Thankful to run.
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
With exception to a slight mention to share my favorite tunes, exercise isn’t something I talk about here, especially when I know that what I consider a workout is a simple warm-up for others. But today I will talk about exercise. Shocker, I know.
Since last October I’ve been training to run a 5K, using the Couch-to-5K program. I’ve stretched out the 9 week program quite a bit, repeating some weeks, getting derailed with others due to sickness, and other unexpected interruptions, but on the whole, I’ve kept going, slowly, but going, nonetheless.
So this week is the week, the week I run the race. The plan has been for me to gradually build up distance and peak with the full 5K/3.1 miles at race time. One of two last runs before the big 5K race was set for two nights ago, on Monday. I was for planning for a 30 minute run, which, at my slow pace, has been about 2.65 miles.
Monday was a long day. Let me repeat that, Monday was a loooooong day. I was pooped. Randy found me laying across the bed, just resting, before changing into running clothes. I was merely resting my eyes, but woke myself up snoring a few minutes later. I wasn’t planning on running. I was planning on putting on my pajamas at 6:30 pm and calling it day. Then Randy started in with his “here’s where the rubber meets the road” speech. Ugh.
Thirty minutes later I was dressed for the rubber to meet the road, minus the good attitude, kinda sleep walking through the motions of moving in the direction to exercise. I really had no idea how I would run for any length of time, much less the 30 minutes. When we made it to our local high school track to run, Randy said he was going to try to slow down and run 3 miles. I told him my goal was the 30 minutes. Yeah, right. Pajamas were calling my name.
I took off, leaving Randy at the car adjusting his ipod to begin my warmup lap so I could get this thing over with. Randy caught up with me and we soon began a slow jog. It would be the first time he ran slow enough to be close by. I figured I’d finish before him and be waiting at the car for him to complete his goal.
Ever have those moments where you wonder how you got there? I seem to be having those moments more often the older I get. Moments ago I was just thinking about putting my pajamas on and here I am running in the dark. What the heck?
Anyway, about into the second lap I decided that I may shoot for 3 miles too. I’d gauge how I was doing around the 30 minute mark and see. I worked through lap after lap after lap.
When I began lap 11, I started to tell myself “I can do it. I can do this. Two more laps, that’s all. I can do this.” Then it hit me, out of the blue the verse, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” popped in my head. I wasn’t doing this myself. I couldn’t do this in my own strength. No way.
I think I’d forgotten that somewhere along the way.
So about halfway through lap 11, I began a long prayer of thanks for all kinds of things, a lap of thanks if you will…
thank You for a healthy body that enables me to run
thank You for my husband, for encouraging me to get out the door tonight
thank You for comfortable shoes
thank You for music, even this stupid JT song that keeps me moving
thank You for my friend Robyn who first mentioned running a 5K
thank You for all my friends who continue to ask about my progress
thank You for cushy socks
thank You for a safe place to run
thank You for our car that we can drive home instead of having to run or walk even further
thank You for the people who invented good socks
thank You for the people who invented the loom for weaving said socks
thank You for the Thorlo outlet in Statesville, NC where we can buy great socks at discount prices
thank You for my legs
thank You for my knee caps
thank You for my feet
thank You for ABBA, particularly Dancing Queen as it helps me through this next lap, lap 12
thank You for cushy socks
thank You for this track to run on, that’s flat and safe with no worries about getting hit by a car or tripping in a pot hole
thank You for lights so we can run at night
thank You for the people who invented the lights
thank You for those who climbed up there and changed the light bulbs
thank You for clothes that breathe
thank You for ipods
thank You for earbuds
thank You for my ears
thank You for the night sky, deep blue and a good distraction
thank You for my children, a reason to run
thank You for apps that help me keep the proper pace
thank You for chewing gum
thank You for my rocking shoes
thank You for those socks again, they are comfy
thank You for helping me finish lap 12
thank You for helping me begin lap 13…lap 13, wha?!?
thank You for Michael Bublé singing me through this last lap
thank You for a healthy body
thank You for giving me all that You have even when i don’t deserve it
thank You again for my husband who got me out the door tonight to do something i never thought i would
thank You for these dang good socks
thank You for the air we breathe
thank You for hotdogs that i can eat when i get home
thank You for water
thank You for asphalt
thank You for those geniuses that know how to make fantastical socks
thank You for helping me finish, finish 3.25 miles – more than a 5K. more.
Unbelievably thankful.
Thankful to run.
xoxoxoxo
Amy, this is awesome. So awesome. I know exactly what you are feeling. It’s amazing what are bodies can do when our minds don’t think we can. I have been in the same situation where in a split second I would have been in those pjs, or some other comfy clothes…those turn out to be my best runs. It’s so weird and unexplainable, but it happens I guess.
I’m very very proud of you for following this through! Can’t wait to hear about your race!
…and don’t forget about the SOCKS! : )
This was very inspirational! Just what I newness. Thank-you! 🙂
Just what I needed! 🙂
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy for you 🙂 I knew you could do it. Best of luck in the race. Which isn’t really a race, but more of an end to a goal. Success!!
