I have been running for more than 25 years. Running is a thing and a descriptive word used in our culture. I'm not grammatical enough to go through all the technical ways to use it, but you probably know what I mean, so I'll stop before this becomes to much of a run on sentence.
This morning I've been thinking about running, the physical kind, and how it has been a blessing to me.
I began running to relief stress from work. I was not and still do not consider myself an athlete or any sort of elite class of person. I'm just someone who found that running worked for me. A way to blow off steam. As I got older it was a pretty easy way to control my weight. These were the reasons I ran. I was not an athlete. At some point someone urged me to enter some races, fund raisers the annual turkey trot stuff like that. I was still just a runner, because to say I began to "race" would be a very large exaggeration.
These races were a blessing. Here I met people who became my friends and peers. I met Ronnie, who ran by my house every Sunday morning on his 20 mile training run, and told me that if I could run these 5k's I could go farther. He was right.
I met Brent, who became my training partner, sounding board, source of hilarity and who convinced me that a marathon (26.2 miles) would be fun (the jury is still out on that definition).
I renewed friendship with Raul who I knew back in high school. Joked about getting older (slower) with Ted and Clark. I met many other runners who, like me, did not see running so much as a competition, but as a thing they did because they enjoyed it.
Over the years I, like my friends, endured comments about our sanity and warnings of injuries, especially how our bodies would wear out or our hearts would explode. These things did not happen (yet, they would say) and I was blessed to stumble into choosing Rick as my in network physician, he is a runner. I probably get a little more time at those appointments because we share this blessing of running.
About four years ago our oldest grandson, Logan, had been running laps at the fitness center while his mom worked out. He proposed to me that he was ready to run a 5k. He was 11. I found there was a small 5k in my hometown and we ran. I was a little skeptical, but knew whether he finished or not, I was blessed to have this opportunity to run with him. We had a great time. I'll never forget, with a mile to go, I asked him, for probably the fifth time, if he was doing okay. With a big smile he said yes. I said "You like this don't you?" "Yes" he answered, with an even wider grin. A runner was born.
So how does this blessing thing keep running into me? I kinda took an accounting this weekend. Logan, who is a freshman, ran at Cross Country Sectionals on Saturday, and his coaches say he has great potential, and he still likes it!
On Sunday I ran another half marathon (13.1 miles), starting it surrounded by people I know. Our oldest son Jason (Logan's uncle) who ran cross country in high school (even went to state his senior year) was running his first half marathon. We started together,but he finished pretty far ahead of me. At the start line were Shane and Angie, Trina, Matthew, Ted, R.C, Jon, April, LaToya,David and a host of Idiots. There were many others I did not see until after, Jenny, Les, Linda,Heather, Travis, Dave and Helen, Jay and Terri, Theresa, Nikki and the list could go on.
When I first took Logan to a large race, he was pretty bored as I talked to my friends. He didn't understand the blessing of community. The running community is a great one. Now he is known by all these older people, and with the cross country team he is beginning to get "community/team."
So for me I will continue to put one foot in front of the other and I know I'll keep having these collisions with blessing.
Peace my friends.
