1st Training Day

So yesterday I woke up with the understanding that no matter how travel weary I felt from flying back from NYC to Maui on the 1st.....I was going to start my training for the Honolulu Marathon. Gulp. I know I SAID I would.....but lounging the day away after being on plane after plane for over 15hrs surely warranted as a good excuse to start "tomorrow"......That thought pressed into me so deeply that I immediately recognized the power it could have over me. I quickly got up from my comfy couch and went to my bedroom to get my shorts and tank top. My daughter was still in her pj's in my bed with that look that said, "I have no plans for the entire day but to stay in this bed and watch mindless tv, and surf the web"... As I pulled out my clothes and started hunting for matching socks I announced what I was doing. She looked at me and asked one question, "you're gonna start right now?"....I nodded my head and continued to dig thru my drawer lifting up bathing suit tops, bras, fuzzy warm sleeping socks....oh! one sock! Then still digging, she got out of bed and left the room. I finally found a "close" match to the one sock in my hand and while making a mental note to "buy socks", went to change. Ok...shorts, tank top, deodorant, hair in a bun....let's go find some tennis shoes and head out! As I walked into the living room, Katie was at the kitchen table with the IPOD she bought me for Christmas...the IPOD that I had no idea how to use, or even what it was when I unwrapped it. But when she told me what it was and pressed the on button...there popped up a picture of Skip and I right when it turned on! My eyes immediately filled with tears as she explained that she downloaded over 800 photos for me, over 300 songs from cd's she had made for me in the past, and movies for our plane rides to NYC. Yep, she is a keeper! :) Anyway, there she was getting the IPOD ready with my headphones and putting it in this arm case thingy that a friend lent me when I told him I was going to start running. So, after I find my shoes and put them on, she straps me into this magical contraption that will take my mind to beautiful places as each song plays on a "shuffle" list automatically. :)

Before walking out the door, we pray, "Lord, let me run/walk with energy from You, let me push myself farther than I think I can go, and let me see and hear your voice with each step". Amen. This whole time our dog, Kuuipo, is excitedly racing thru the house, pushing her leash that is hanging on the garage door, knowing she's gonna go for a walk...what she doesn't know is that it's gonna be a walk/run like she has never been on! Let me just break it down....we are lazing, relaxing, cruising people....going for a walk to us means twice around the little reservoir behind our house...occasionally. Today, I had set in my mind that I was going around 10 times! I figured 4x around equalled a mile...so on my 1st day 2 1/2 miles was going to be my goal.

So off Kuuipo and I went! I had my music and she was off running without her leash, we both were happy! So I figured I would walk the first round, then run the next, and so on...praying that I was not going to just quit after the 2nd round...

There was no one else out on the sidewalk path and we were happily enjoying the warmth of the sun on our faces after being freezing in NYC, even covered from head to foot in loads of clothing!! This felt wonderful! As I neared the completion of my 1st time around I was gearing up to break into a slow jog...that's the only pace I have...so I began slowly jogging and took deep breaths and found myself trying harder to get lost in the music. As I neared the halfway mark of my 2nd lap, I was doubting my ability to run a full lap......I pushed harder, jogging on....and at the 3/4 mark started to walk again. Ugh! I am soooo outta shape! I walked and breathed and walked and breathed and before I knew it, I walked and breathed into my 5th time around! Although I wanted to try jogging again, I was happy to at least be moving at any pace!!! I would break into a jog and try to look at a distance ahead and tell myself the goal was to make it to at least that point while jogging...sometimes I would make it, more often...I would start walking before I hit that imaginary marker. With every turn, with every completion of a lap, I would talk with the Lord, "if this is how it is to be, please move my steps, please break down any disappoint I feel, let it be enough that I am out here, walking....still pressing into the 10 lap goal". Kuuipo even stopped running ahead of me after the 4th lap and was happily cruising beside me, or even sometimes behind me!! I would look back for her from time to time and laugh to myself and say, "I know, we've never done this before, poor thing, at least I CHOSE to do this.....you had no idea"!!!!! :) We rounded our 9th lap and I figured I would try to finish strong and started jogging again. I kept jogging at a slow pace, singing the words to the music in my head, always glancing at where I was in comparison to my "finish".....it didn't seem to be getting any closer! My breathing was heavy and my legs felt like jelly....still I pressed on and rounded the last corner to the end of my 10th lap!!!!! I had finished!!!!! As we jogged SLOWLY back to my house and to the front door I was astounded by myself! Yes, it was a pathetic attempt....yes, I was ridiculously exhausted, and yes....you could hardly call what I did run/walking......but listen to me clearly....whatever it was......I DID IT!!!! :) I grabbed a bottle of water and collapsed onto a chair while I heard Kuuipo lapping up her water as well....Amen girl, we did it. Now, we just need to rest....so we can be ready for....tomorrow!! Katie came out and said, "how was it? How far did you go?"....I was able to talk in breaths and told her I went around 10x.....her eyes got big and she said, "Mom, that's great! That's over 2 miles.....did you run the whole time?"......Ouch! Why did she have to ask that question??!!!! I told her no, I barely "jogged" 2x around.....She smiled and helped me take my shoes and socks off and said, "good job, Mom, way to go"....

Thank you Lord, for this humbling experience, this beginning that has so far to go, let me fully and completely rely on You....push me when needed, speak to me in the quiet moments when it's just You and me.

Thank you for sharing my 1st day with me. I pray you press on with me, I pray your prayers will include little 'ol me as I continue this process....one day at a time!!!

Gotta Run!