I run to try to make sense of the world. Most of the time I'm unsuccessful at finding the answer to the "why" questions, however, I usually come away with some reason for joy. During my long 3-hour run yesterday I tried to make sense of numerous things because as the phrase goes, when it rains it pours, and I certainly had plenty of time to think.
To begin with, have you ever taken the Strength Finder 2.0 assessment? I took it in May and learned that one of my top strengths is connectedness. Now, not all connectors express their connectedness in the same way. My expression of connectedness is that the faces I see on TV and the places I travel to do not feel foreign to me - it feels as if I have met people before or been there already. I have a deep sense of connectedness with those I have known a minute to a lifetime. It's this deep sense of connectedness that I thought about on my run yesterday. I thought about how I teared up at seeing the horrific images and stories about the theater shooting in Aurora. I thought about the ferry tragedy off the coast of Zanzibar - a route that I have traveled myself. I thought about a couple friends who are going through some health concerns. The hurt, pain, anxiety... there were so many reasons to run.
While I have always been proud to say that I have never had a bad run, yesterday was HARD. It was hot, humid, with no wind, not a cloud in the sky, and I came away with a sore hip/hamstring. At mile 9, I felt like I was at mile 18. I did finish all 18 miles, with a few choice words along the way, but I did it. I came away with the affirmation that life is precious and that if I am not enjoying what I choose to do with my time then I have the power to change it. Granted, I can't (or won't) always quit when a run is challenging, but all of this past week's events remind me that our minutes and hours are a gift to be cherished. And so, with a tender hip/hamstring, I chose to skip my run this morning and enjoy the morning from my bed. My hip thanked me. My sleep deprived body thanked me. And I was thankful for choosing to spend the morning sipping coffee in pajamas and making breakfast with Renzo.
In case you're curious about my 50k training schedule, here's what I have been up to so far...
Week 1: 4 miles/day (Tues-Thurs), 12 miles (Sat), 10 miles (Sun)
Week 2: 4 miles/day (Tues-Thurs), 15 miles (Sat), 10 miles (Sun)
Week 3: 4 miles/day (Tues-Thurs), 10 miles (Sat), 10 miles (Sun)
Week 4: 4 miles/day (Tues-Thurs), 18 miles (Sat), 10 miles (Sun)
Disclaimer: I have missed 3 of my 4 Sunday runs due to moving to our new house, traveling to Chicago, and a sore hip. I hope to pick them back up now, as long as my hip lets me!
10 weeks to go!
