The Gift of Running: A Reflection on National Running Day



For years, this blog (The Anti-Running Runner) has been a place for me to document my love/hate relationship with running.

As a new mom, I've struggled to keep up with posting regular blogs, but I'm still running. After going through back and heel injuries for almost two years, plus new baby, running now looks a little different for me. I'm no longer training for half marathons. Not yet. I hope to get back there eventually, but my focus has been running between 3-5 miles about 3 times a week (sometimes walking/jogging intervals).

If you've pushed a jogging stroller, you might relate to the sensation that while pushing that stroller for 3 miles, it feels like I've gone farther. It's also hot hot hot right now. I also don't have as much time for running as I used to now that I have a baby.


When hubby and I run together, he pushes the jogging stroller. That's also a gift for me to have stroller-free running moments. Here we are near downtown St. Pete enjoying a 5-mile run on one of the last semi-cool days before full-on Florida HOT took over.

So it's different, but it's still awesome. Because I'm still running.

Dealing with injury has made me even more grateful for the gift running is to me. When I first started distance running, it was because someone I love (my cousin, Alyssa) talked me into it. And for years I had to be talked into doing it.

Today I'm feeling so grateful that I GET to run.

I'm thankful to God that I have the privilege, even if it's shorter distances for now. Yes, I do miss half marathons. (No...I don't actually miss full marathons at the moment. Maybe someday I will). I know not everyone has the privilege of running, and that, too, makes me focus on my gratitude.

Because let's be real. Even running 3 miles is hard. Adding the jogging stroller makes it harder. The summer heat is here, and that's another layer of difficulty. I'm going to steal a line from the movie A League of Their Own where Tom Hanks says, "It's supposed to be hard...the hard is what makes it great."

So even though it's hard, and it's always been hard for me, the struggle is worth it. I'll continue to run because I can, and that's a gift I never want to squander.


What About You?

What does running look like for you right now? Have you gone through difficult seasons? Is running generally easy or hard for you?




Comments

  1. Hi Bria, I've been running about 30 years now and would like to say I, too, share your love/hate relationship. Just like life, running will have it's ups and downs. It will have difficult times and easy times. I often thought that once I got the "hang" of running it would be easier. That really never happened. There will be days and races when everything goes perfectly well. You float above the pavement. You never tire. You have that runner's high. Keep striving for those days and remember to enjoy your journey along the way. Ginger

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    1. Ginger, thank you so much for sharing your experience! My hope is to keep going for as long as possible, so I love to hear that you've been running for 30 years.

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  2. Hello Bria. I am a Pastor from Mumai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with ou as well as know you and about you being the follower of Jesus Christ and a marathon runner. It was interesting to go through your blog post on your reflection of national running Day. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to th epoorest ofpoor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. we also encourage young and the dults from the wes to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have young pepole from your family, friendis and church circle to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changinng experience. My email id isL dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear f rom you very soon. God's richest blessings on youm your family and friends.

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