As most of you know, I ran a half marathon this past April. Well, now I'm training for another one and this time it is hard. I would not consider myself a runner. I would love to get there, but I am not there yet.
This time around the training is killing me and my dedication is running thin. When Aaron is home I don't want to go out and run, I just want to sit on the couch with him and watch tv, or play with the kids in the backyard. He is home for 3 weeks so when I am out running all I want to do is run home and hang with my hubby.
Sometimes I wonder why I run. Right now, I feel like I'm running just to do the race. Just to say I did it. Just to complete a task. Just to finish the race, to accomplish a goal, and because I've already paid the $50 for the race. I have to run it now or I've just thrown out $50!
I do enjoy running, but for some reason this last week has been so hard for me. Lots of calf cramps, back pains, and it is just plain HOT here lately. I haven't enjoyed it once.
So, just like every other thing in life this season will too pass. I will enjoy running again. I will get back into the swing of training. I will feel better about this, and I will finish the race.
Life is like this in lots of ways too. Things can seem to be going great when all of a sudden something happens to cramp your life. You wonder how it can be so hard when before things were so good. But you and I both have to remember that this too will past. Hard times will come and go, and good times will as well. What we both have to remember is that life is a long race, there will be valleys and hills, mountains and oceans, but in the end life will be good. We will have accomplished our life and hopefully we can look back and see a life full of trials and accomplishments.
As I press on in my training, I pray that you too can press on in whatever challenges you have in your life right now.
this is a good word…thanks for posting.
I nominated you for an award on my blog. You rock. 🙂
You’re awesome. I’m totally in for the 5K in October. We should get Maris and Laura in on it too!!
Love ya!
Thanks for the post. We are in a challenging time and it was good to hear.
Keep running … you’re exactly right — there are good seasons and hard seasons but there is always hope for improvement. As far as specific running tips — if you don’t already read it, Runners World is awesome for even novice runners and give lots of good ideas. Cramps are often a sign of needing to change something in your diet — be sure you’re drinking lots of milk and maybe try running your longer training runs with a banana on hand — sometimes it is just a simple thing that can help with the aches and pains.
…let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that lay before him endured the cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.
run on my friend, run on.