My Safe Place.

Katie, Megan, Me, and Kelli...Being Camera Dorks!

I had a night away to MT Pleasant with the Glitz girls. We had a class for work at Soaring Eagle.  As I sat in the conference room I tried so hard to pay attention. But the closer the clocked ticked to 3 pm the antsier I got. I have a hard time sitting still more that 20 minutes.  This structured sitting coming up to 5 hours now was making me feel like I was going to burst  into convulsions at any minute.  First my foot twitches, then I am flipping my hips back and forth on the chair then  I take my shoes off. I  bring my legs into my chest, five minutes later I am grabbing a chair to rest my legs on. My Legs are SCREAMING to MOOOVE. Up, down, shifting, flinching, I am struggling to pay attention now.  I keep looking at “Katies” watch thinking “Doesn’t this guy know I have reached capacity”, like a little kid, my window is closing….”Hang on Nita…you’re going to get to go and play in just a few.”

"Simon" The Skater Hair Educator!

Once the meeting ended 40 minutes late I couldn’t get to the room fast enough to change.  I had that perm-grin plastered on my face. The excitement of running in new territory consumed me.  It was getting dark so I knew that I had to get my shoes on and go.  The girls were hungry so that was even more incentive to hustle the gear on and get out the door.

The roads were very flat. For a Sunday night it was surprisingly busy outside. I ran into oncoming traffic on a 5 lane highway.  Beggars can’t be too choosy. There were 3 foot shoulders that lead to a sidewalk about a mile into my course connected to the highway. The sidewalk came as a welcomed sight, getting off the highway in the dusk was a good plan.

This was a bank I was trying to get the temperature..I got the time! Temp was 59 DEGREES!! So warm!

Starbucks: 1.37 miles from Hotel.

Tim Hortons: 3.27 miles from Hotel

Can you tell what businesses caught my eyes!

I was in my zone. The place where I felt free.  Where I could be me.  Comfortable in my own shoes, my own head and my elements.  I was free, free to be me. I felt unleashed.

Darkness was seeping across the sky quickly and it was barely 6 pm.  But the darkness was covering me with even more love. I was running back to the hotel now, my legs were moving to their own dance. Methodical, Rhythmic and Consistent.

 Running is a place where I fall in love all over again. My relationship with running is like a second marriage. It has its ups and downs. It has its hard times and its victories.  There are times when I do not have the energy to do what I have to do and there times when I am totally on top of my game. 

My running is fueled by God. Even in my marriage God has to be my foundation for it to have success. My marriage to Running is the same.  

Running is my Safe Place. Where I escape. Where I am accepted when I feel insecure and alone. Where I find peace. When I feel inadequate and incapable It is a place that I find Gods presence and hear his voice. Running strengthens my relationship with Christ. It is just me and God.  It is so raw and intimate all on the same course.
2 Cor 4:8 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair ..."

Before I went running I left feeling drained. My mind was struggling and weak. I didn’t like the person I was today.  But with every mile beneath the soles of my Brooks I began to feel fulfilled again. Rejuvenated and restored.  I knew it was not the shoes, or the pace, it wasn’t even  the atmosphere, it was God taking that stoney heart and replacing it with a heart of flesh.

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full".

*****************

MONDAY....
Andy came home early from work. I was excited because we have not ran together in over a week. It was looking like rain but I was going to hold out for him to stretch and go out together.
Even though he got his stretching down to a little over 15 minutes by the time we walked out the door it was pouring out.
Back inside we went. Andy had kept looking at the radar which was a clear picture of rain but I didn't want to believe him. There was no denying the rain so we changed and headed to the Gym.
Side by side we ran on the DREADMILL. I just ran a steady pace nothing really to sweat provoking. But less than 5 minutes into it Andy yells. " I can't do this, I can't just RUN I will go nuts, lets do intervals."
I briefly thought about it and decided "Why Not".  It might be kinda fun to run together like a running partner, doing the same routine only different speeds. This is the benefit of running on the Dreadmill with someone. You can train together and be completely different runners who run different paces.
As we finished up I was thankful to be home in my other SAFE PLACE~


THE RUNDOWN
http://www.dailymile.com/people/AnitaH4#ref=tophd

 Anita