Chicago Marathon: Prayers and Piriformis

"The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us." 

Jim Ryun Olympic silver medalist and world record holder

I have been on the down low about this coming weekend, probably because I have not felt really great about this coming weekends marathon. 

Sunday is Chicago Marathon, 26.2 miles. You might think "Ah, that's no big deal for you..." But it is a big pain in the a$$ right now, literally.

Holy Moly my emotions are on overdrive. The last few weeks have reminded me exactly why I HATE road marathons. They BREAK me. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 

Up until about 3 weeks ago, training actually had me encouraged and fairly confident for a steep goal I had set for myself. Sure, I experienced the usual aches and pains (because let's be honest, at 51 years old, I wake up with these even without running,) but I was in a good place with my body and I thought my body wasn't overly angry at me. 

 

Then came the slow fade as my body quit forgiving me. NO more chances. The icing on the CAKE...Growlers Gallup 10 mile run. I can run 100 miles, and my body forgives me more than a 10-mile run. This race literally was a pain in the a$$- my piriformis is so angry at me. 

So here I am 3 days out trying to convince myself of new goals and then also trying to find peace with them...though I'm not even sure what those goals actually are. 

I always try to find the silver lining in my misfortunes, a little lesson, and always try to hear what the Lords trying to say to me. 

It seems the only thing I keep hearing is "Marathons are your nemesis, if you weren't broken you will be!"

I have stuck to the taper in hopes that Motrin counts as cross training and recovery. Today, I ran 4 whopping miles, and I would have to say "healed and recovered where NOT how I would describe my run! 

But I scheduled a massage in hopes they could fix any damage I had. It was more like a medieval torture demo, I was sweating and clenching my teeth. 

In closing, Here I am, like most of my pre-race posts-living on a prayer. It's becoming morbidly habitual, back at it again, living on a prayer again and the same slightly delusional hope: Lord, some clarity would be great, it you could untangle those thoughts, healing would be fabulous, and peace- please, the Peace that passes all understanding. 

THE RUNDOWN:

Many if you wonder WHY I keep doing this, knowing injury is part of my gamble. But this morning, on my 4-mile run, I was reminded of ANOTHER reason I continue to run. 

The air was crisp, pure October in Michigan. The sky was a soft, endless blue, and the dew drifted, dissolving in the first light. As the slow mist lifted, glory came alive around me. 

Even as my body felt broken, my heart was whole. Because this is where I meet the Lord-out in His masterpiece, surrounded by beauty that outshines the pain. This is what triumphs over the trial.

His Glory is Great

I would Love some prayers. And any opportunity to Shine His Glory in this marathon. 

Date nite to see Red Clay Strays

In Peace, Not Pieces, 

Anita

Running on Empty

"When your running on empty, God's grace is the fuel that carries you." Billy Graham

The Ugly Finish

 Four hours on the expressway, a solo trip after work from Michigan to Indiana. The sky was painted blue without interruption, just like my wild and crazy thoughts. 

The traffic on 69 was moving fast and steady, the cars pushing well past the speed limit, again like my tangled thoughts. These thoughts moved quickly, weaving in and out like the lanes of traffic. 

My oldest son was moving to North Carolina, my heart was heavy, it was my deceased mother's birthday, and it was the anniversary of me ringing that cancer bell.  

I was headed south to meet a group of women for a Prisilla Shirer conference, and the solo drive was the only thing that made sense to navigate my head space. 

It would be a simple weekend, yet I knew even before I arrived, that these hours would not be ordinary. In the space of just a couple evening, our hearts would draft close, bonded as sisters in Christ through laughter, prayer and the power of His Word.  

10%

Priscilla spoke about something she called the 10%. This is a concept I've often joked about with my husband, but this came across a little different. 

"Where is your FAITH in the 10%?"

My ears were pierced, and my attention was intentional, this is the 10% I see so many I love including myself lose steam. 

That four-hour drive home was the same beautiful drive only my thoughts were flowing differently. 

The 10% concept was driven home when I realized the gas gauge crept lower and lower. 

When the warning light flickered on, it was a sharp reminder: I NEEDED FUEL. 

Still, I pushed it further than I should have. 

My car had warned me.

Andy had warned me-"Don't wait, the gas stations are few and far between." Yet I kept driving, ignoring the signs, until the worry set in and my thoughts started racing. 

And I thought with a subtle laugh....

This is exactly what happens when we let our spiritual tanks run too low. 

• The Warning Signs of Low Fuel: a short temper, a weary heart, a prayer life that grows thin. Just like the dashboard light, the spirit nudges us, but we often brush it off. 
• The Distractions of Running Empty: Instead of focusing on where God is leading, we're consumed with whether we'll even make it another mile. FEAR replaces FAITH and anxiety takes the driver's seat. 
• When Fear Settles in at 10%: The question isn't just "Do I have enough?' rather "Am I trusting Him with the little I have?" Even in the warning zones of life, FAITH must stay steady. 

The RUNDOWN

And sometimes, when the tank is low, it's not just about pulling in for fuel, its about slowing down. I was so busy keeping up with traffic I wasn't paying attention to how quickly my tank was emptying. 

I eased off the accelerator when the gauge was in the red, hoping to stretch the gas a little farther. I laughed again as I saw the correlation. 

I felt this same thing only physically on Sunday night. 

Growlers Gallup 10 mile race. When I arrived home that afternoon from the conference I had a race in Detroit just a few hours later. 

The race started at 4pm, it was 85' and I was surrounded by fast runners. Our friend Donny was going to try to pace me. By mile 6, I was completely depleted, running on empty, and ready to quit. Donny slowly began pulling farther and farther ahead and I knew I couldn't hold that pace. So I slowed down. I didn't finish the way I pictured, but I still finished just different, steadier, and with enough left in the tank to cross the finish line.  

Sometimes the warning light comes on and instead of pushing harder the best thing to do is to ease the pace, trust God with the miles ahead and let Him refuel us along the way. 

1st place in my age group

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31

 

In Peace not Pieces,

Anita