Running with a purpose

I consider myself new to the activity of running – I have tried to make myself a “runner” at other times in my life, but those attempts have all ended poorly and so I believed running just wasn’t for me.  In my quest to try to force it to happen I have even gone so far as to complete two marathons and a sprint triathlon and the Muddy Buddy event a couple times.  I ended up walking the marathons, struggling with the run in the triathlon and using the bike segments of the Muddy Buddy to make up for my slow run time.  Given this history, it surprised me recently when I agreed to join a team of women on a journey to prepare for the Space Coast half marathon in December.  I was challenged (in a very positive way) to do this by my friend Robin Adams and then shortly thereafter by my friend Robin Bennett.  The Robins allowed me to take a new look at this activity and embrace it as the missing link in my exercise routine – friends!  I have been trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to exercise on my own at home for the past year.  It’s really just not that much fun.  I kept seeing on Facebook so many folks I know completing events around town, running together to prepare and eating together afterwards!  (I really liked that idea!!)

So about a month and a half ago I started running.  I started slow (well, let’s be honest – I’m still slow) and kept my distances rather short, but I have really made progress!  When I went on that first run I couldn’t finish a mile – but yesterday morning I ran 4 without stopping!  Something happened during that four mile run yesterday that was more significant than the mileage or the speed or the fact that I got up at 5:15 a.m. to do it!  I was listening to a Mercy Me Pandora station and using the time on the road as devotional time.  Somewhere around mile 2 this feeling of lightness and joy came over me.  I guess it might be a feeling that some call a runner’s high.  I, however, have no experience with this phenomenon so I interpreted it to be a spiritual moment of clarity wherein God was validating my desire to run.  I felt all of a sudden like there was a bigger purpose to it than just miles on my Nike tracker, more than calories burned and tight buns (although I am still hoping for those).  Running gives me an opportunity to strengthen my body which in turn provides me more stamina to do good for others.  Running helps reduce the stress that keeps us bogged down and focused on ourselves.  Running with others gives me time to talk about my faith and my sweet savior Jesus Christ.  Running alone provides me time with no distractions where I can focus clearly on my prayers.  I want to run with a purpose that is bigger than me.  I pray to keep this as my central focus and not make my added miles or faster times a celebration of what I have done – but of what God has allowed me to do with the body he gave me.