A little late, but here goes!

So I know I was supposed to be blogging for the last couple of weeks, but I'm finally jumping on this bandwagon! Sorry! :)

My runs--especially the past couple of weeks--have been amazing. This class in general has been such a liberating experience for me. I had never been a runner before--well, I joined the track team in high school but was soon forced to quit because I was dealing with a serious eating disorder that was messing up my heart. So under doctor's orders (and after coming in last place at every track meet!) I stopped running. I've always been the kind of person that wants to do my best at everything I attempt, and running had since been the one area of my life in which I'd felt like a failure. So this summer I decided that I wanted to overcome that by training for the most ridiculous feat of physical stamina I could think of: a marathon. Before this summer, I couldn't run a mile nonstop. Last night, I ran a full twenty miles.

It's been hard work. There have been times when the thought of that 26.2 miles seemed overwhelming and impossible. But through this training I've been pushed spiritually, mentally, and emotionally--as well as physically. There's a kind of deep spirituality that comes when your body is being pushed beyond its breaking point; I'm finding that my best moments with God recently have been on my long runs.

Last night when I finished that twenty miles, I felt more empowered than I can ever remember. Even though my legs were cramping terribly, I felt strong and I felt like I could overcome anything. Throughout the whole run, I focused on my breathing and on connecting with God and feeling centered, and I finished in just over four hours--not fast I know, but a miracle compared to where I used to be. I feel like I am finally being good to my body, pushing it to build up rather than trying to tear it down.

I found this verse this morning while sitting in Sojourner's class at Highland:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Morgan