Monday, October 28, 2013

The gift of running.

This weekend started out right.

Friday at 5 pm I had a date with my running shoes. It was very romantic. We got to see this sunset together :)



It was a chilly 5 miles and not very fast but worth it.

Shortly after, my husband got home and took me out (we rarely get a date night on a Friday). First stop was buying him new running shoes! I didn’t take a picture but I should have. Then we tried a new restaurant. I love that lettuce wraps are everywhere now. We have a really hard time passing them up. I love trying all the different variations. Maybe one day I will make them but my mom told me never to lie so let's be honest, probably not. 

Then we ended the night getting in the Halloween spirit with one of our favorite shows.

I hated last season but cannot get enough of this season!!! Don’t mind the guy in the picture drinking out of a wine bottle. He is a beer snob and just starting to enjoy an occasional glass of wine. However he likes to blend the two once in a while (i.e. drink wine from the bottle). He says it makes him look manly. Either that or he is taking the whole she-drives-me-to-drink thing to a new level.

I think he looks ridiculous but I got to pick the show, take a picture and burnt our pumpkin seeds so I was picking my battles that night.

Saturday morning  I killed 11.0 miles…best part? 1.5 of those miles were with my daddy-o.


The below picture makes me wayyy too happy.


I reflected on a lot during my run but something my mind kept wandering back to was how converting people to running really is the best thing and how it always makes for an interesting story. I haven’t actually asked this question yet but I wonder what it was exactly that clicked with my dad and why he suddenly decided buying expensive running gear & going out every morning in the cold to run was what he wanted. Stay tuned because I will get him to answer that…

But the point I wanted to get to in this post was this…When I ran with my dad I was filled with this crazy pride hearing him struggle through his last half mile. Right now I know he can’t even imagine running 3 miles but I know he will & can... JUST like I know anyone else can and will if they make the commitment. There are walls and you have to break ‘em.

The first two miles suck for EVERYONE. No one enjoys the beginning of any run but the most amazing part of converting someone is knowing the gift they are about to receive if they stick it out. You can’t even imagine what you will uncover if you just believe in yourself. 

For a runner, being a part of helping someone else uncover the gifts of running is simply the B.E.S.T. 

I know it sounds LOONEY but it is indescribable. For non-runners, I guess you could say the gift is pride but really it is SO much more. No one can give this gift to my dad, I can’t, my mom can’t- he has to give it to himself.

Running starts for many people I think as a means to lose weight or to look like another runner they know. A real runner is someone who has lost sight of all that.

A real runner may look at the number on the scale but see it as just a bonus. Running is a metaphor for a real runner’s life. It’s a way for them to prove themselves to them self every day. It’s a way to shake off and navigate all the little things that clutter our thoughts- to get rid of barriers & hurdles. It’s a way to break walls not create them. It’s a way to be reflective & incredibly grateful for all the organs and limb that God gave us-they all play a part. It is a way to praise and appreciate the wonder that is our bodies and find peace within ourselves.

SO in short, I just love sharing this great thing that is running with people. It is so rewarding. I honestly believe running makes everyone a better person. It can't help but make you more in tune with who you are and how far you are willing to push yourself. There is nothing else like it. At least not for me.

It really will, but I'm not one of those runners who loved running. I did it just so I could eat what I wanted. It was a necessary evil and hard for me to pick back up now.

Did someone inspire you to start running??? What are your running goals? Why do you run?

4 comments:

  1. Ahhhh love this so much! Running has taught me so much, patience mostly. My dad helped me get into running. He pushed me and taught me how to pace myself. He joined me for a part of my 18 miler a few weekends ago, and it gave me the biggest boost. Love that you're running with your dad!

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    1. Oh my gosh. Patience is a big one :) I should have mentioned that. So glad that your dad is a part of your running too! Sometimes it is so hard to fit in quality time. Running together is a great way to fit it in.

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  2. OMG...So I'm finally caught up and here you are talking about being a REAL runner. Why do we all do this? Apparently running is to teach us ALL we need to stop comparing ourselves. I need to walk my own path and the only thing that matters is that I'm making progress. Doesn't matter how, or when, or what pace. I'm moving. THAT is what matters. :) obsessed with this blog!

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  3. This is an excellent post. Love it. And you!

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