Day One: Tough

"Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand." Psalm 37:24

This is my verse for week one. I chose it, thinking that when I felt that strong desire to give up, that I could remember that He is holding my hand, pulling me to keep going. Today, I desperately needed that pull. I decided that I was going to run in my neighborhood, because in the past I've done most of my running on a treadmill, forcing me to really struggle when I would run outside. I really want to get to a point where I am familiar with both, so I ran outside. The problem is, even though it is September and the weather is "cooling down" to the mid to upper 90's, it is still very hot for Minnesota me. I left the house at 10:30am, ambitious and ready to do the darn thing. There are hardly any trees in my neighborhood, so when you run on the street, you are running on hot blacktop, with the sun beating down on you, screaming at you that you cannot defeat it. That it will wear you down until you are a sad, crying little puddle of defeat, baking in it's hot, steamy glory. Well, I am proud to say that I didn't cry or turn into a puddle, but it was a close one. I did find a block of street that was lined with nice big trees so I got a little break from the hot hot heat, but other than that, I kinda resembled an egg. I was out for twenty five minutes...


...It took me an HOUR just to get the migraine that I picked up along the way to leave... I didn't even have a chance to stretch, between getting an ice cold wash cloth and laying spread eagle on the bed with the fan blasting on me while my dogs laid next to me, more than likely wondering if they were soon to be abandoned by their dead mother (or at the very least, passed out mother).  People, run in the morning. Drink water before you go. Don't wear black. These are all things that could have dramatically changed the outcome of this mornings run.

Now I've enjoyed my tuna sandwich for lunch and I'm off to go stretch. We'll hit the pavement a lot better prepared Wednesday.


Peace, love and trees that provide shade