Back At It!

I'm back at it, marathon training and blogging.  First we'll discuss the marathon. I signed up for the North Olympic Discovery Marathon or the NODM in Port Angeles. It takes place June 5th which means training has just begun.  I'm quite excited and anxious to begin ramping up my long runs.  There's a thrill about going further and farther that I still can't quite explain.  I think the non-athletic young me is still in shock and disbelief that older me can actually endure for that long.  Of course, older me knows that I can make it through child birth without the assistance of drugs, tolerate days, weeks and months on no more than 3-4 hours of sleep (though fortunately babies eventually outgrow that stage), handle being thrown up on by a sick child, pull a pre-teen out of bed in the morning for school after I've been up all night with the flu, deal with kidney stones, and a whole host of other really not fun stuff. If I can do all that I can surely push my body for 26.2 miles.  I know I'll keep up with my marathon training given there are no injury set-backs and this time I hope to push it a little harder.  My first marathon was all about the experience.  I had no time goal.  My only goal was to finish with a smile on my face and the desire to run another one.  Mission accomplished!  I ran with my husband and a friend and spent too much time chatting with volunteers at a couple of the aid stations to worry about my time.  I enjoyed myself but I was in no danger of finishing fast.  This marathon I hope to still have fun but I also want to shave a considerable amount of time off my finish, as in 30 minutes would be nice.  I still won't be in any danger of coming in fast but I'm pretty sure I can finish faster.

As for the blog, I really hope to keep it up.  I enjoy writing so rather than wasting time playing Spider Solitaire I want to pop in here and blog.  I've also decided to take another grand step and I think it just may be harder than the marathon training I'm about to embark on.  I'm finally going to start on that book that's been swimming around in my brain for a couple years.  Actually, I've already started.  I have five pages written!  Yep, five whole pages.  I've got a long way to go.  However, I think those first five have been the hardest. They signify so much more than just a book.  I've been struggling with the whole book concept.  Why?  It freaks me out, that's why!  I've felt for a while now that God has a book in store for me but I haven't known exactly what that book is.  The whole book subject matter has been circling aimlessly round and round my brain while I have tried to figure out easier ways to follow God's direction.  Writing and publishing a book is hard.  Surely there is an easier way to use my writing for God.  I can write essays or short stories for magazines.  I can start a blog!  Perhaps I'll write a story for kids, one my daughter would like.  This is too hard.  I'll ignore it and maybe it will just materialize or go away.  It didn't go away.  What did go away was some of my passion for God, some of my joy.  By ignoring the call on my life I've had to ignore God's voice.  Sure, I still follow Him and read His word but I haven't let it penetrate my heart with the same zeal of the past.  To do so would mean taking up this book prompting again and all the hard work and research I know it's going to entail.  But enough is enough.  I miss God.  I miss His joy in my life.  I miss passion and zeal.  Once I admitted that, beginning my book wasn't as hard.  I suddenly have a direction.  I have a subject matter.  I have a target audience.  I want to reach women for Christ and at the same time encourage them to be healthy and active.  I love men but they are not the audience God is directing me toward.  At least not at this point in time.  So, my book has begun.  It will be a long process and this blog will hopefully help keep me accountable.  The experts in running say when you decide to run a marathon you need to register and then tell people about it.  It will give you accountability and motivation. That's what I'm doing now.  I'm announcing my marathon plan and my book plan.  And you know what, I'm feeling really joyful, passionate and full of zeal at the prospect of both adventures!