone to run with, which might mean the inconvenience of running in Lincoln. FINE.
I was forced to step out of my comfort zone and ask for help. What resulted was a 4 mile run with three friends. Thanks Mary, Laurie and Kim!!! The next morning, a very early 5.5 mile run with another friend. Whew! I would have totally stopped 2 miles in both times!! Both runs were not record setting, rather comfortable paces allowing some chit chat to happen. What a great way to get to know someone...5.5 miles takes close to an hour at our pace. I did another 2.5 on Friday by myself...not as fun as having company, and finally an 8 mile run on Saturday morning! Thanks again Kristi and Lisa!! So, Kristi and I have had the opportunity to "get to know each other better" for almost 14 miles. I'm loving it. What a fabulous way to develop a friendship. I'm looking forward to several more miles with Kristi this week, as well as learning even more about her and her family. I can't help but think that this of course is at God's hand. Good friends are precious. What fun it is to develop a friendship under the circumstances of reaching a personal goal. Our children are similar ages...Thomas and Mathilda were in Kindergarten together last year which was how we met in the first place. With Mathilda repeating Kindergarten, Kristi's daughter Annie is in her class this year. George and Joe are the same age, and Evelyn and Amelia are just weeks apart as well. They have a little Joseph that has most recently returned to Heaven before making his earthly debut.
I feel blessed by these things...things as simple as finding someone to run with me. Simply blessed.
