13.1 & my secret ingredient

6 months postpartum, and 10 days before my 32nd birthday, this happened.

13.1.

miles that is. 13.1 miles.

you may recall my post announcing that i had signed up for a 1/2 marathon, and you  may also recall my hatred for anything running long distances. my disdain was emphasized by the fact that i hadn’t run more than 4 miles in a row ever in my life. yet, here i was signing up for what appeared (to me at the time) to be an insurmountable goal.

(^ i look entirely too jacked for someone about to run a lot of miles in a row…)

i remember the first day i ran, late july. i couldn’t even run 2 miles without stopping, and i couldn’t help but wonder what in the hell i’d gotten myself into. why on God’s green earth did i even sign up for this? was i out of my mind? seriously, who did i think i was, posing as a runner?

my goal seemed and FELT impossible. because after all,

trying new things is hard.

and trying new things you don’t like is really hard.

and trying new things you don’t like that require you to get up reaaaaaally early, is ultra-uber-super hard.

enter, PRAYER.

i’m about to get all praisey on you, but that’s cool.

prayer is what got me through training. it’s what got me from 2 miles to 13. of course, i would jam out to music like all the other runners, but prayer?

prayer is my secret ingredient.

i could run for so much longer if i prayed, and not just for myself (though there were certainly times when i was praying, “Jesus take the wheel! er…my feet! er…just get me there alive for the love of all things good and holy!”), but for anyone i’d told i’d pray for them (you know how people ask for prayers and you say yes…and sometimes you forget? come on, raise your hand, i know i’m not the only one. i try to remember, but let’s face it, we’re not perfect!) i’d pray for them, for anyone God put into my mind, for our week, for our homeschooling, for my kids, for lover. and the miles would fly past.

relatively speaking.

and during training when it got really hard, and i didn’t think i would make it, i would chant in my head,

“i can do all things through Christ. i can do hard things. i can do all things.”

over, and over, and over, and over until the mental road block had passed.

and i did this every time i ran for 3 months.

enter : race day.

the race was “freezing” in desert dweller opinion, 50 degrees and windy, but perfect for running. let’s roll!

each corral was sectioned off by pace, and this lady below? the little gal in the blue hat. she was the pacer for our corral. you had the option (but didn’t have to) run with her if you were trying to meet a specific goal.

friends? she. was. awesome. i couldn’t have asked for a sweeter pacer and now friend. i ran with her the entire race. she was so positive and encouraging. a gift. we ran faster than i had trained for, and at the last mile, i fell back (dying from exhaustion it felt like)…do you know she stopped and turned back for me? she ran back, grabbed my hand and held it (practically dragging me along) for the last mile, encouraging me the whole way.

dude, she even called me the next day to see how i was doing.

who does that? only someone with a dear heart.

who knew that running a 1/2 marathon would be such an experience? not only did i have a healthier body, but i also had a stronger prayer life, inspiring new friends, and i learned a few new things along the way (i.e. you can over dose on water. and it’s no joke. serious face. don’t ever drink too much water. ever.)

and then there’s this,

because who doesn’t think toilet paper in a plastic swimming pool is funny? 🙂

cheers *