To run or not to run the marathon, that is the question?!

A week ago Monday I went on a ten mile run. During this ten mile run I was reflecting on and comparing this run to my first ten mile run. My first ten mile run was the end of October 2010. I know this because the annual 15K Hot Chocolate Race in Chicago was about a week away. At that time I had only been running for a couple of months but when I first heard about it a Hot Chocolate Race I wanted to run it. However, I talked myself out of signing up for it knowing that I couldn’t run that far. I was mad at myself. Here I was telling myself I couldn’t do something, again. That morning I woke up and just decided to prove to myself that I could do it. So I mapped out my ten miles and took off. It is the first time I remember ever having blisters on the bottoms of my feet but definitely not the last. It felt good to prove to myself that I could do it. It would be another a few months before I did it again but now ten miles is my favorite distance to run when I have the time and the weather is nice.

This run last Monday I was just out enjoying the run. I had nothing to prove. That’s when I started thinking about the marathon. You see almost daily someone ask me if I am going to run the marathon again this year and always tell them I don’t know. I don’t know because we are moving this summer, Lavender’s job is going to be more demanding of her time, Susan graduates, there will be a killer graduation party, Susan will move off to college, and I will hopefully be starting my first teaching job. All of this would take place during peak marathon training. I ran it last year in the middle of student teaching, fundraising, and working but I had something to prove to myself. I needed to prove to myself that I could do it. I needed to tell myself that I could run 26.2 miles in under 6 ½ hours and then do it. I don’t need to prove to myself that I can do this. I already know that I can. I want to run the marathon again but just not this year. I am not going to stop running. I ran all winter long. It’s my therapy. It’s what I do for myself. I will be out this year just enjoying the run. However, come 2013 watch out. I plan on finishing the Chicago Marathon in less than 5 hours!

"I plan to run that race so hard I won't want to think about racing for at least 48 hours."-L. Thorvilson

Life Lessons from Lois

Lois is a beautiful lady that I met through the church where Lavender was doing pulpit supply. She is kind, gentle, and strong. This blog post is not about her. It is about a plant that she gave us and we affectionately named Lois.

Lois turned out to be my favorite gift this past holiday season. When we first received her she was just a few inches tall, barley poking out of her bulb. On the ride home, I was thinking, "great another plant for me to kill." I forgot her in the freezing car. So, already she was off to bad start in our house. When we did remember to bring her in the house we sat her on the coffee table where there wasn’t much light but at least some light. Our apartment just doesn’t offer much sunlight. It didn’t matter though because at this time I was still thinking she (she didn’t have a name yet) wouldn’t be around much longer.

She didn’t grow the first two weeks we had her. I am assuming this is because of the lack of light. The amazing apart was that she was still with us. Lavender, being the smart one of the family, said we should move her into the bedroom and place her under the reading lamp because it has a full spectrum light bulb in it. Literally within hours Lois grew a couple of inches and also got a name. Lesson #1- If given the right environment, we all grow.

I was excited to wake up every morning and check on Lois’s progress, turn her light on, and make sure she had enough water. My daughter thought I was going crazy because I began talking to Lois. I didn’t pay much attention to her though because what teenager thinks that their parents are normal? Lois grew so much that she was out growing the reading lamp. New dilemma but no worries because like said Lavender is the smart one and moved Lois to my painting table where she could hang the reading lamp from my dresser. Lesson #2- Sometimes we need to change the ‘right’ environment if we are to keep growing.

I kept talking to Lois, checking on her water needs, and turning her so ‘sunlight’ could reach all of her. Lois made me happy and I liked her sitting on my painting table. I thought I was just taking care of Lois’s physical needs but really she was taking care of my emotional needs by keeping the winter blues away. Lesson #3- When we give, we get.

Now after about a month of having Lois in our house, we got invited over to Lois’s (the person) daughters’ house for dinner. Kim, the daughter of Lois, also had received a plant from her mother. Only her plant was bigger and in full bloom. She was beautiful. I couldn’t believe how bright and lovely this plant was. That night when we went home, I excitedly told Lois that I met her sister and that she was lovely. I impatiently started waiting for Lois to bloom. It felt like it was taking her forever. Every day I would ask her when she was going to open up and be beautiful like her sister. Lesson #4- We all bloom in our own time.

When Lois did finally bloom, she was beautiful. She had eight gorgeous flowers. They were bright and cheery. What I realized though is just how amazing and beautiful it had been to watch her grow. Lesson #5- The journey and the growth is what makes us beautiful.