A Tale of Two Runs

The body is an amazing machine.  The things it does just to keep us alive! Then you stop and think about everything that happens when we exercise.  Essentially, depending on how in tune you are with yourself, all five senses become engaged.  I know this is especially true when I'm out on a run.  Our bodies also give us subtle hints that help push us harder or tell us when we need to take it down a notch.

Last Sunday I struck out on my long run.  Well, if you consider five miles a long run.  For someone that's out of shape and under fueled (because she forgot her energy chews) five miles seems like an eternity.  I promised my run buddy I'd get my miles in as long as she didn't make me wake up early.  I'm lucky she agreed because I really wanted to go visit a church we haven't been to since before August was born.  and it was all totally worth it.  The message was wonderful and it really helped fill a spiritual void I've been feeling lately.

Anyway, the run was hard.  I won't lie.  It was hot and I didn't have the energy but I had made a promise and I planned to stick to it.  I finished around an hour and twelve minutes which wasn't the worst run I've ever done but around mile four when I was pretty tired I decided to tune everything out except for what my senses could detect and I wasn't disappointing.

Immediately, my eyes spied a full moon high in the afternoon sky perched right beside the steeple of a local church.  I even stopped to take a picture but you couldn't really see the moon.  All I could think was, "how beautiful!  And if I hadn't to decided to take in my surroundings I might have missed it!"

I rounded a corner and stared at an ominous little hill before me but felt a wonderful cool breeze come out of nowhere.  It felt amazing on my hot skin and enhanced the feeling of the shade as I passed underneath it.  It felt like God was rewarding me for reveling in the moment and it kept me going just a little further than I had planned on that stretch.

The smells of nature came next.  Fresh cut grass, a new coat of paint on a house for sale and even dirt.  It's not often I stop and smell the dirt. :)

I can't say I really focused on my sense of taste.  My water tasted good as it quenched my thirst but that's nothing new when running in 90 degree weather.  But my favorite sense I engaged on my run was hearing.  In the past I've always listened to a workout station on Pandora that's been tweaked over the months during my last half marathon training but I've recently started using a contemporary Christian station just to help with inspiration.  I'll sing along to the songs, feel a little smile cross my lips and even lip sing but at the last half mile of my run a song I don't hear often came through my earbuds.

"Bring the Rain" - Mercy Me
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I pushed out the sounds of everything else around me and focused on the words.  I can't really describe the sense of peace that came over me but I could have easily walked that last half mile.  Instead, I praised God for the ability to run instead of taking advantage of it and I pounded out the remainder of the run.

However, this week wasn't anywhere near what I experienced last week.  I was supposed to have completed six miles but when I was barely at two and I didn't have the energy to even run downhill I knew I needed to listen to my body and only do around three.  I kept telling myself, "You can do this.  Don't give up!  You are better than this!"  But then I thought, what if forcing myself to even walk the last three miles caused more harm than good.  I didn't feel right and I had already drained almost all of my water so I made the painful decision to only do half and I ended up walking most of it anyway.

It will most likely sound like an excuse to many but a few years ago my doctor diagnosed me with low iron levels and put me on a supplement.  I felt extremely fatigued and lethargic up until then and I'm beginning to feel the same way again.  I can't self diagnose and start taking iron supplements because that can actually be dangerous if low iron is in fact not the culprit but I have a doctor's appointment week after next and I'll hopefully find out then.  Until then I may very well have no desire to work out but I will keep trying.  It's the least I can do not knowing what the real issue is yet.

The moral of the story is no two workouts are the same and it's ok to have a mediocre workout as long as you try.  Sometimes it takes just getting out there and trying to jump start your energy.  And then sometimes you realize today just isn't your day.  Just listen to your body.  I knows you better than you know yourself.