Forever...

It has been forever and I have composed a thousand OK maybe only like 10-20 posts in my head, but never make the time to sit and write. Tonight I am taking a break from sewing and have time to kill before one of my Besties lands in San Antonio.

I have found myself learning with each run. Currently I am running inside on a treadmill. It has gotten much to humid here, for my already labored breathing, can't add humidity into the mix. So what have I learned in the last 5 weeks???

FOCUS means to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts. (dictionary.com)
This is key for me, focusing on my breathing is step one. I get that regulated much quicker than before. Oh, boy how essential good breathing is! Focus on my ability to run, to push through the spots when my body wants to crumble. Focus on everyone else besides myself, God, life. But mail others. I have found my self often picking someone to pray for when I just want to give up and when my mind shifts to them I feel motivated to run harder and longer. Somehow I feel like my physical feat is overcoming for them in ways. Once again I realize how much I really love people.



Breathing.
KEY to it all. I am getting better, it takes about thirty minutes before my breathing becomes natural, fluid. The first time I ran that long it clicked what so many runners have said to me. Consistently I have heard, I get a rhythm, everything flows together, my arms, legs, body, mind and breath. That seemed impossible to me. I have no rhythm, just watch me dance for 5 seconds and I could not imagine breath flowing with the rest of it, since to me it was like labor, something I had to focus and work hard on.

About a month into running I set my mind to making it thirty minutes, two times around these trails we run. First 14 minutes was like fire burning in my lungs and every part of me wanted to retreat. Maybe a walking speed for the second round. Sounds good to me. However, I began praying for my parents and fought through the heat of the first lap and I was half way through the second before I knew it.

Then it happened like an Eagle swooping down and carrying me. My whole body became fluid, breathing effortless, my stride was graceful and it all was perfect. I felt like I had just had a blindfold removed from my eyes, and life was sweeter and sweatier. How had this never happened, ever in my life.

Well maybe because, the thought of running was like wretched smelling garbage to me. Possibly I never fully ran more than thirty minutes. Whatever it was it didn't matter, because for the first time in my life I was enjoying, OK loving how I felt, while running that is.I kept running and made it back to my start point a freer woman.

Seriously, this may sound dramatic, but it was. Each run after that i couldn't wait to get to the 25-30 minute mark, cause that was the time it all flowed together. It has continued to be that way and so I continue to push myself a minute or two more. Honestly for the selfish sake of enjoyment. I heard also that you hit another wall around 7 miles. I am no where close, which leads me to the next lesson.

One minute at a time.
After I had Phoenix a wise and very dear friend of ours told us to take it one minute at a time. Believe me it was the whisper of God to us. Really there were days, weeks, months that phrase was how I lived. And now, as the freshness of that reality fades a little, running has awoken it in my heart. If I keep my eyes on the minutes, it is excruciating. So I have learned to Breathe and continue on. Each run I am amazed at how many minutes have been added to my time.

The goal before starting y official 10 week (starts in late July)training is to be able to run for 30 minutes. I am at forty minutes and over 4 miles at my last run. For me that is great feat. I am so proud and encouraged by my 10;40 mile. Mike runs a 7 min mile, so it is actually pathetic.

For me 10min and 40 second mile is Aaammmaaazzzing. And there is another lesson in and of itself. Be you in everything and appreciate who you are, be proud of what you have accomplished, just by knowing yourself and watching how you grow.

For me I am not a runner, but I am, somehow, becoming one, and amazed and fascinated with every runner I see. For me it will probably never be about the time or competition of it. It will be about pushing myself and finding more strength in God in the process and the friends who do it alongside me. Running will be about me moving and flying into new places in my heart and in life.

Hope you all had a chance to Breathe today and enjoy yourself and beauty and if not make sure you take the time. Breathe this life in, it is gone in a moment!!

Love to you all!