This is so amazingly inspiring, Amy! I have been so unmotivated lately to exercise. Today I got out and enjoyed some beautiful (although bizarre) February weather and then read this list of thank-yous and I am beginning to feel re-energized. And your reminder that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens…wonderful reminder. I love this! Best of luck with your race!!
So proud of you, Amy! Everytime I feel like crap on a run, I remind myself how lucky I am to be outside breathing clean air, with the ability to move my legs and the freedom to run in a safe place. Love this post!
THANK YOU for this!! Loved every word! So true…all of it!! I have Michael Buble and Abba on my ipod too 🙂 Music helps me so so much when I’m running at the gym….where I just came from a little while ago. Good for you! And good luck!!!
P.S. I also appreciate the part about the healthy body/knees. i have a tear in my meniscus right now that I am dealing with, and I have been talking about that a lot lately too…appreciating and not taking your body that God gave you for granted. It’s cool when things – whatever it might be for each of us – happen that open our eyes and make us see things differently…or more clearly. I’m going to remember what you wrote the next time I run…so Thank You again!! 🙂
This is such a lovely sentiment, Amy. Running (when I used to run, of course) used to do that very same thing for me. I remember thinking of how God steers you into the straight path, pushing you forward. Good luck with the 5K! I’m so excited for you. There’s nothing like crossing that finish line.
SO happy for you Amy! I’m struggling to get my groove back with running after neglecting it for a few months during (and after) the holidays. But when I choose to run, I am ALWAYS glad I did. I’ve also found myself finding things I’m thankful for when I start to get discouraged and grumpy with my runs. For your 5K ~ “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” Heb 12:1 (I also sometimes add verses 2 & 3 when I run as well). Can’t wait to hear all about your race!! Enjoy and have fun…
You go, girl! Dancing Queen has that capability. I start humming out prayers at the end of my runs (which have been few and far between this winter since I get sick every single time I get out there!). So glad you shared. Let us know how the run goes.
So happy that you’ve started running. I teach running and write training programs for marathoners and always love hearing people’s stories about how they’ve become addicted to running or how running has transformed their mind and body. Keep it up! You’re awesome!
i’m so glad that you did decide to talk about exercise…it’s amazing how pushing our bodies to limits make us realize things we never knew before! i can’t wait to get back into the swing of regular exercise after the baby’s born and will definitely be thankful to run 🙂
Way to go, Amy! It’s true what they say, isn’t it? “Running is 90% mental; the rest is physical.” You did it!!
Good luck with your race… Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
What an absolutely beautiful post. I had chills as soon as the “thank you’s” began. And, I could actually see you running around that track. You are an incredible inspiration.
Yes!!! Great job!!!! What a great encouragement you are! I’m in the middle of week 3…and I sometimes wonder if it can really be done. 🙂 Truly I think my jog pace is about the pace as my “brisk walk.” But I remember a quote I heard long ago, “There will come a day that I cannot run. Today is not that day.” Even as I am pushing through my 3 minutes and sure that the world is laughing at me, it’s encouragement like your post today that helps me go on! xo- Katrina
Hey Katrina!
Keep going! I promise. I remember very clearly not being able to run for the 3 minutes without feeling like I’d pass out. Just keep going. Repeat a week if necessary. Slow is not bad. My goal has been to run the total distance without stopping, not a certain pace/speed. I did realize (thankfully from Ruthanne/EclecticWhatNot) that I was trying to go too fast. Under my ribs would start hurting around 20 minutes and I was focusing on trying to breathe. As soon as I slowed the pace a bit I was able to keep going and breathing was more relaxed. Now I can go further, slowly, but further. Speed will come, I suppose, in time.
Just keep running. Can’t wait to hear how you do!
Amy
You go Girl!
That is wonderful! Celebrate your accomplishment and give your husband a hug!
I’m *Thankful* for you dear friend. I’m on a journey of thankfulness at the moment as well. And Amen to being able to do all things through Christ. It is so very true.
Although you’ve already finished the real race…the race that you had to come to terms with, and make Peace with within yourself….I can’t wait to hear about the race on Saturday. And just for the record, you’re already a winner in my book. xoxoxo
Amy…
Sitting here at my kitchen table getting teary. Teary over a post about running. What has the world come to?!? 😉
I am so thankful to YOU for giving me the push I needed to try Couch to 5K. I’m on week 8. The last week has been a tough one….I did something weird to my knee…my shoes were hurting my toe…it rained A LOT…I just wasn’t feeling it. Yesterday, (when it was 80 degrees), I finally made it out for my run. I think the whole thing was like a prayer because I’m not sure how I made it through. I kept looking at that damn timer on my phone…even though the app would tell me when I finished. At 19 seconds left, I still didn’t think I would make it! 😉
Anyway…this program is the first time I’ve really PUSHED myself to do something in, oh, EVER?!? And I’m so thankful for it…and you…and new shoes.
PS….how did I NOT have Dancing Queen on my running playlist?!?