It's official - I'm a blogger!

The first post of my new blog!  Friends have been telling me for quite some time that I should start a blog.  I think it's their tactful way of saying, "Can you be quiet for 5 minutes during our run please?!" 

I think that's one of the reasons I love running with a group so much - I love people and I love to talk!  The longer you run with someone, the longer you get to talk to them :)  You're not just out there "running"; you're building friendships.  And who better to build friendships with than others right out there with you, running on snow covered icy roads, enduring the wind, and trying to drink our water before it freezes!   

This morning I ran with 2 friends Sherri and Sue, at least for part of my run.  Their schedule called for a 9 mile run; my schedule called for a 16 miler!  I should mention that it's not typical of us to just go out and run either of these distances!  We're all training for the first Kalamazoo Marathon - they're doing the half and I'm doing the full.  Sixteen miles is the longest distance I've run since my 2nd marathon in October of 2009!  

I normally do my Saturday morning long run with an awesome group of fellow members of Kalamazoo Area Runners.  But last night, I had a feeling that I should run closer to home and put some of the 16 miles in by myself.  And I'm so glad I did!

So, I set out at 7:30 this morning, hydration bottles around my waist, ipod charged and ready to go, Gu in one coat pocket, 2 sticks of gum in the other. The temperature was 27 degrees with a strong wind out of the West.  Although this is a heatwave compared to what the temps have been in Michigan, it's still cold!

I used the first mile to motivate myself with reasoning:  "You only have to do 2 miles on your own, then 9 with Sherri and Sue, so that only leaves 5 miles to do on your own at the end.  Piece of cake!"  I have learned that running is as much of a mental process as it is a physical process.  Even the most seasoned runner has to take some time to wrap their brain around 16 miles.  Well, at least I do!

Then, just before the 2nd mile, You Found Me by The Fray started playing on my ipod.  I've heard this song so many times, but today it hit a cord.  It reminded me that it doesn't matter what you're doing - running 16 miles, losing a job, struggling with a parenting situation, mourning a loss, whatever your circumstances are - God is there.  He is ready to find you, right where you're at!  

It's not just when we're going through what we might consider to be the "big stuff"!  God wants to be there for everything - you can be buying a pair of running shoes or a house; He wants to be there!  

He certainly was there with me this morning!  By mile 12, my body was saying, "Stop, Crazy Woman!" But my spirit was saying, "I love running with God!"  I definitely wasn't running by myself :)  

So thank you God, Sherri, and Sue - couldn't have done it without you!