Running into Grace-Part 2

Participating in the half marathon was a real highlight for me, despite the lack of training and the extreme soreness. When I saw that there was a 5K on May 2010 for MacArthur Park I decided to sign up. For some reason as the MacArthur Park run got closer all I could remember about the half marathon was that I finished. I didn't remember the soreness, I didn't remember the promises I made to myself to train and prepare for another run. The MacArthur Park Run was an evening run. So, on that coolish Friday evening a group of people started gathering at the museum. It was a small group gathered for this run at least it seemed that way to me. But then all I had to compare it to was the Race for the Cure and the Little Rock Marathon. As Lindsay (my daughter and running buddy) and I waited to run, Jim (my husband) encouraged us. When we began the race it was fine but we'd barely made it half a mile before I started breathing hard and felt like I needed to walk instead of run. Lindsay encouraged me to keep going. But when a fat little dog and it's owner passed us I knew I was in trouble and I might as well walk a spell. We did run more but for the most part we walked that 5K, both of us feeling the lack of training. I knew then that if I was serious about running in the next half marathon or even walking in it, or if I ever intended to run in another 5K I was going to have to prepare and train. So what does all this have to do with Tripping into Grace? Everything....

Running into Grace

"Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

Last year before I turned 48 I made a "bucket list" of the things I wanted to do before I turned 50. One of the things on my list was to participate in a half marathon. I say participate because as much as I wanted to run I was pretty sure I would walk a good part of that 13.1 miles. March 4, 2010 was a COLD, pretty day. There were so many people in downtown Little Rock that morning and it was so exciting and a little bit frightening. But the momentum of the crowd moved me. The excitement was overwhelming! So when the race started, Lindsay and I ran. Oh, I walked too but I ran more than I should have run for someone who hadn't trained, at all. Something more than my own stamina kept me going that day...there were people praying for me, people cheering me on along the way, and the other walkers and runners around me. I felt the community. My daughter and I crossed the finish line and it was very exciting.
The soreness, however, started settling into my muscles and bones almost immediately. And two hours later I was hurting. I think I felt that race for two weeks. It's a soreness that I'm not sure I will ever forget. a soreness that was compounded because I didn't TRAIN.
And yet a few months later I thought that I could just go run a 5K with no training...
I'll finish that story in my next installment but it reminds me of how we try to go about each day without the training and discipline of prayer, trust, and seeking God's will and way...

"Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it." Hebrews 12:11