I'm a Runner - Chapter Three

Reality Check

Well, my conviction lasted a full week. That was how much time Laurie took off from running following the race. After her recovery time following the half-marathon had passed we went for a run together.

Now, when you listen to the stories of marathon runners you might hear them talking about hitting the wall. I'm not sure what that's all about, but around the one tenth mile mark I started panting. By one and a half tenths of a mile (hey, it's the truth!) I said, "I gotta stop." Suddenly all the reasons why I had sworn I would never run again in my life came rushing back to me in a moment of clarity. It was one of those "what was I thinking?" moments.

Now, I've never been immediately identified as a runner by people in the street. If you look at the photo of me at my daughter's cross-country meet, you'll figure out why. So all I had to do after my stab at running was look in the mirror and the truth was evident. I didn't look like that guy on the cover of the running magazine. So what was I thinking?

This is where it gets interesting. I've wanted to write about my running experience before this, but never found the appropriate forum. I've wanted to write about it because my move from non-runner to runner was a major shift in my life for the good. I find tremendous satisfaction doing something that isn't easy, but that brings great fulfillment on a number of levels. At the same time, all my adult life I've been involved in missions, first as a missionary in Honduras and now working out of Indiana. Missions is also something that is not easy but that brings great satisfaction on multiple levels and has real significance on a grand scale.

I'm going to give away my central reason for starting this "I'm a Runner" series of posts. Here it is. I've begun to see some real parallels between how I became a runner and how I might convince others to share in this passion of mine for missions. I hope to stimulate some dialog while sharing my story, so don't be shy about posting a comment or two.

OK, back to our story. It only took one week to see my running ambitions shattered. So how did I come to write this story about being a runner? Well, it has a lot to do with the fact that when I stopped, my wife kept running. More on that next time.