So I bet you are wondering, if this woman is a self-proclaimed busy mother of two, how does she have the time to write all of this? Well, I don't blame you for wondering but there is a very reasonable explanation. Once Satan realized that negativity from others was not deterring us away from this, he started attacking our bodies. As of right now, there is not one person on our team that isn't physically hurt right now. We have everything wrong from asthma to sore knees but my reason is my own fault. About 3 weeks ago, my kids and I went to my family's ranch for a homeschool ranch day. I insisted that I run there so I didn't get behind on my training. Well, I didn't have many options. It was either a highway that didn't have any room on the sides or on the ranch itself on the smoothest road possible. So I choose the latter and went on my 2.5 run with my dad on his 4-wheeler behind me. It was a great run. The sun was going down, the cattle ran along with me at times and I truly enjoyed being away from the city. But it was very uneven terrain and it wasn't until 2 days later when I was back at home running with my husband that I realized that my ankles were hurting...REALLY hurting. I couldn't run the whole thing and by the time I went to bed that night, I could barely walk. Just ignore it and run on the elliptical and it will get better soon. That was my mindset. Not to be a baby and quit but just run through the pain and get on with my life. It wasn't until about a week later that I watched my husband leave to run without me that I realized I couldn't truly train on an elliptical. I had to go to the doctor and see what was wrong with me. My ankles were about the size of grapefruits and I literally couldn't walk across my house in less than 5 minutes. Like an 80 year old woman is how I was described. So I caved and went to the doctor and found out that I severely sprained both ankles. Wear this brace, stay off your feet and don't run for 2 weeks. What!? I'm training for a marathon and I can't be on my feet! This isn't good. Here I wasn't wanting to miss one day of training and now I'm missing 2 weeks! AGH! Well through this time, I start to learn that one team member has asthma real bad, one hurt her knee and can't run, Robin's knees started hurting pretty severely, Jerod's knee was hurting, etc. Can you see a pattern here?
So here I was, "grounded" as I call it and not able to train. And it was getting to me. I missed the pounding of my heart and the exercise. I was getting depressed and needed to do something. I knew I was still going to run the marathon but I was very afraid that I would fall too far behind to do these kids that I'm running for justice. Thankfully, Jerod's employer has a gym that spouses can use for free that has a pool. Yeah! I talked him into letting me go and the first time I finished, I left that pool with my spirits lifted. With God's help, this was going to get me through til I can train again. So I'm trying to swim at least 3 days a week and do my abs and arm strengthening in between. But the good news is that I can see my ankle bones, I can walk without much pain and I'm actually feeling better. Still grounded but better. And hence the blog. So here I sit on the couch with my feet elevated, computer in lap, rambling about my body. Sorry. But God is good and will see me and the others through because we can do this THROUGH him. I'm including an email I sent Robin after watching "The Biggest Loser" run their marathon that inspired me to the core.
Oh how God is good. Satan is attacking but God is helping us fight back. After I talked to you tonight, I realized how you helped me when I was down and now I had a good day, and I'm able to try my best to help you. I love how we as a team can lean on each other and love each other, support each other and push each other through each temptation. And I guess that's what has hit me watching these people do their marathon was that each hurt, each day of busyness, each frustration is temptation. Tempting us to quit, tempting us to give in or quit trying so hard. BUT...no one ever said it wouldn't hurt, no one ever said that it would be easy, but a whole lot of people have said we can't do it, we are crazy. I KNOW that this is such an awesome opportunity and we are lucky to be able to do it. I just watched a 48 yr old woman who 4 months ago weighed 100 lbs heavier run a marathon (ran the whole thing) in just under 6 hours. I watched a 50-something man walk a marathon with a cane, a cyst on his knee and while it took him a while, he did it. I watched a kid who trained to run it but injured his hip and couldn't run it, walk the entire thing in the same time limit that we have. WE CAN DO THIS!!! Even if we walk the whole way, or 1/2 way, we are going to do this! And we don't have just a few supporters like they did, we have 1.2 million people who are going to give up sleep on a Sunday morning to come out and cheer us on. I guess I'm just saying, keep your head up, keep on going.
Don't worry, not every entry will be this long so please keep checking back for updates and I hope God blesses you as you read this, inspiring you to conquer your "Chicago."
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