Never, and I mean NEVER was “running” a part of my makeup! Yes, certainly, it is a word I use often…I am running to the store; I’m running to drop this off at the post office; etc. But playing basketball in jr. high/high school/a year of college was the closest I ever came to having a running career; the actual physical strain of putting my body through such torture was never on my to-do list.

Yet, I married a man who had been a runner in his younger years. He LOVED running! However, this guy had not run for many moons and about a year ago began running again, training for 5Ks because of a grandson. Let’s just understand –I was happy to watch from the sidelines! But God is not interested in our sideline accomplishments…He wants us in the game 😉(kind of a metaphor there 😉).

So it was that He impressed upon my heart at 62 years of age the need to get out of my comfort zone to train and to run in a 5K! What better way to show my husband how much I love him?! Especially as we would train together working on the same sport – both of us sucking in air and in need of CPR!

It certainly has been a process for me to achieve what took place today: a run/walk race in 40 minutes. The biggest obstacle was my knees. The last few months of 2024, I began training but couldn’t push myself beyond a certain point because of knee pain and so I would have to back off the training process. I soon learned building muscle around my knees would take away the knee pain. Years earlier after a herniated disc, I learned how building my core would assist in healing and strengthening my spine. The dear insightful hubby also informed me that building upper body muscles would aid as well in being a better runner. Thus, I learned how muscle provides my physical body with an armor of protection! And my Chiropractor did his part keeping my body aligned. It wasn’t long before I could run without knee pain; yet my nights were filled with interrupted sleep! I was working on my physical armor but realized I was given ample opportunities to put my Spiritual Armor to the test (Ephesians 6:10-18)! And that’s where James 4:7 and many other passages from the Bible became tried and true! and I can say the night before the race was one of my best nights of sleep.

Never say, I am in the clear! Even though the morning of the race was clear and beautiful, my stomach was not feeling it, however, praying it was settled I stepped up to the race. More than I had imagined it felt overwhelming, and I thought I would hyperventilate… but as that passed, sloshing innards kept me company until the halfway turn… where I grabbed a cup of water, quickly downing (I am quite certain a bug was included) and for most of the way back, I coughed uncontrollably to be free of whatever was lodged deep in my throat. Thankfully, the grandson just kept running or walking next to me and we made it just ahead of Pop. The grandson at 39:48, me at 40:01, and Pop at 40:30.

This is “out of my comfort zone,” Lord! But my greatest desire is to live life to the glory of God! What’s next????

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (Colossians 3: 17-20, 23-24, NLT)

	The “young” winner ran it in 17 minutes! Did I mention I was the oldest female?