"Amazing" doesn't even capture how INCREDIBLE that first run was for me. Everything felt so familiar...like stepping into an old pair of sneakers. I got the usual butterflies as I put on my layers and stretched. I could hardly wait to feel my feet hitting the pavement again...but I was a bit nervous too. Good nervous, though. Excited nervous. It had been months since my last run...since January 20, 2013 (had to check my app 'cause it had been so long that I couldn't remember!). If you are a runner then you know how much of a mind game it is. I was mentally prepared for the worse: sore muscles, side stitches, gassin' out early and wanting to walk. But much to my surprise, this turned out to be one of my easiest runs - both mentally and physically.
I started off power walking (at my hubby's insistence - he's a personal trainer and lifelong athlete so I value his opinion ;)) but soon found myself running. With Kim Walker-Smith's "Spirit Break Out" blasting in my ears on repeat (great song, check it out), I was probably running at a snail's pace, but in my spirit I was FLYING. It felt like sliding behind the wheel of my car and stepping on the gas...my body responded the same as before and knew exactly what to do.
I've never seen the movie, but I've heard that in Chariots of Fire there's a line that goes something like, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." Oh, how true is that for me! Running has become a form of worship for me. Even when it's tough, when it hurts and everything in my mind is screaming at my body to stop...my heart is SOARING, caught up in worshiping my God, my Lord, my Savior...my everything.
