Day #10 – Lessons Learned in Running

Who do YOU run with?
Day #10 – Lessons Learned in Running

Over this past weekend my husband and I went on a vacation with another couple and had no children with us–it was like a double date for 5 days! We slept in (until 7am–those of you who have children know that 7am is sleeping in), drank coffee, relaxed by the pool, ate amazing food, hiked, then ate some more, stayed up late chatting (until 11pm–again this is late for parents), read books, sat in the hot tub, went to a cherry orchard farm, and even took naps.

On one of the days my friend and I decided to go running to keep up with our training for the half marathon. We talked our husbands into going with us on our 3+ mile trek. My husband and I have only run together one time and that was for a mile, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to end. We started off at our usual pace.

Stride for stride all four of us stayed together–the other couple in the lead and us right behind them. The pace started to get a bit faster as the momentum and excitement of running with a team kicked in–encouraging one another and spurring each other on. We went up steep hills and down steep hills, saw cows who stopped chewing as they watched us pass by, and took in the beautiful scenery overlooking the bay. Everyone was in it all the way.

When we reached our goal distance for the run, we ended up going a faster pace than ever before. During the run no one lagged behind, and all of us finished strong–it felt like we could have easily kept going a few more miles. It was an amazing accomplishment for my husband who had never done distance running before. The energy that came from running as a team allowed us to go speeds and distances that for some had never been accomplished!

Note to self: Lesson #10 – Who do YOU run with? Who you run with may determine if you finish the race/run.

“[Discipline in a Long-Distance Race] Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit!” Hebrews 12:1 (The Message)