The Run for Life

I love to run! When I was young I could out run everyone in my school and my neighborhood and I won all of the 50 yard dashes. I could fly like the wind. After my high school graduation it was several years before I started running again. As a matter of fact it was after my first child was born and I was in my twenties. My runs were for a different reason this time. I wasn't just running because I could, I was running to get in shape and lose weight. I never really "got it" when I ran on concrete through the subdivisions and neighborhoods. I certainly never "got it" when I ran on a treadmill (the only thing I "got" there was really bored, really fast). My happy place was running in the woods, on the trails. I loved the peacefullness that overcame me. I loved the sense of freedom I felt. I loved the sound of the rythm of my feet hitting the ground. I loved the wind in my hair. I loved the sounds of nature around me. I loved the smell of pure outdoors. I loved the sight of the leaves slowly fluttering to the ground. The only music I had was the singing of the birds and the chirping of the crickets or locusts. It was MY time. There were times I felt I could run for days and never fatigue, it was energizing. My mind was calm, I could sort through almost any problem while I ran without the distractions and interruptions of everyday life, without my mind jumping from one subject to the next. I was totally focused, calm and at peace. Then, the unthinkable happened. I was in a car accident that totaled my car (that was not the unthinkable). My head went through the windshield requiring 120 stitches, my ribs were cracked and my right knee was swollen, bruised and throbbing from being forced into the console. I had to have my head shaved for the stitches,and I had beautiful LONG hair ( that was not the unthinkable) but eventually it grew back, and my ribs healed. My knee was not so lucky. After I recovered I went back to running. My knee started giving me problems, and a doctor determined I had a torn miniscus that would require surgery. I don't know all of the technical terms but basically the miniscus is a "C" shaped something that forms a cushion and keeps your knee from rubbing bone. Because of the substance it is made from, you can either shave the pieces off that have frayed or if the tears are too severe, the only option to correct it is with tacks or staples-guess which one I had? You got it, the tacks and staples. However, the the center of the miniscus also had a tear and it could not be repaired. I was told I could never run again for fear of the tacks/staples wearing and coming loose and the tear in the center getting bigger. Not only could I not run, but I couldn't do any high impact exercises or sports--EVER!! That was the unthinkable, I think this was more devastating than having my head shaved. What would I do? Where would I find those peaceful moments again? I was assured by my doctor, there were plenty of low impact exercises and activities that I could do,but if you know me, you know I'm not "low impact", it's all out with my hair on fire or nothing. I'm also not one that listens too well when someone tells me I can't do something. After 8 weeks when the "boot" came off and I could throw the crutches away, I went through six months of intense physical therapy and quizzed the therapists on exercises etc. I researched and learned the exercises I could do to strengthen the muscles around my knee and within two years of having surgery I was running again. I wasn't running as often or as far and I probably wasn't using correct form because I was compensating for my right knee, but I had my peaceful moments back. But running was different this time. It wasn't just so much to get my mind right or even to get in shape, it was to discover what I was made of and to learn what I was capable of and the limits I could push myself to and achieve results. I learned how to breathe in order to get enough oxygen so that I could run further. I learned how to pace myself instead of running as if my hair was on fire, so that I wasn't completely spent by the time I had reached my goal. And I learned to push myself to lengths and distances that I had never gone before. Then, in my peaceful moments it struck me how much life is like running.


What if we could learn to just breathe as if we are preparing for a marathon-breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, concentrating on the sound of our own breathing as the oxygen is supplied to our blood and brain, helping us to think clearer? What if we could just learn to pace ourselves instead of running through our day so we can be the first one to cross the finish line. Funny thing is, after you cross that finish line and you are laying in bed at the end of the day, what have you really accomplished? What if we could learn to push ourselves? That sounds like a contradiction to the last statement I just made but I don't mean push yourself to DO more, I mean to push yourself to BE more.

In writing this blog I have also discovered something else (as I always do when I blog or write in a journal). There were different periods in my life when I ran for different reasons. Initially it was just because I could. Then it was to get in shape and lose weight. And then it was to prove to myself that I could achieve great things despite the adversity that had been thrown in my running path. Life is sooooo like that. The reasons we do things may change over time. But if it's something we love, we should find a way to continue to let that be a part of our lives. I am currently readinng Drew Brees' new book "Coming Back Stronger" and I HIGHLY recommend it. It's about football of course (not just ANY football, wer'e talking about the SAINTS!!) but it's also about the adversity and struggles that he faced while determined to be THE BEST quarterback, father, husband, leader, person that he could possibly be. It doesn't just happen, we have to have the desire, the drive, the determination and the confidence to know we CAN make changes.


So, I challenge you to run with me. Breathe with me. Pace yourself. Push yourself. Take a deep breath and start on your journey to the person you want to be and lead the life you want to lead. Pace yourself on your journey as there will be many obstacles that get in your way. Save your energy for the times you really need it and don't spend it on the trivial things. But most of all, learn to push yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and start realizing your dreams. This is YOUR time. No one is going to make it happen for you. Ya gotta figure out a way to do it yourself. I know you've heard it said that life is not a dress rehearsal, there are no do overs. If you don't believe it, spend some time in a nursing home or assisted living facility and talk with some of the residents there. Ask them what they would have done differently in their lives. Most of them will tell you they don't regret the things they have done, they regret the things they didn't do. Join me in the Run for Life. Let's go for it--no regrets!