I can't thank you enough for reading my post-climb reports and for travelling my alpine journey with me through (literally) the peaks and the valleys, the ups and downs, the emotions, and the distance. See? I really can talk about things other than Greek verbs and nouns. I am still basking in the afterglow of my summiting of the Riffelhorn. Such a great buildup, such a great day, then status quo again. All of my momentum was towards the climb and after that, it's pretty much back to normal.
Except that I've been running again. Not just going to the gym. Not just getting my daily steps. But running. There are some constants in my life, and running seems to be one of them. Some people have the idea that running is all about weight loss and cardiovascular health. But for a runner, that's only a very small part of why we run. We run because we can. It's always there, a lifeline in the storm, a way to regain perspective when things go awry in our lives.
Running is difficult. But in a good sense. My belief is that running keeps thing moving -- your blood, your oxygen, your muscles. It promotes energy and confidence. For some of us, it's a surefire way to combat the anxiety that sometimes accompanies aging and life transitions. No matter what I'm going through, I am forever grateful for running. The more I do it, the more I enjoy it. And, now that I'm running again, I feel as if I'm getting my running legs back. I used to hate running more than you do. But after Becky's death the Lord used running to help me embrace the suck and push through.
Like life, you expect running to be hard. But the irony is, you love the hard. I got in 10 miles of "hard" today at the High Bridge Trail and it was a breeze. Sure, I was able to get in some steps.
But more importantly, running actually gives me energy, which I will need when we get up hay this evening. In addition, I feel like I sleep better after I've run. Running is much more about mental strength than physical strength. You will NEVER forget the joy of crossing your first marathon finish line. Or your first ultra finish line for that matter. It was on this very trail that I completed three 50K ultras.
It was hard but I loved every minute of it.
Even when I don't feel like running (which is rare), every time I get out there I'm glad I did. So I'm grateful to God that my running is going so well. Maybe I'll be able to chase down another 26.2 mile race this fall or winter. I hope so.
If you ever do a race, you will hate moments of it, but you will love most of it. Trust me. That's the lure of running.