Happy Marathon Monday! How are you? I have a quick running update (more for my own records) and some amazing news. Some encouragement for you to never stop praying for things that matter.
I finished Hal Higdon training week 8 with mixed feelings. With a total mileage goal of 26 for last week, I only ran 18. But those 18 miles I did run were gobbled up like candy, and I had tons of energy still in my legs! I started early in the week with a couple of short runs and enjoyed my first ever 8 mile “Laps of Eternity” run here at the farm. That is a heckuva lot of repetition, you guys. 32 times around the rectangular sandy back field. Even the llamas got bored of watching me. But I have to say it felt wonderful. I was on cloud nine after that run! My plan then was to round out the week with a 14 mile run at Lake Draper with the South Oklahoma City running club and the Landrunners. I was super excited! The weather has been drop dead gorgeous. Our schedule was just right. I had the strength and energy to spare. Check, check, check.
Then everything changed and our weekend was nothing like what we had planned. Because a prayer was answered.
My girls were both at the farm for the entire weekend. Both of them, at the same time, from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon! This is such a big deal. If you are close friends of ours then you know how nervous, giddy, and deep down thankful I was.
My oldest daughter used to run cross country and is among other wonderful things a talented athlete, so I invited her to join me on the the long run. It turns out she prefers sprinting to long distance, though, and her back was hurt, so that would have been a silly risk to take. We all stayed home on Saturday and just enjoyed the farm in every possible way.
Then very early Sunday morning, per a bedtime agreement from the night before, she and I crept out at sunrise and struck out for our first ever run together. She was sweet enough to pace slowly with her old mama for seven laps. As we ran I had to suppress every urge to warn her of slippery red rocks or fallen limbs, to grab her elbow when her head flew too close to a pine branch. She isn’t a baby anymore I kept having to repeat to myself. Hard habit to break, you know?
Anyway, after lap seven she popped out one ear-bud, smiled, and said with all manner of coolness, “I’m just gonna wrap this up!” And then she evaporated. I have no idea where she ran to, she was so fast. I think she was abducted by aliens, the way she just tore off the well beaten dirt path like quicksilver.
A natural sprinter, indeed. I ran one more mile while she fed the horses before church, and I could not stop smiling. It took several years, but we finally ran together. And that is more special to me than any practice run with strangers could ever be.
So my heart is brimming as I type this, even though my miles are lagging ever so slightly. I started this new week off strong, again, and have every reason to believe that my body is capable of doing whatever I ask it to do.
More importantly. I have every reason to believe that Love is powerful enough to answer every prayer, no matter how impossible it seems.
Keep running, friends. And never stop hoping and praying!
XOXOXOXO
100 Yays!!!!!!!!!
Thank you sweet Jarci!!
Oh goodness. I’m glad to hear of this mother daughter moment. The passage of time is really just killing me lately. But it goes this way for all of us. Anyway–a lovely moment.
Thanks so much, Brittany…Yes, time is terrifyingly fleeting. But it’s meant to be that way, I think. Hang on to every beautiful moment and don’t worry, mama. xoxo