Overcoming Struggles

After dealing with health issues (and yet another very difficult hurdle that this life seems to think I'm strong enough to deal with), I am back to running after doing little to nothing since October.  I knew that I wasn't going to be in the best shape, but wow...just WOW.  As I struggled through a 3-miler that took me nearly 30 minutes to complete, I was once again reminded that running is HARD work.  (Namely the main reason why most folk probably don't do it.)  I woke up the next morning with legs that hurt worse than post-marathon this fall.  (And how was it possible that I ran 26.2 miles a few months ago?!)  I wasn't quite sure what to do...ibuprofen? give myself yet another rest day?  I ended up going with the former rather than the latter.  And for the fourth day in a row, I've taken myself downstairs to my treadmill for what is sure to be a pain-filled 30 minutes.  While it's true that running isn't so bad when you're in good shape, maybe it takes a return to the beginning like this to remind me why running matters so much in my life.  As luck would have it, I came along this blog written by one of my favorites, Lauren Fleshman (found here).  This quote stood out as memorable:

"Time fixes nothing.  Time is a facilitator but you still have to do the fixing; Dig into the difficult conversations; Look hard at yourself in the mirror and ask if you're doing everything you can to get healthy.  If you aren't currently living the life that you want, there is no other way to get there.  Time won't make it happen.  So you can either adjust the goal, or give yourself a swift kick in the @#$.  Those are your only two options unless you enjoy the feeling of eternal tug of war."

And there it is again.  This link between running and life.  Am I going to get in shape by the passage of time? No way.  I'm going to have to return to my treadmill day in and day out.  But I'm ready for that.  Is my heart going to heal from the events of this past month simply by the passage of time?  Again, I don't think so.  My ability to persevere has never been an individual effort; but rather through the help of my family and close friends.  Is everything perfect?  No.  But I see how close it is when I wake up each morning to the smiling faces of Philip, Quinn, and Anders. 

As I stand on the cusp of 2015, and the new opportunities that are in front of me, I am striving to be THANKFUL.  Thankful for my friends.  Thankful for my family.  Thankful for the ability to do what I love each and every day.

Cheers.  And of course, happy running!