My rocky relationship with running.

Once upon a time, I ran to lose weight.

And then I ran to accomplish goals and push my body to its limits.

[One of my very proudest moments was crossing the finish line at the Route 66 Half Marathon last November]

And then I got injured.

And did physical therapy.

And started to get out of shape.

And lose interest in running.

Over the summer, I started training for this year's Route 66 Half.

And I began to dread every run.

I felt sluggish and unmotivated.

And any enjoyment I once felt was gone.

I ran the Tulsa Run in October and it was probably my hardest race to date.

Slow pace, stubborn cramps, etc.

All I could think about was crossing the finish line...and how to avoid running that kind of distance in the future.

By that afternoon, it was clear to me that running and I needed to take a break.

See,

time is valuable.

And many things demand our attention.

When we have control over what we are invested in, it's important that those things be positive and productive, as well as challenging.

When they cease to be any one of those things, space and/or distance is needed.

So.

I sold my Route 66 race bib to a friend and told distance running to take a hike for a while.

Ironically enough, almost immediately, I was asked to be a running buddy for kids from my school district doing their very first 5k.  

I got to run with a sweet third grade girl named Gracie and it was the most rewarding thing I had done in a while.

I loved setting goals with Gracie--deciding to run from one street light to the next or for 30 consecutive seconds.  I loved encouraging Gracie when the going got tough.  I loved holding her hand as she crossed the finish line.  I loved the look of pride on her face after she had done something she didn't think possible.

I left with a huge smile on my face and inspiration in my heart.

Just as a relationship ebs and flows, goes through hills and valleys...so do running and I.

We may need some space, but I have a good feeling we're not over ;)