Run, Baby, Run...

When I was at UNC, I had the same roommate for 4(ish) years.  We were "potluck"... but it worked well.  There were lots of things about us that were different, but we had enough in common that it worked.  When I think of my time with Shawnee- in the midst of the 346234687 memories- I think of random things: her desire to have a milkshake vending machine in our dorm, her love of the just right ripeness of a banana, her desire to not talk in the morning (which, I'm sure is shocking, was opposite of my desire... but I learned...), and her love of certain music.  One of the CDs which I will always associate with Shawnee is this one:

, 

which we played a LOT in our dorm room.  Mostly, I remember "All I Wanna Do...", but every now and then I remember "Run, Baby, Run".

And sometimes I sing it to myself while I'm running.

Yep- you heard me right.  While I am running.  Me.  The asthmatic girl.  The one who can't run.

Guess what, suckas... I can.  And I do.

2.5 years ago, some friends and I started training for a 5K.  We began in September.  Our race was going to be on December 31, and we would run through the lights at Tanglewood... at midnight.  Super.  And then, at the beginning of December, I got pneumonia.  Stink.  And on my birthday, no less!

I didn't get to run the 5K.  After months of fighting the mindset that I couldn't do it... that I'd always be "the sick kid"... my body gave me a great big push in that direction and I became the sick kid once again.  Fail.

And fail I did.

The runners... posted here with a couple of us who couldn't join them.

That March, I completed the Fleet Feet "Fun Run" for St. Patrick's Day.  And there ended my running career.

me with Dan... post race... in the rain

This year, I will run that Fun Run again.  This year, it will be part of my 5K training program.  The run is the night of one of our practices.  I'm doing the No Boundaries training program at Fleet Feet Sports (which is owned locally by some amazing friends of ours, btw...) to prepare for the Race for the Cure in May.  (I'll hit you up for support for that in the days to come.)

In the month I've been doing No Boundaries, I've learned a lot.  I've learned that you have to do what the workouts say for you to do to be successful.  I've learned that it's easier with a friend.  I've learned that the friend I'm running with has a direct line to the Lord when it comes to praying for good running weather.  And... I've learned I can do it.

Now, before you get ahead of yourself... let me tell you my big secret.  I don't ever desire to run marathons.  I have no false goals of being on the cover of Runner's World magazine.  I could care less if anyone ever identifies me as "that girl who runs"... in fact, I walk a lot more than I run some nights. I am not doing No Boundaries for that.  

I am doing it, though, to get healthy.  I am doing it to get in better shape.  I am doing it to honor God in my body.  I am doing it to honor Mary's memory at the Race for the Cure.  I am doing it to have fun.  And I am doing it to learn to take better care of myself.

When the race actually happens, I could possibly be in Africa.  And I'll run there.  But my desire to run will not end then.  My desire to run, actually, has been replaced with a desire to just... be healthier.  For me, for my family, and for whatever God is calling us to next.  That may look different in the days to come.  I don't know what the days to come look like, and, actually, I don't care.  All I care is that now... when I'm going up that freakin' hill and want to quit... when I start to wheeze and begin to hear the old "you can't do this" creep into my mind... when I step on the scale and am (still) disappointed with what I see... I hear His quiet whisper say to me, "Run, baby, run."

And this time, I'm listening.

please note, Sheryl Crow's lyrics aren't exactly the same path God is calling me down... but you get the point.