Edge of Endurance…
Well, let me tell you I know they say “You can do all things…” but I really do believe it. I had a 14 mile run this weekend and I completed it in the rain. I am so proud of myself it feels like I did the whole marathon and I am only half way there. Of course it was the hardest run I have had to date but I made it through. Now yes I did walk at times but that is part of the training for a person that is not a runner like me doing their first marathon.
It took all that I could to get out of bed because of course my team was running Sunday and I needed to run on Saturday. My knee was just starting to get better but there was nothing in me that wanted to run. I was running through every excuse in the book. But I know they are “the tools of the week and incompetent “, so I got out of bed. I tried to go to the mall and run to avoid the rain but once I got to the door and saw all those people dressed for work and I looked like a rag doll I could not bring myself to go inside. So it was outside all the way for me. At least outside I blend in but I just could not bring myself to run past Nordstrom looking like that. Oh no!!!
Off to the park I went and as I was parking I saw one of my teammates out there running. I was so excited that I ran the opposite way just to catch her in the loop. God is so good because I needed that little extra push. We ran, talked and encouraged each other for the next five or six mile until we both reached mile seven. At that point she was done and I was on my own for another seven miles. I started out strong until the wall hit.
The wall was around mile 10/11. All of a sudden everything got tight and I was not sure I could do it. Then all of a sudden my teammate drove by on her way home to give me one last bit of encouragement. It was just what I needed to get me going. Well that or I could not let her see me quit. Either way it was enough to carry me all the way to the last mile. And when I hit mile 14 I was out of gas. I struggled just to finish. I think I ran ten steps and walked twenty the whole last mile. But you know what I did not care at least I finished. I said it does not matter if I run, walk, crawl or roll across the finish I’ll make it.
This experience is truly changing my life. I have started to live my life on the “Edge of Endurance.” Push yourself to your limit and then go one mile future. Even when you don’t believe in yourself there will be someone to inspire you on to greatness.
Yvette
Tags: African American runners, Disciline, Encouragement, Endurance, Focus, Marathon, Running, Struggle, Training
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
