This morning I finished off the 2011 year of running with a 15 miler for an annual total of 785 miles and 25 pounds lighter. The Lord has blessed me with good health to allow me to run without serious injury and continual improvement. I raced a couple half marathons and a handful of 5Ks. My half marathon time improved by 13 minutes and my 5K time improved by a little more than 2 minutes.
During the summer we received a little bundle (a boy) of joy in our newest addition to the family. He has an infectious smile that prevents you from being upset at him for too long that we're sleep deprived. I'm blessed by both of our boys and I'm constantly reminded by them how awesome it is to be a father. I've taken the oldest on runs with me in a jogging stroller a friend gave me (another blessing).
The Lord allowed me to run a half marathon this fall to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of little Theo - a young boy from the DR Congo by a couple in our Church - and Tracy - a gentleman I know through my work who were both diagnosed with Leukemia earlier this year. The good news is that both are seemingly improving and overcoming their cancer. I'm thankful to have been able put my running to use to honor them and benefit blood cancer research. I continue to pray for both. I was truly blessed and encouraged by the generosity of so many who prayed and donated. Thanks again!
I definitely feel blessed by all the running I've done this year. On the surface, my running may seem insignificant to some. Sure running in and of itself is nothing but what the Lord has done through running has really improved my life this past year. The following are some of the ways running improved my life... it satisfied a desire for adventure, I discovered more about the place I live, it got me outside to enjoy nature, it helped focus aggression, it helps battle emotional darkness, it increased overall confidence, it improved health dramatically, it increased endurance and strength, it gave me time alone to think and pray, etc. All those benefits and more came from the gift of putting one foot in front of the other (quickly I might add) and as a result I'm enjoying life more.
So, my running resolutions for running in 2012 is to keep running and enjoy every day that the Lord gives. Practically I'm going to enjoy my slow runs more by running slow and take it all in, I'm going to tackle 26.2 for the first time and hope to run a 5K under 20 min. I'll let you know how all that pans out by blogging more about running in 2012 as well. I hope you'll add "start running" to your list of New Year's resolutions. All it requires is a good pair of socks, shoes and a little will power to keep at it. You'll be glad you did.
Happy New Year!
