So a few months ago I did something really ridiculous. I signed up to run the St. George Marathon...and I got in! Now suddenly I had to start training. I looked at different web-sites, asked advice from other people who had run marathons, and started running on my own. Running was not something I enjoyed when I was younger. I loved to run when playing sports, but running just to run was totally out of the question. Why would anyone run just to run?
Well, that question was answered this past weekend as I completed my first marathon. Despite how hard it was, I loved it! The first 7 miles were incredible and I felt like I could run forever. Then the next 16 miles were pretty rough, but went by pretty quickly. The last 3 miles were the hard miles I've ever run. My legs wanted to be done. My back was ready to break. But my heart and mind wanted to finish. People were lining the streets, cheering us on, and they helped light the little bit of fire that was left in me. I pushed forward and crossing that finish line was incredible. I had just beat myself--the negative voice in my head that was saying I couldn't do it. I beat every doubt and fear that I had allowed to keep me from doing hard things. I thought there would be major excitement and celebrating going on in my head as I crossed the line, but the word to best describe the experience would be PEACE. I felt so good inside and I gained a sense of confidence in knowing that I really can do hard things. I just need to believe in myself. It is in challenging yourself to do something hard that you gain strength and confidence to face other things that happen to you in your life. It is believing that you are a child of God and He created these incredible bodies for us and He fills us with strength to do hard things and accomplish His will. My marathon was a hard thing for me that I wanted to do. I needed to do it! We all have different hard things in our lives that we must face if we want to grow. Maybe its quitting a bad habit. Maybe its making a change in your life that you know you should, but being too scared to do it. Maybe its getting out of bed each morning. Maybe its saying something nice to someone else or expressing love to someone you've been witholding it from. Maybe its climbing a mountain. No matter what it is, do those hard things. I have other hard things to do in my life, and because I finished this marathon, I know its possible to do hard things. So now I'm moving on to the next hard thing I must do.....I'll let ya know how it goes.
me and my mom! we rock!
my battle wound!
