Am I the only person that can still be moved and amazed by the message in a homily? Probably not but I really can't put into words how today's homily at mass moved me. In the gospel reading, Baritmaeus receives his sight through Jesus' healing. Father went on to explain that Baritmaeus was a true follower. He described Jesus as a superstar and people wanted to be near him, to follow him but didn't truly understand what it meant to follow. Father asked the kids if Jesus asked them what they wanted from him, what would they ask for. That struck a chord with me. What would I ask of the Lord?
Another analogy Father used to explain his point was a story about a man that climbed a mountain to visit & learn from a wise man. The wise man served the visitor tea and while he was pouring the cup, he didn't notice that the cup was overflowing onto the floor. The visitor finally stopped the wise man, pointing out that the cup was full and he was spilling. The wise man explained that the visitor's mind was like the cup, it was so full that nothing the wise man could tell him would fit. The point......empty your mind, be open.
I may not have heard what I wanted yesterday at the doctor but as I sat in the examine room waiting to see the doctor, I prayed. I prayed and promised to do whatever I was told. I have another stress reaction. So I will rest and stay off my leg as much as possible and be thankful for the opportunity to do things right. And when I have been fitted with my custom orthotics and am cleared to run again, we'll see where my road leads.
At the end of mass the choir sang the recessional hymn and it was perfect......
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You!
So I'm 3 weeks into training...
Honesty check, I'm not feeling it yet. I don't feel the excitement I did a year ago and I wondered why. My runs have gone good so far with the exception of this weekend. More on that in a minute.
The image above pretty much sums up my thoughts on my Thursday morning run, which makes me laugh a little. I think I have made it pretty clear that I don't like to run alone. Confession, at 42 I'm scared of the dark. Not so much the dark, as much as what's out there that I can't see. Example? Last Saturday's long run took us on an unlit "country" road where we came along something moving in the ditch. Turned out to be a skunk that was not at all scared of us! If I had been alone, I think I would have melted into a puddle right then and there. I don't like running alone in the dark! But running with me in the dark is never without entertainment. Just ask the guys, I'm always good for a laugh
So back to Thursday, I was scheduled to do my first tempo run & I have been joining a group that meets on Tuesday & Thursday. We all run different paces & distances but start out together and eventually break off into 2 or 3 groups. Well, I was a group of one when it was time to turn up the speed, which was a little scary for me. I just kept telling myself to suck it up and get through it. I guess I can't technically say I ran alone, the group was there, just not "right" there. I did make it through & I was proud of myself for kinda running solo. Baby steps....
I have promised to train smarter this time around so when my leg didn't feel right the last 2 miles of the run, I went home and immediately iced. As the day went on the pain never completely went away and the hubby thought it looked swollen. So, I'll see the dr. and maybe its nothing but maybe its something. We will see and if needed get a game plan going earlier than later. Needless to say, I took the weekend off!
So now back to the lack of excitement. I found myself in a love/hate relationship with Facebook these last two weeks. I love the feature that shows you your memories from years past, but its been hard to read through the posts from last year. I read the excitement and anticipation in them and feel bad because I know the outcome and the person writing them at the time didn't. I read all the comments of encouragement and confidence from friends that I was going to come home having qualified last year. This blog was meant to hold me accountable and that is still its purpose but man its hard. Its hard to continue to write about the journey not sure if anyone is going to continue to read and support. Or will people read and think "just another run in a journey that will come up short again?"
I guess either way, my journey continues. I will visualize the goal and document my thoughts. I will put on my Big Girl Panties and run through the fear!
Wish me luck!
P.S. Good luck to everyone running races tomorrow! I will be your cheering for you!
Here we go again! Week 1 of training started this past Monday for the 2016 Houston Marathon. This will be my next and 3rd attempt to qualify and check off that pesky Boston Marathon off my bucket list.
It has taken all week to put my thoughts together and I'm still struggling to sort them out but the one phrase that continues to run through my mind is a quote from the latest movie version of Cinderella...."Have Courage, and Be Kind".
This first week went well and I feel pretty good. There weren't any pace goals & no speed work so a pretty normal running week of me. I went for a little longer run than was scheduled today. I have some friends training for a half marathon in 2 weeks. I asked to join them on their long runs a few weeks back and they keep asking me back, so I ran their scheduled 12 miles with them. We had a great run. The weather was gorgeous with ideal temperatures. They are ready and will have a fantastic race!
Back to what I believe will be my mantra for this round of training. I am no Cinderella but I'd like to believe that I am kind and that its courage that keeps me striving to achieve my goals. Not just courage to achieve my goals but courage to seek kindness and light in a sometimes dark world.
I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck!
