What the heck is that all about you may ask. well yesterday I finished my first ever half marathon-- it was pretty fun.. 13.1 miles-- yeah! totally going on the resume. hey it's an accomplishment. So here's how this went done since I haven't blogged in years.. hey dini-- thanks for reading-- ok so my last blogs were prolly about the upcoming event and how i haven't reall been training.. well since then training was still sporadic and at best well hmm-- just runs with armando and amy and climbing hills... so yeah what was i thinking came across my mind quite a bit in sunday morning... sat- picked up race packet sun-- my sweet adam picked me up at the butt crack of 5:30 am and we set out to long beach to meet about 20,000 other crazies.. we got there and i was a little nervous wondering if i would actually finish or have to call in for reinforcements but i didn't... at about mile 6 i knew i was in it to the end.. no turning back said my body plus if i did it would be like doing the whole thing without finishing so i pressed on...
well lots of things have been on my mind and since i knew i'd be running for the next three hours i thought hmm this is a good time to talk to myself-- pray, sing, praise God, pray, write letters in my head..etc. so that' what i did.. .. start line-- pulse is pounding and i'm excited and still my mind wants they man to delay-- but he can't any longer. i'm in wave 6 the last wave-- the brave ones who aren't boastful just wanting to run for whatever reasons.. wave 1 the elites took off about 25 minutes ago and i'm still waiting.. adam is waiting on the sidelines.. sweet supportive-- poor guy is gonna be bored but he's great to do this-- he'd doing anything for me... i love him for that... gonna marry that guy... ok back to anticipation... well i meet a nice lady would is also a first timer-- cept she's about 35 years my senior and in a hell of a lot better shape than i-- she and i will prolly not run together the whole way.. her son is running the race but trying to qualify for boston-- yowsa- go him.. we chat and wait.. moving slowly to the line...so many people with their reasons. wait why am i doing this again.. oh to prove i can finish something i say i'm going to do. why didn't i train more.too late now. oh by the way the lady waiting next to me - her name is barbara- and it took every fiber of my being now to react and call her babs-[-:) race starts and i'm running -- imediately finding a good pace group-- they're doing the entire 26.2 i'm not--so i'll break away from them at mile 10. well one of the guys i'm following is wearing a shirt that says Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. nice I just have to focus.. don't think about every mile but that God is already given me the strength to finish. I still think about every mile... infact I loose the pace group around mile 3.5 and now I'm increasingly aware of my lack of stamina and strength... So I start praying about lots of things.. mostly my heart and it's current burdens and how I can be a servant and be faithful. I pray for practically everyone I know- did I mention that I was running for 3 hours... I was even praying for random racers I'd seen get hurt. So here's a visual-- Miles 1-3ish is basically the hard pavement no so scenic portion. it's freeway and a little bridge....but we approach mile 4-5 and it's the quaint little shoreline village of long beach with the boats and restaurants.. moving to mile 6-9 and some of 10 is the best part-- the strand next to the sand-- glad it wasn't on the sand-- did that-- grrr that was hard--So here I am priviledged blessed and healthy enough to be able to run on such a goregeous overcast cool morning in downtown long beach... what more could i ask? Praise God for his infinite wisdom in making out bodies and the tests we give it. I know my body was screaming-- why aren't you more sedentary? what is this buisness of running and do you feel that.. those are your ankles screaming bloody murder... as i'm running i also saw the determination on other people's faces in my shoes.. i wondered why some ran.. knowing why other's ran for the causes on their shirts... i had turned my bib in late and i'm not sure but they neglected to write Live Christ on mine.. you mostly see people's names or memorial runs.. there was a group running to rebuild a nation-- they wore red and kept yelling GO GK. then there were ones who just love to do this, the ones getting fit and part of team raising money.. whatever the cause -- we were there.. running to finish. I finish with adam chanting go astrid along the last mile marker and thought I felt myself pushing faster.. amy was right I was practically crawling towards the line..and there you have it.. prolly more to come with training as a big proponent... discipline... think that next year i'm going to run with a cause not just my own.. running for missions.. gonna ask people to pledge per mile and find a missionary to support...
1 comment:
Thats a great idea running for missions.(told you you'd think alot) Im thinking bright yellow or neon green shirts!
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