Monday, August 26, 2019

national dog day




There I was running down a street in my neighborhood. Our first cold, hard winter in Michigan was behind us. I was happy to be outdoors again, putting one foot in front of the other, breathing in the fresh spring air. Toby and I were making our way down a side road that connected our street to the main one we needed to cross to get to the trail. We were just getting started when we came across a man not even halfway into our first mile. 

“One day you’ll be pulling him,” he called out.

Toby and I were running on the blacktop as there was no sidewalk and Toby was in the lead. He was out front at the end of his regular blue leash. He was pulling, choking himself just a little. His energy was high and he was happy.

As we passed the man working on his lawn, I called out in response, “I can only hope.” 

We continued on our run and I kept chuckling at this exchange. It made me giggle at the time because I just didn’t see it happening. I guess I was naive, but it humored me.

Back then Toby and I were still learning how to run together. Toby was still new to us and I was still fairly new to running. Toby would have been delighted to sprint; I was content to go slow. Toby could have run for miles and miles; I was pleased with just a few. It seemed our runs didn’t even tire him out a little, while they left me exhausted for a couple of days.

We ran several times around that neighborhood and we ran even more once we moved into town. The mileage increased as did my pace. We graduated to a hands free, orange running leash. We ran more often. We trained for me to run more races. We even did a couple two-a-days. And for a while, Toby was almost always in the lead. But somewhere along the way, a shift happened. 

Toby and I went for a run again today. We took our normal morning route. 1.6 miles from the house, turn around at the park trashcan having deposited anything collected along the way, and then the 1.6 miles back. This is the shortest distance we go now, always being sure to hit the 5K distance on my running watch before arriving back home. After having an issue with him pulling a little too hard on our last run with the hands-free leash, I chose to use the familiar blue leash. 

We set out and the first quarter of mile was met with Toby pulling hard, choking himself just a little. But then we had to stop for the bathroom. And we had to stop several times along the way. Our final mile was the fastest, but it wasn’t our quickest to date. As we took off again from the final intersection we had to stop for, Toby was at my side. We kept running and there came a time when he fell back and I took the lead. That’s how we stayed until the run ended. 

As I turned off my watch and we walked to cool down, I smiled as I remembered. 

One day you’ll be pulling him,” he called out.

Today was one of those days!



Saturday, February 2, 2019

Season Opener

In just twelve weeks I will attempt to run my fourth half marathon. It’s a race I have run before and am looking forward to running again. As I begin my training schedule to increase my mileage once again, I am reflecting back on the progress I have made. I continue to be surprised at how far I have come in just a few years.

As I kick-off this season, I am sharing a reflection on the final race I did last season. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to my first Ragnar Relay and it was one of the best events I’ve ever done. Looking back and looking ahead, I want to share my reflection on that event.


The potential was there all along.

After a good nine months of training and races, I was as ready as I could have been when I made my way from Ohio to Michigan. I was feeling as confident in my running as I ever had while still hearing those voices of nervousness and uncertainty. This was the first race I was running as part of a team effort. All of my other events had been solo competitions with no one to compete against but myself. This team dynamic was new to me and it added its own pressure even though I tried to fight it at every turn.

There was a lot of planning and preparation that went into this race. I had committed to this event back in December and so I knew it would take long-term planning and goals to make it happen. I started training in January for a half marathon in April. I continued training by adding more biking and swimming to complete a sprint triathlon in July. I threw in one more half marathon in August to keep myself accountable. As September rolled around, I was feeling good. I focused on my food intake and my exercise. I trained hard with hill sprints, multiple runs in a day and runs that helped me to recover.

Eventually it was time. The nine months before had prepared me for this. It was time to run my very first Ragnar Relay. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect honestly. I knew I would run three legs. I knew my mileage. I knew my projected time. But there was also much I didn’t know. I didn’t know how I would handle the hills. I didn’t know it was going to be so cold (but thankfully it didn’t rain.) I didn’t know how I was going to keep running after sitting around in a van and running on very little sleep.

But I showed up. The potential had been there, ready to bust open, because the minute I started my first leg, I was on fire. It was the shortest of my three legs, only 3.5 miles, but I ran as if it was the easiest run I had ever done. I didn’t feel like I was running as fast as I was. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and ran and ran until I was finished. It was a new record for me. I ended up setting a new personal record for both my one mile and my 5K.

I went on to run two more legs, each being 6.4 miles. Both of those runs were also great. I finished both just under my projected pace and felt like I could even run some more.

Because I was the final runner, most of my anxiety leading up to this race, rested on the fact that I would fun the final leg and perhaps our final time would depend on me. Our projection had us pretty close to the 36-hour time limit and so I knew that it was possible that there would be a lot resting on me, but there wasn’t. We were ahead of our projection the whole race through. Each of our runners was putting it all out there, doing what we could, to stay the course, and stay ahead. I didn’t have to do anything extra for my final leg but run and that’s just what I did.

Because I was the final runner, I did get to be joined by the rest of my team as we ran into the chute to the finish line. As I ran, with the others behind me, I couldn’t stop smiling. I knew what we had accomplished over the last 34 hours, but I also knew what I had done.

I tapped into the potential that was there, within me, and it fueled my 16.5 miles.
And so did all the love and support I had leading up to and through the race. I knew this was a team effort, running with eleven others, but this team also includes all those who sent me notes, donated to Living Water Ministries on my behalf, and cheered me on each step of the way.

This potential that I was able to find, is not lost on me. I know there is more where it came from and I am already looking forward to what run, what race, what difference I will make through it.