It has been way too long since I
have last posted. I apologize. I guess my excuse is Summer Vacation. Not by my
choice, the last month has been a break from running due to a hamstring and
back injury. Typically when I am injured, I am able to cross train like crazy,
but with this injury, I was forced to take a complete break from most forms of
activity. This was very challenging, as I love to be active, especially in the
summer, but probably very healthy for me. For a while, my theme was Psalm
46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Gradually I have been able to add various
forms of cross training. It is amazing what a gift physical activity is, when
you can’t do it. The week that I did very little activity, I could relate to
why people that get out of the habit of exercising think they don’t have enough
energy for it. I felt exhausted do nothing…perhaps it was a combination of no
exercise and a good case of disappointment. Anyway, I believe I am on the mend.
I acknowledge that I have not kept you updated, but I am going to write as
though I have kept my blog updated and you are informed, just like old friends
pick up where they left off.
The current theme of my life is
moving forward; Pray, take a step forward, keep praying, and take another step.
Within this, there is going to be joy and suffering. St. Augustine said, “If we
never give up, we will be winners.” He was referring to our faith and our
reward in Heaven, and I think it applies to the various components of our
lives. For me, through a lot of prayer, particularly when I am swimming in the
pool, I have been convinced that despite my injuries, I still love to run and
to compete, and if I can figure out how to run injury free for a couple of
years and stick with it, I will be a winner. Perhaps being a winner means being
an Olympian, perhaps it means learning how to deal with disappointment and clinging
to God no matter what, perhaps it means both and all that will fall in between these
extremes. I wish I could say I know the ending, but that would keep me from
seeking. So, I am not giving up until my passion for this strange sport is gone
and I am convinced that God has something else for me.
I am indeed moving forward, but
this doesn’t mean that I will continue moving forward the exact same way. I
have not established my exact plan for trying to stay healthy, but I do know
that I want to be a lot more conservative in my training. If I can step back
and look at the big picture, I know that I will thrive more in the long run if
I have slower yet continuous progress, rather than interrupted training phases.
I plan to gradually build miles until I am healthy, and then run with lower
mileage than I ran this year and with a little less frequent intensity. I wish I could always remember the big
picture in running and my life in general. The reality is, life would be a lot
healthier and bring a lot less anxiety if I could live with patience and
insight. When I doubt arriving at the destination that seems so far away, I am trying
to remind myself that my ultimate goal is to bring glory to God in all things,
and that he has a good plan, and that his plan is the best no matter what I
think the “best plan” is.
Last week I was feeling sorry for
myself when I read Psalm 97. Part of it really encouraged me. “ The Lord is
King, the Most High over all the earth…The Mountains melt like wax before the
Lord.” I am moving forward with my life, with a confidence that my God can do
anything- Even melt mountains!
