Saturday, November 15, 2008

Bring on the hills.....

I have had a tough week and when I woke up this morning I didn't want to go for my 11 mile run, especially when I saw the rain and wind. So I got back in bed and waited an hour to see if it would clear up at all. It didn't, so I got dressed and took my Ibuprofen and got all my must have little gadgets. (GPS~Pepper Spray~ipod~Fuel belt with One Gu~ and a rain jacket)

When I walked out the door I felt the cold wind hit my face and the little rain drops and thought for a sec about turning around and getting back in bed. I didn't and I started my watch and off I went. I posted a few posts ago about a really hilly road that I have been running on. I have a love/hate relationship with this road. I love it cause it challenges me and I hate it cause it challenges me. =) I decided to run this road again today and while I was out I had some thoughts about life and running that I would like to share. I am not very good about turning my thoughts into words, so bare with me.

On my run today I faced all kinds of challenges that could make any sane human being turn around and go back home. I thought I was prepared hell, I had all my gadgets, what else did I need? Well I quickly realized I should have added: Gloves, a hat for my ears, and a long sleeve shirt under my waterproof jacket. (it was colder then I thought) But with the rain, wind, cold, hills, dogs, on coming traffic, and not dressing warm enough, it just made me want to push harder through my run. With every hill that came, I just pushed harder and with every rain drop and gust of wind, I pushed harder. And to my surprise, I felt so good today, tired but good. I ran hard and fast and felt great to the end.

It made me think about how in life we have so many obstacles come our way. We walk out the door and never know what the day has in store for us. Yet with every hill we climb and with every gust of wind that wants to push us over we have to push hard to not let it get us down. We all make mistakes in life (and in running: I forgot my warmer stuff) but sometime if we let them, these mistakes can work to our advantage. We can learn from them. We become stronger from them. Life throws us all kinds of Hills, long and not so steep, short and very steep. With running we can see the top of the hill and it makes us push harder to get there, but in life we can't see the top of the hill and we have to use all our faith and know that we can and will make it. The Hills in life and the hills in running have one thing in common: they can only make us stronger runners, better wives, mothers and friends.
So I say "Bring on the Hills"

8 comments:

Stacey said...

AWESOME POST! Sounds like you had a great run this morning! Good job, I would have stayed in bed with that rain and wind outside and then run on the treadmill! You are a rock star!

Marlene said...

Great analogy. And what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right?

Hills (in running and real life) are brutal at the time, but doesn't it feel so good on the way down?

Nice job!

Baldwincrew-blog said...

That was very well said. Way to use your time alone to ponder on important things in life. I want you to know that we all can make it up every hill we are thrown in life and when we make it we realize the importance of that peticular hill. Some hills make our legs stronger some just give us the confidence to keep going on the race and in life. Keep running and don't give up on any of your hills. I love you tons !!!!!!

Kristi said...

I love this post!!! I always feel that way after listening to conference, and hearing the stories our amazing prophet and apostles have to tell. Almost all of them have had harder lives than I can ever think of enduring. I often find myself thinking I wonder if that is what made them who they are today..... Those "hills in their lives," they chose to grow from them instead of letting them make them weaker.
Thanks for this post!!
Love you, cant wait to see you in two weeks... :)

RunnerMom said...

Great post! I'm climbing up a hill right now myself. But I can see the top!

Your post made me miss running long (a little).

Amberly said...

go janice! that was freaking awesome. i could see that analogy being used in a conference talk. someday when my amazingly spiritual husband is called as a general authority and has to give a talk in conference, can he use that analogy? haha

Run Mommy said...

An excellent post!

Marci said...

Great post. Its always better when we don't give up, and we give it our all, thanks for the inspiration!