Friday, November 20, 2009

I Run

So, let me preface this post by emphatically and persistently insisting that I in no physical or mental capacity am a runner. I have always hated running. My body is a bit sturdier than most, and I definitely weigh more than I look, so I don't exactly skim, lightly across the ground. It's more like a slow--probably painful to watch--plod of a jog. There is nothing lean, slender, or fast about my appearance or my performance. I hate every moment of the labor that goes into propelling yourself across the ground. I am a swimmer, so running literally makes me feel like a fish out of water. Actually, I think if you imagine a fish trying to run out of water, you get the perfect picture of how I am feeling.


So why do it? Well, there is a lesson in life that so many young adults and teenagers need to learn. A lesson that I only really grasped when I began to run. There are some things in life you do not because you like or want to do them, but because it's what is best or right for you to do, and unfortunately, these are the things you usually must always work the hardest at accomplishing.

Not everything in life is instant and microwaveable. As a matter of fact, the things you HAVE to do or NEED to do are often the very things, that in the end, after hours of sweat-rendering labor and emotional pain, you end up thoroughly enjoying the most because you are personally invested. A piece of yourself is in the outcome, the product. Your satisfaction and pride is justified and well-deserved at this point. So many people these days are unfulfilled and dissatisfied with their lives or uncertain because they are afraid to personally and physically invest themselves this deeply into anything. They see the risk of failure or disappointment as not worth the effort, but sadly this means they will never know the joy and fulfillment that only comes on the other side of doing something wholeheartedly, dotting every "i" and crossing every "t", leaving no stone unturned, and every other expression that means to complete a task thoroughly and to complete it well.


Now, that being said, I am fortunate that God blessed me with a personality that enjoys setting and completing a goal. I hate to run, but I love the discipline of a training workout that slowly, ever so slowly, builds you up to race day. I hate the air of anticipation and nervousness on race day because I am probably the only one running (NOT racing) to simply finish. I am not there to beat the clock or someone else. When it comes to running, competition is NOT a driving force. The goal is to finish, and to finish strong, not begging for an oxygen tank or IV fluids at the end.


On a more practical level, I run because it's what I have time to do. I don't have to leave my house and go to the gym or the pool or somewhere to take an exercise class; therefore, I can run on my own schedule from my own home in any amount of time I can squeeze in. Sometimes this means running at 6am or 2pm or 4pm or most often 8pm, but the point is, running is accessible anywhere I go anytime. The ability to run and get my exercise in for the day travels with me wherever I choose to roam--on a visit to Macon, or Florida, or Arizona, or even to my mom's house in another neighborhood. No matter where I go, I can never give myself the excuse, "Well, I just won't be able to make it to the gym today. Oh well."


Running is also the only thing I have ever done, health-wise, that gives you immediate results. Now, I'm not talking about weight. I've vowed not to look at a scale until I've been working out and watching my diet for at least a year. However, with running, I literally see my stamina increase every day. For example, I started by running for only five minutes the first three days or two iPod songs=) Day one, I was huffing and puffing after thirty seconds. Day two after sixty seconds, and by day three, I was running through two songs without feeling like I was going to die. Now, that's pretty instant results if you ask me. Did I lose any weight in three days? Absolutely not! But I started sleeping deeper at night, having more energy during the day, and now I'm on week three and looking forward to pushing myself to run 18 minutes tonight. It took me three weeks to work up to 18 minutes, but every day I saw results in the amount of time I was capable of running without being winded. Now that is encouraging. When you can see the progress, no matter how small, it's worth every moment--or my case, minute--of pain you had to put into the process. And by February, I will be marveling that it took 3 months to build up to 3 miles, but when I cross the finish line of that 5K, the exuberance of accomplishment and joy of just finishing the task cannot be explained. I challenge anyone to try it for yourself=)


So...I run. And God teaches me something through my training every plodding step of the way. He reveals different lessons about life and how He works. It never ceases to amaze me that God can use any circumstance in our lives to teach us about His ways, His character, and how He wants us to live. He wants to commune with us so badly, and He wants us to really know Him so much more. Jesus used parables to speak to the people for a reason. He used what they knew to help explain how He worked...to help them better understand. I feel in my life right now, the process of running is just one big parable He's using to speak into my life. I'm looking forward to sharing these ideas with you over the next months of my running journey=) Sorry to leave you hanging, but I think I've written enough for one blog. Don't you? =)

3 comments:

Stan and Kim said...

Keep writing....never stop.

Brittany said...

you go girl!! I am not a runner either, but you always feel so much better after you've done it!! You will feel so much accomplishment when you cross that finish line in February!

Alicia said...

Love it. I need to start running again. You're so right about doing it because it's healthy for you and not because you want to do it. I hate running, but know that exercise is important and want to set the example for my kiddos. Sigh. Now, just to work up the motivation!