Okay so yesterday was supposed to be my long run. It had been over a month since I'd run over 5 miles or so. To help myself be successful in my endeavors I set two goals. Running two hours was my minimum, I would not accept less than that of myself. The second goal was I really wanted to do 10 miles. It didn't have to be in the two hours of course... I met several obstacles that I was not expecting. For one it was already in the upper 80's and I really wasn't prepared or conditioned for that! I did wear my camelbak as I always do on my long runs. And after about 5 miles just about every joint in my body was reminding me of two things a) how old I am and b) how difficult it was to run! And my poor toes! I've lost one toenail and have two more apparently getting ready to go through the same process...And by the time I got home I was nursing two good sized blisters... how'd that make me feel? Elated!! It is sort of like a rite of passage for a runner! So I made...

Well, I didn't plan on 5 miles, nor did I make 5 miles! I planned on an easy 2 or 3 really. But the morning was so beautiful and I was so excited to be out running again when I got to the corner I was supposed to turn on to head back - I went straight instead. Well, after the huge hill and about 3.5 miles my knee did its thing again... not a happy camper. I had to walk all the way home and maybe I should say "hobble"... So I had lots of time to think, and that I did. I was frustrated because I was hurting in an area I thought was okay. I gave it some time to heal after all. I wondered how many times in life we get hurt in some way and just keep trying to push it...especially in church matters. There is nothing that can hurt like those wounds we can receive from our church family. We are connected in so many ways those pains can run deeply. But how many times after being hurt in a church do we run out and try to do the same thing in another congregation...only to get hur...

I was talking to my friend the other day about some of the dietary changes I really need to do so that I can be a better runner. She mentioned how uncomfortable we were when we first started running but that the pain is acceptable because of the goal. And every time we bump up the regime and push it a little more we can get sore - but we accept it as part of the package...no questions asked. But when it comes to changing the diet...as soon as the craving makes us uncomfortable we give in. We decided to embrace the discomfort of dietary changes as just part of the journey in obtaining our final goal - being a better runner. How many times as Christians (and just in life in general) do we avoid discomfort? Many times pain or being uncomfortable is the very thing that will spur us into much needed changes. But it is natural to try to avoid things we don't like - or things that cause pain! It is also true that to avoid the pain of feeling guilty we read or attend church. Trying to...

That's what my running was yesterday! I had this glitch in my back that had been gone for a few days. Only it would have a little twinge now and then. And I had forgotten to take my naproxen for ...oh.. how ever many days (that's the trouble of course I keep forgetting!). So about a little more than half a mile into my 5.5 mile run it decided to "glitch" again! I was so mad... but determined! I thought about going back but I just don't keep that in my vocabulary. So I pushed forward. My thinking was it is not a run related injury so it shouldn't hurt it more - even though it might irritate it somewhat. And that it did! A little more than half way through it got a little better - but it was one of my toughest runs so far. I still only did the loop 7 minutes longer than the first time I did that loop. And I was going the other way which is more uphill. So I didn't feel too bad about my time. I think I am feeling the time crunch with the half coming up in ...