Breathe and Realize

So, I ran a half marathon this weekend.  And, I was fairly nervous about it. 

Now, I'm no elite runner, so it's not like my nerves had to do with trying to win prize money.  But, I do have a marathon in a little over a month...and I had just taken the entire week OFF from running. 

Why, you might ask?  Well, I've got an injury.  It's super annoying, painful, and annoying - yes, I know I said that twice.  I'm going to physical therapy for it and also doing the stretches/exercises he recommends.  But, the whole thing is just frustrating, when all I want to do is run. 

So, when I woke up the morning of the race, I just thought, "Nope, I don't feel like doing this today.  Nuh uh.  Not gonna go well."  But, I got my butt out of bed and headed to the race anyway.  I did a very short warmup jog and decided that that would have to do. 

And honestly, I really thought the race would be a train wreck, with me finishing 40+ minutes slower than my normal times.  And that is fine...really.  But, I just didn't WANT to be out there that long and in pain, struggling to finish. 

So, after my warmup, I said a little prayer.  And it went something like this:

Dear God, please let me run smart today.  Let me know when I need to stop/quit, if necessary, and when I need to slow down and take it easy.  Let me run how I feel.  Let me remember that my ability to run is a GIFT.  That this injury is TEMPORARY, and not permanent like so many others face every day of their lives.  Let me remember that I can run - even with this injury, which is fortunate.  Let me enjoy the day and utilize this run as a stress reliever and a reminder of how blessed I am with good health. 

With that prayer, I felt more relaxed and the anxiety level took a dive.  The race started and I turned on my pop tunes.  I felt good.  I felt strong.  And I just ran however my body was telling me to run.  The first half was fairly fast.  I slowed down a bit for the second half, but still felt pretty good. 

I finished about 4 minutes slower than my previous PR.  And I'm pleased.  I had taken a week off from running, I have an injury, and I even snuck in a few short walk breaks.  So, I'm happy with how it went.

The biggest takeaway is that prayer.  It centered me and it truly reminded me about how I'm fortunate to even be able to do this.  To run.  So what if a race doesn't go well...or I have a minor injury (that will eventually heal)?  I'm healthy.  And there are so many who don't have that luxury. 

Always good to remember the positives in our lives...even if there's sucky stuff going on.