June 8th, 2010--Susan Komen Update and Future Plans

Hello Friends...I've missed you!  How's things?

I thought I better update my blog today since I have a few minutes to spare.  You've probably been wondering how the Susan Komen run went on April 25th...or maybe not... 

Well if you're interested, the run was held on a nice cold day...the first mile my muscles were in self-preservation mode--stiff and freezing cold! We kept moving because if we didn't we'd seize up and someone would find me stuck on the ice patch near the water stand, frozen solid. 
 
The physical aspects of the race weren't too tough--especially since I interspersed some walking in with the running and could allow my heart to slow down enough so I didn't think it would explode inside my chest. I had complete control over how hard I would push myself, hard at some points, not so hard at others.  Thank goodness for a very large group of walkers behind me--which, with their even pace and strides, allowed me to survive and not embarrass myself by coming in last.

I didn't know it until the race actually began, but running is a very big mental challenge.  How many times can you tell yourself you're not going to quit, you're not going to fail, you're just going to keep going no matter what? Only so many times...at least until you start defending the character of a quitter. That's when you know there's a battle going on and you better just turn off the brain for a second. 

I found that when I needed to shut 'er down for a few, I'd just look around and think about each of the people I saw.  What was their life like, did they have families, why did they decide to wear that to run in?  That was distracting enough to give me a short break from the diatribe going on in my head. 

Then I would daydream...

The visions of finishing and going home or coming in last as the finish line is being dismantled was enough to keep me moving swiftly...well, ok, "swiftly" was an exaggeration...how about just "moving"?  Moving is good.

Either way you look at it, there must be either humiliation or a reward; just running for the sake of running is either insanely crazy or foolish.  At least in my view.  But the visions of (sugarplums) reward are what kept me going. 

Sure, rewards are selfish.  I am unrepentant--I like them, I will work for them, I will be motivated by them, I will continue to strive when I'd rather give up to get them. I will also do all in my power to avoid humiliation.  Call me human. 

Life is like running.  There are challenges, rewards and humiliation to be avoided.  Only in the Christian life, the reward is Jesus.  So I keep running, however slowly, taking breaks and walking, sometimes sprinting to the finish, sometimes just crawling along.  Whatever pace I go, I go.  I will get my Jesus (reward) (sugarplum) in the end. And it will be worth the effort.

I finished at 38 minutes, just in front of a fellow co-worker who speed walked the race.

I think running is overrated so I'm going to speed walk the Camp Meeting race.  My top speed is "casual morning stroll".  So I'll see you at the finish line, if it's still up by the time I get there...either way--the end of our race is almost here and our reward is waiting!  Get out there and get moving!

Until next time!

Kasey