BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

18 December 2013

Hi there! Remember this blog?

Hey!  If you've read my blog before you know this is typical...I blog a bit, then you don't hear from me for months or years and then I blog a bit more before another break.  So here is a brief reflection on my running lately.  I can't promise there will be more after this for a while.  I just write when the mood strikes and when I have time. 

Anyway, my running has changed a bit in the last year or so, but especially in the last 6 months.  This last spring, when the weather finally warmed up, our family did something we'd been meaning to do for a long time: we got an annual State Park permit and started hiking regularly at one of our local parks.  It helps that our boys are now both old enough to hike on their own without needing us to carry them in a backpack or on our shoulders.  Our second time out, we were having a nice time as usual, hiking through some woods and around a lake, stopping to have a snack, and just generally enjoying being outside together.  Suddenly, a man came running around a bend and dashed out of sight.  I knew people ran on trails in parks, but I never thought about doing it myself until I saw him.  I figured if he could do it, so could I, so when I had some time the next week, I drove to the park and tried it out.

I've learned by now that the best way to start doing something new in running is slowly, especially when you don't know exactly how hard the trail is going to be and you don't have proper shoes on!  So I started slowly, only running a mile or two at first.  The hills, the fun of running through the woods, and the softer trails were a revelation!  It wasn't long before I was running 5 to 7 miles every time out instead of only 2 to 4 and feeling just as great.  Besides all that, I got to run in an environment that encouraged reflection, peace, and prayer that I've come to love as much as the physical part of running.  Here is one of those places that I grew to love (Glacial Lakes State Park):





So I kind of fell in love with running all over again.  I still run on the street occasionally, but I'm already looking forward to this spring when I can get back on the trail.  I'm also searching for trail races in the area that I can participate in.  If you're a runner and you haven't tried trail running at least once, you should!  The sidewalk or street may never be the same again. In the meantime, happy running and may you have many opportunities to see something beautiful along the way!


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