THE EXTRA MILE: Running can't be cure-all to get you through life's bumpy roads
by Kym Klass
July 4, 2010
Maybe I have come to depend on running too much.
You know, that dependence a lot of runners hold on to that "the run" will provide a release -- temporary or otherwise -- from troubles, duties, worries, life.
Scary how sometimes "life" is separate from those other words, but it happens when things continue to stack upon each other.
That dependence -- maybe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing -- has helped me realize this past week that I've reached my end.
I've learned that even when God doesn't answer right away to your questions, fears or wonders, that those runs alone aren't always going to get you through the next hour, let alone the entire day. You know, that quick-fix run that is supposed to provide adrenaline to help you conquer the world, or at least through the time it takes to eat breakfast. That's not asking a lot, is it?
I'm going to step away from running a bit in today's column and talk more about faith. Shoe-buying advice or hydration tips will follow next week.
For now, the dynamics of my life are changing.
And sometimes, during life's hardest moments, you forget to ask for help. From friends, or from wherever it is you find your faith. I believe in fate, luck, coincidence and that things "happen for a reason." But I have more faith than all four of those put together.
A good friend recently gave me a daily devotional book. Every day, I look for comfort. This past week, I came across this one sentence in the book that forced me to pause:
"The true question is not whether you can cope with whatever happens, but whether you and I together can handle anything that occurs."
Here is what has happened recently: I have learned to have faith getting through -- and thanking Him on the way out. I've never been a runner who has said, "God, get me through mile 9 of this half marathon and I promise to attend church more regularly." I get through mile 9 running or walking, and thank Him for getting me to the 10th mile. That's faith.
This hit me on my run Friday, as my route took me on part of a road I'm not terribly comfortable running on. It is not by any means secluded, but it is a road divided by a forest -- making me feel a little caved in. I ran that stretch of road, and sent up a quick prayer of thanks for getting me through safely.
It's only about 200 yards, but I count blessings whenever I'm able.
I count my blessings after phone calls, difficult discussions, humid runs. Drives through storms. My blessing is that my faith brought me through.
Running is not a cure-all. It is a great stress relief, but it won't ease all worries. Sometimes, nothing immediately will, whether it is a run, prayer or outreach. It feels good at the time, but what I've learned is that the journey, whether it is through miles or those times after breakfast, is where your faith is built.
And that finishing the race, getting through the afternoon -- that is the reward.
Kym Klass is an avid runner, R3 member, and a metro reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. Follow her workouts at www.runkymklass.blogspot.com and twitter.com/kymklass.
