For those of you who have given birth, minus the epidural, you probably at some point during active labor thought, "I will NEVER do this again." Then a little while later (like 24 hours later) when the Percocet has completely kicked in and you gaze into the cloudy eyes of your precious newborn you think, "ok, maybe I'll do this again." Then a couple of weeks later you have miraculously forgotten all pain and suffering and find yourself planning your next pregnancy.
This is exactly how I felt about completing my first half marathon. The first five miles were a piece of cake, fun even. Then I crossed a bridge and my iPod was zapped. Not sure what happened but the thing would not even turn on. The next three miles were still pretty easy but quite boring. Then came mile 9...sure I saw my husband and adorable children cheering me on but the realization that I still had 4.1 miles to go sunk in. By mile 11 I thought I was dying and was sure someone had played a cruel trick on me and decided to bump the finish line back an additional five miles. But there it was in the distance...red and white balloons and the crowd gathering. I thought to myself, "I think I can do this through Christ, I think I can do this through Christ, I CAN do this through Christ, I 'm doing this through Christ, I'm doing this through Christ" and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line alongside my sweet friend, Stacey.
Whew. It was over. I did it. And I will never do it again! I hobbled around in search of bottled water and nearly kissed a young gangsta-looking boy smack on the mouth when he held a bottle of water out to me. I was hurting. My knee was throbbing, my lungs burning and my stomach churning but by golly I just ran 13.1 miles nonstop and through it all I was feeling pretty darn good about it. Later we went to breakfast to celebrate the accomplishment and I have never enjoyed a Belgian waffle like I did that one. Knowing not a single calorie was sticking around I loaded it up with butter, syrup, blueberries and confectioners sugar.
The real pain set in once I got home though. I was sore everywhere and had a hard time walking, standing and even sitting. I took a hot shower then popped pills like candy. Funny thing happened though when I woke the next morning. I wasn't as sore anymore and even thought, "well, that was kind of fun." And here I am today, three days later, wondering when my next 1/2 marathon is going to be. I can't wait! I actually want to do another one! Just like a mother forgets the pain of childbirth a runner forgets the pain of the run.
There was something else spectacular about the race. People of all size and shape, color and appearance were there with a common goal, to cross a finish line. No pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way or be a certain way. Just a bunch of runners getting ready to flow down the streets at different paces, for different reasons and with different strides. It didn't seem like anyone was worried about fitting in or looking perfect, just focusing on the run they were getting ready to complete. It made me think about life in general and how so often we try to "fit in" with the crowd while worrying over superficial things that do not matter. If we are running the race God has set before us we shouldn't worry about the runners around us or where they are going. Each of us has been given our own race to run and was perfectly designed to complete it. The talents we were given and the personalities we have are not random. God made us with a purpose and when we choose to follow Him along the path He has planned for us we can count on Him always being there to guide us. It's only when we take off on our own or attempt to follow another person's path that we get lost and miss out on the blessings God has waiting for us. So often we worry about not fitting in or think God's path is too boring so we get off track and eventually find ourselves out of breath and exhausted. However, if we stay focused on where the Lord is taking us and concentrate on the finish line (Heaven) we may still get tired and occasionally get a blister or sore knee, but we will finish strong and victorious. Hope to see you at the finish line.
This is exactly how I felt about completing my first half marathon. The first five miles were a piece of cake, fun even. Then I crossed a bridge and my iPod was zapped. Not sure what happened but the thing would not even turn on. The next three miles were still pretty easy but quite boring. Then came mile 9...sure I saw my husband and adorable children cheering me on but the realization that I still had 4.1 miles to go sunk in. By mile 11 I thought I was dying and was sure someone had played a cruel trick on me and decided to bump the finish line back an additional five miles. But there it was in the distance...red and white balloons and the crowd gathering. I thought to myself, "I think I can do this through Christ, I think I can do this through Christ, I CAN do this through Christ, I 'm doing this through Christ, I'm doing this through Christ" and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line alongside my sweet friend, Stacey.
Whew. It was over. I did it. And I will never do it again! I hobbled around in search of bottled water and nearly kissed a young gangsta-looking boy smack on the mouth when he held a bottle of water out to me. I was hurting. My knee was throbbing, my lungs burning and my stomach churning but by golly I just ran 13.1 miles nonstop and through it all I was feeling pretty darn good about it. Later we went to breakfast to celebrate the accomplishment and I have never enjoyed a Belgian waffle like I did that one. Knowing not a single calorie was sticking around I loaded it up with butter, syrup, blueberries and confectioners sugar.
The real pain set in once I got home though. I was sore everywhere and had a hard time walking, standing and even sitting. I took a hot shower then popped pills like candy. Funny thing happened though when I woke the next morning. I wasn't as sore anymore and even thought, "well, that was kind of fun." And here I am today, three days later, wondering when my next 1/2 marathon is going to be. I can't wait! I actually want to do another one! Just like a mother forgets the pain of childbirth a runner forgets the pain of the run.
There was something else spectacular about the race. People of all size and shape, color and appearance were there with a common goal, to cross a finish line. No pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way or be a certain way. Just a bunch of runners getting ready to flow down the streets at different paces, for different reasons and with different strides. It didn't seem like anyone was worried about fitting in or looking perfect, just focusing on the run they were getting ready to complete. It made me think about life in general and how so often we try to "fit in" with the crowd while worrying over superficial things that do not matter. If we are running the race God has set before us we shouldn't worry about the runners around us or where they are going. Each of us has been given our own race to run and was perfectly designed to complete it. The talents we were given and the personalities we have are not random. God made us with a purpose and when we choose to follow Him along the path He has planned for us we can count on Him always being there to guide us. It's only when we take off on our own or attempt to follow another person's path that we get lost and miss out on the blessings God has waiting for us. So often we worry about not fitting in or think God's path is too boring so we get off track and eventually find ourselves out of breath and exhausted. However, if we stay focused on where the Lord is taking us and concentrate on the finish line (Heaven) we may still get tired and occasionally get a blister or sore knee, but we will finish strong and victorious. Hope to see you at the finish line.
Me and Stacey
So your kids may not race to the table when you serve roasted cauliflower for a side dish but you can feel good about serving them something healthy and delicious alongside grilled steaks. And who knows, maybe they will love it...
Roasted Cauliflower
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup prepared tapenade (found in deli section of grocery store)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry cauliflower then place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Place in oven and roast until edges of cauliflower begin to brown. Remove from oven, place in serving bowl and toss with tapenade. Enjoy!
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