Reaching my goal

Several things have happened since my last blog, so I am trying to decide where I want to begin. I think in this blog I will tell you about reaching my goal. I think I mentioned in one of my previous blogs about running. You see, I took up running several years ago due to health reasons. I went for a physical and the Dr. told me that my cholesterol was too high. I could either go on medication or I could try diet and exercise to try and get it down. I asked him to give me 1 year (until my next physical) to try the diet and exercise. I don't like taking medicine, so I wanted to see if I could control this myself. Anyway, a long story short for now, I starting watching what I ate, starting going to the Y and working out. From that I started running (full story another day) and was successful in lowering the cholesterol. Running has become an addiction now and I have run in several races and even completed a couple of half-marathons. This past Saturday was the Run For Life race at the YMCA. I wanted to bet my best time. When Mark looked up my best time for me, I was a little disappointed because I didn't think there was anyway I could beat it. I was a little better than I had remembered, 26:33 for a 5K race. A 5K is 3.1 miles. I was a little discouraged Thursday and Friday, again thinking that there was no way I could do any better. I didn't think that I had been training well enough. I tried to mentally prepare, but in the back of my mind there was doubt. Anyway, we got up Saturday, go ready as usual, went to the Y and picked up our race packets. I met up with the group that I run with, did the usual stuff again to get ready and waited on the race to begin. Then the call came for all runner to line up. A devotion was given, then a prayer and the singing of the national anthem. Runners, on your mark, get set, go. We all took off. What pace do I need to run? Will I be able to keep it up? Can I do it? Yes, no, it was not a mental battle as well as a physical battle. Look at my watch, what pace am I running? How far have I gone? 1 mile marker the time was good, but could I maintain. Keep looking at watch, mile 2, one of the volunteers is calling out the time. O.k. I only have 1.1 miles to go. My time at the 2 mile mark was 16.41. I said to myself, you can do a mile in 10 miles. If you can at least finish in 10 more minutes, you will have been close. And at the time under a 27 minute time sounded real good. I could not look at my watch anymore from that point on because I knew it would mess with my mind. My Ipod stopped working, Oh no! no music. Keep running. Keep pressing forward. As I rounded the corner back at the Y headed toward the finish line, I could not believe my eyes. Did the time clock actually say 25: something. Yes, I'm going to make it. Sprint, push, you can do it. And I did. I beat my personal best time. My new personal best is 25:53. Needless to say, I was so excited. I was on cloud 9 all day long. It is amazing what a natural rush, high it is. And most runner are so nice. One of my competitors came up and hugged me and congratulated me. I was looking for Mark, and he came up and hugged me excited and proud for me. Then I went back to find the other girls I run with to cheer them on to the finish line. It was so exciting. We get excited for each other and encourage each other to keep running, keep going, keep pressing forward. The physical activity has been good for my health and my competitiveness keeps me pushing to do better, but the friendships and bonds that some of us have built is what is really special. I look forward to seeing these people during the week. We vent our frustrations, we share our aches, pains, sorrow, worries and joys. We encourage each other. We pray for each other and each others families. I hope that even when we can't run any longer, we may even be walking, but that the friendships will last a lifetime.

You know running the race, the mental sturggles, the preparations, finishing the race always reminds me of the following bible verse:

2 Tim. 4:7-8 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."