One of my favorite movies is entitled “While You Were Sleeping”. It is a romantic tale that dramatizes wonderful and unexpected things that happen while a character in the movie is lying in a coma, or ‘sleeping’. In 2010 I wasn’t sleeping but some wonderful and unexpected things happened to me ‘While I Was Running.’
For a long time I didn’t get it. Years ago Keli told me she thought running a marathon would be an experience she’d like to have. And years ago, before I knew anybody really did do such a thing, Becky tried to explain why she would train in Beautiful BC and then go down to St. George, Utah and run one. Kathi would drive close by because of the danger of wild animals on her long runs. And then Karli and her kidney stones and 1/2 marathon. And Elise and her triathlon, and Kristen’s. And Kara, and Amy and Katie – 5 K’s and shared 1/2 marathons. Then Jena and Kelli . . .
November 2009 I decided I wanted to see what it would be like to be a runner. I wanted to see if I could, if I would do something that I thought was impossible for me. I wanted an outward symbol that represented the inward change I also thought must be impossible but hoped was not.
I feared weakness, I feared injury, I feared boredom, I feared failure. I don’t fear those anymore. I smile remembering all that I learned and became while I was running. And I smile now knowing how far I still have to go in life, but trusting in Someone makes my faith surge and fear recede. I learned about trusting, endurance, hope, that pleasure and misery must accompany each other sometimes. That fine moments must often be purchased with great difficulty. That each tangible and physical true principle can teach us something about the parallel spiritual principle.
I ran the Snow Canyon 1/2 Marathon in November, happily eating the dust of Jena and Kelli and a million others who passed me. Running accelerated learning, magnified appreciation, and clarified some of life’s ‘stuff’ banging around inside of me. I discovered, and learned, accepted and appreciated everything – little things – big things more than I ever had before. I didn’t train perfectly, but it was a perfectly wonderful thing. I get it now – why we run. Can’t explain it – but I get it.
Can’t wait to see what will happen this year while I am running.
