These Past 10.55 Miles

To anyone who gets annoyed by running stories/analogies:

STOP READING THIS POST!

I want you all to read my blog, but if you get annoyed by people talking about running, then I'd stop reading right now. I want to clarify: I'm not boasting, I am likening my life lately to a 10.55 mile run I recently went on.

So, exactly 2 months ago today I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. When I am confronted by those feelings, I tend to have an all-encompassing feeling that I need to literally run away. So I do! On this particular day I decided to run to my favorite place, the Livestock Center, which is 5.25 miles outside of town. Not only did I decide to run out there, but I decided to run there and back. I spent the next hour prepping (drinking a bunch of water) and then I was off. 

The first two miles of a long run are always very brutal for me. Those miles make me wonder how I could possibly go any further. They usually consist of huffing and puffing and wondering, "Why did I decide to do this to myself?" They are my get-into-the-groove-for-the-rest-of-the-run miles. At the end of those first two miles I had reached the outskirts of town. For the next 3.25 miles to the Livestock Center, I'd be running on the soft shoulder of the road.

The next 3.25 miles were quite pleasant. I was in my groove and enjoying my time out in the crisp country air. The sky was overcast and beautiful, the smells were fresh, the sounds were pleasant. All that is nice, but it wasn't all honky dory. There were certainly little "road blocks" (pun intended). For example, at about mile 3, I was running along, minding my own business, when a ferocious cattle dog ran up and chased my to the edge of his property. It was terrifying and got my heart rate up higher than the running was. At mile 3.7 I was looking up at some hawks floating lazily on the breeze when I started smelling a skunk (which I ignored because after all, "I'm in the country, of course there are skunks out here"). That was a bad decision on my part as, next thing I know, I felt a squish under my foot. I ran over what was once a skunk. At mile 4 I learned the meaning of a country mile. The Livestock Center was in sight, and it felt like years until I got there.

When I got to the Livestock Center (mile 5.25), I started crying. Yeah, I'm a wimp, but I had convinced myself that it was going to be too hard to get there, so when I made it I was ecstatic. I didn't stop though, that was only the half way point, so I turned around and kept running. I cried for a whole mile (I know, what a sight [it really didn't help my steady breathing either]). 

At mile 6.75 I really started feeling the fatigue. The run was feeling hard. I wanted to stop but wasn't sure if I'd be able to start again. It wasn't all bad though. There were plenty of little "power ups." I'm not a gamer, like at all, but I did play some Mario Bros on my Game Boy Advance SP when I was younger. You know the little mushrooms Mario or Luigi would eat and they would make them bigger and stronger for a little bit? That's what I felt like I was coming across. For example, at mile 7 I was running along and I ran by a pasture with a Chesnut horse and a Blue Roan horse in it. As I approached that pasture, they both ran to the fence and ran right with me while I passed the property. At mile 7.75 the road was wet (a rain storm had passed by while I was running) and I was hot. As cars and trucks passed by me, the water sputtering from under their tires would kick up and mist me.

By mile 8.5 I had gotten back into town. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and ready to be home. At the same time, there was a renewed vigor knowing this was the home stretch. Two miles would be a cinch, right? To my surprise, this was the very hardest part of the run. At every cross walk and stop light, I just wanted to stop running, walk to the next light, call my roommate to pick me up, etc. But this was the time the run was also riding on? Why quit in the home stretch? Turns out, the final two miles were the most rewarding! This stretch came with the most "road blocks" and "power ups." 

When I got home, I cried (again) about my accomplishment. It was the farthest I'd ever run. I was excited. More than that, my head was clear, my heart was happy, I could breath deeper and easier, my confidence had increased, and I had proven to myself that I was capable of something hard.

Now I told you this applied to life.These past 10.55 miles of my life have seemed to be patterned after this run. I've had road blocks in my learning, my relationships, and my attitude. I've had power ups in my family, my friends, my testimony, and my perspective. I've learned that I can do hard things. Because of this run these past semesters, I am better equipped for other hard things to come, but I'm also prepared for the good things that are upcoming in my life! Life is good, people are strong, the gospel gives us hope and redemption. I know this church is true. I know Heavenly Father helps us through every mile we run. I know for every angry farm dog and encounter with roadkill we are blessed with horses and passing cars. Life is meant to be enjoyed not just endured and Heavenly Father is always here to lead and guide us in our endeavors. I know I am on the right track and I can't wait to share my upcoming adventures with all of my loved ones!! 

Keep on truckin' and don't forget what really matters: faith, family, freedom, and friendship.

And to prove you can do anything, here's my man Jon Bon Jovi to remind you.