double digits

Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.
--Charles Schulz, Peanuts

On Saturday, I did something I never imagined I was capable of doing: I ran for ten miles. Straight. (Well, okay, I actually took a couple water breaks and had to wait at some stoplights, but other than that, I ran the whole way!) I did it in two five-mile loops around the neighborhood, which included one of my favorite roads to run down, Thatcher Avenue. I recently discovered this road while logging miles in training for my first half marathon in October. It’s a calm, tree-lined stretch of pavement in front of beautiful houses just on the edge of River Forest, and I often encounter fellow runners while I’m making my way down the sidewalk. The path ends at Division Street, where I usually hang a right (you can’t turn left, technically) and then pass by the campuses of Dominican University and Concordia. Then comes a park just across the way from the church I enjoy attending, which is a marker for my favored water/restroom stop, and then it’s back down Division towards the architecturally stunning homes of Oak Park. I feel blessed to live in such a nice area to run.

I’ve read that breaking the double-digit mileage barrier is a momentous occasion in the life of a runner, and I’m writing about it this evening to say that, yes, actually, it is. At least, it felt that way to me! I was so proud to be done, because it was hard! I knew this day was coming, but I was a little anxious about it since I'd never ran that far before and the weekend prior to this one, I had to break up my nine-mile run on Saturday due to fatigue. That Saturday, I was actually feeling pretty bad somewhere around mile seven—but I just pushed through because I thought to myself, “Well, if you don’t do this now, what are you going to do on race day?” That’s what’s kept me going throughout this entire journey—the drive to succeed, to finish, and to do it strong.

Training for my upcoming debut in the world of half marathons has been difficult, but incredibly rewarding. There have definitely been some bumps along the way, including a couple repeat offenses to my body (wholly my fault) during which I went for long runs when I was clearly in no condition to be running. (I paid for it later, but I’ll spare you the details.) I was stubborn, and I didn’t listen to my body. And I had another scare about halfway through training when my left hip issues from cross country days of old came back to haunt me. I was pretty miserable when it started feeling sore again, I had just gotten to the point where I was feeling really solid about my training. The pain sort of when away, but I haven't been to PT, which my doctor recommends, yet. (My first appointment is this week.)

So back to double digits . . . After I finished my run on Saturday, I felt exhausted, but as though something had changed. As I lay on my yoga mat, drenched in sweat, stretching my hip, and worrying that I was never going to move again (it had already been fifteen minutes on that mat, and I thought that was kind of pushing it), I felt incredibly empowered. It is amazing what your body can do, when you put your mind to it. When I clocked in my average pace for my run using mapmyrun.com’s workout calculator, I came in at 9:20 average miles, which is great, for me! I couldn’t even believe it, and I was so proud I had held to that pace (on average). After I got over my initial tiredness, I felt really alive and energized, and I was starving. I pretty much felt that way the whole day, too (that was great, except for the part where I was a bottomless pit!). All day, I felt in awe of my body, and so fortunate and thankful for God’s gift of good health and physicality.

Ever since I started training for this run, I finally felt that I could call myself a runner. Prior to this training program, I was running--along with other activities--to stay fit, usually on a weekly basis. For some reason, perhaps it was the ambitious undertaking in mileage or sticking to a consistent training program, now naming myself a runner finally seems to fit. I’ve always loved to run, but I find that now I look forward to it and feel empty without it, in a way I never did before. After the half marathon is up, I’ve decided to start a speed training program, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!

I think taking on new challenges and then seeking to achieve those goals is perhaps one of the most meaningful journeys in life. Whether the outcome is success or failure, I believe that the path in and of itself is valuable; and my case, I’ve grown every step of the way. Has there been a time in your life when you committed to a big goal, and your journey towards achievement left a lasting impact? Is there something in your life that you could work towards? Don’t hold back. Dive in. You might just surprise yourself with what you can achieve.