Running Journal, Day 1

Today was the first day of my "training." I have wanted to do a marathon for quite some time now and finally have the motivation to begin the training. Fortunately, I have some accountability as well. My sister, Rachel, is my training partner...even though we are separated by hundreds of mile spanning several states. We have set our goal to run a marathon by October of this year, so there is no time to waste.

Yesterday, I made the commitment in my head to run this morning. When I awoke, I had to remind myself that I just couldn't break the promise I made to myself. To me, that's just like failing...and I HATE to fail. So, after getting the boys fed and myself some coffee (I was trying to delay the inevitable), I realized that my double-jogging stroller had a flat tire that I had to completely replace. I almost threw in the towel right there because I thought that was just way too much work, and besides, Christian wasn't home to do it for me. :) Logical, I know. Well, I thought I would just give it a try and if I couldn't fix it myself, well, that was a good enough excuse to say "I'll start my training tomorrow." Amazingly enough, the tire was easier to change than I imagined and all I had to do now was change the boys, put on my running gear and hit the trail. Another 20 minutes later I was off! It was a beautiful day and I was feeling good about my self-motivation, not to mention my mad tire-changing-skills.

I must be fairly out of shape, because I was beginning to really suck wind at minute 16. I don't know if I mentioned it already, but my goal was 30 minutes (I don't run on streets the whole time so I can't really gauge my miles). Well, at that point it was mind over matter and I knew I would have to deal with it. As I mentioned before, I HATE to fail...so I was not going to do it my first day out! I set my mind to other things and just kept running. Rounding back toward home I was feeling really good but knowing I was close to my limit. I was so proud of myself when I hit 33 minutes before slowing to a walk! For you experienced runners out there...33 minutes may not seem like a big deal, but I hit my goal and exceeded it!

Of course, I had to give my sister a call and send Christian a text...probably the only 2 out there who really care enough to get instant information. Either way, I plan on keeping it up and sharing my successes and hopefully no failures along the way! Marathon here I come!

p.s. I keep typing marathong...not important, but it made me chuckle :)

What's in a name?

So, "Chasing the Goose" comes from a book I am currently reading. (Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson) The "Wild Goose" in this book is the Holy Spirit. The Celtic Christians named the Holy Spirit An Geadh-Glas, which translates "Wild Goose." They had the idea that the Holy Spirit was mysterious and untamed; following him meant uncertainty and maybe even danger. In our technologically advanced world and intellectually based beliefs, this description is counter-intuitive. "What do you mean we can't explain away the Holy Spirit?" The idea of "untamed" speaks to me. It means that I can't put it in a box and pull it out whenever I want or need it. It means that I won't have all the answers. It means that I have to have faith to believe something so strange and "unproven" by scientific evaluation. To me, that speaks excitement and adventure...an awesome way to live. Who wants to cruise through life having all the answers and never being stretched in the faith arena? Who wants to put one foot in front of the other "hoping" that they are happy today? Who wants to live a life with zero adventure? I am choosing to "chase the Goose" and embrace uncertainty. I want a life that is more than ordinary...a life that has purpose and meaning...but meaning that is beyond just my personal happiness.