26.2

Wow!!! Four hours and forty-three minutes of running!!! That's a LONG time. It was so amazing!!!! What a feeling of accomplishment! I have two favorite parts. One is crossing the finish line and completing what I trained for! The other is that I got to run 24 of those miles with my best friend! I even wonder today if I would have made it if it weren't for her. I struggled from mile 14 to 19 and she was there. She encouraged me in my mind to think of things above. It was at that point that I turned my ipod to the book of Psalms (from the bible on cd by Word of Promise!) Of course, when that didn't help... pretty much all the music suggestions friends from Facebook gave me helped a bit!!

We took it nice an slow from mile 20 to 24. It was at that point that my dear friend's calf was giving her the most grief, so I went on. I think I was so excited about the finish that I began to sprint..... at mile 24! I sprinted pretty much until 25.98 where I put my ipod away so I could soak in the feeling of the finish! I LOVED that my family was there cheering me on!

OH, and a third favorite part was that our husbands rode their bikes along the course to check in on us and cheer us on along the way! This was fun! I never knew when I'd see them and when I did see them I lit up. I'd get my smile on and ham it up for the camera. Nick took LOTS of great shots. I'm just putting a few on here, but I think there were like 80 in my FB album!

Last thing I desire to say about finishing my first marathon is that I want God to receive ALL the glory! I trained, yes.... but I trained WITH Him. I talked to Him a LOT about this race and my body and training and difficulty and made many life applications along the way. I grew in this experience in many ways and am SO glad that I DID IT!!!!!!!

First Timer...

... A lot of my friends are beginning to ask me how I'm feeling about the upcoming marathon. I thought I'd just compile all my thoughts right here.



I've trained for four months and feel like my body is ready. The tapering part of the miles in these past two weeks has been a strange thing for me to process. You'd think there would be a progressive build up... but, instead, we back way off in the last two weeks. I went out for a short and easy 3 miles yesterday and 1 mile into I felt a new pain in my knee. I have noticed it today as well and this is causing some frustration and anxiety within me.

Now, without this concern for my knee, I was already feeling a bit of nervousness and anxiety simply because it's my first marathon and therefore holds unknowns. Now, with this, I wonder if I'll even be able to do it at all. I am praying that God will completely take any aches and pains away so that I can complete what I've worked so hard for. The weather looks really good and in my favor for that day. I was a bit concerned about running the last 13 miles with strong southerly winds pushing into my face (like previous years for the OKC Memorial Marathon.) Well, it is currently forecasted to be 15 mph out of the NW!!!! This is great news. I will be running into the wind FIRST.... something I really do prefer. Sunday is a high of 70 degrees and partly cloudy!!! With a 6:30 am start, I'm thinkin' it's gonna be a good day :)

I've thought over and over again what it would feel like to talk about and train for an event that I don't get to finish. It would sadden me to have to give that as my report, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I am praying, "Not my will, but yours, Lord." I have always seen such a spiritual parallel with this training. I want God to receive glory through anything I do.

For my fellow Oklahomans: you can watch it live on channel 4. Anyone can follow with the Memorial Marathon App on your iPhone (it's free!) Or, lastly, you can track here with my bib numberr: 3782

So, tomorrow I get to pick up my registration packet and then.... kick back and wait for Sunday morning to arrive!

And the winds die down....

The Marathon is almost here. It is a week from Sunday. Today is Friday. I really am on the countdown to this big event that I've put so much time and energy into. I feel like this past week of my life has just been a whirlwind. Let's see:
I started a job (from home.)
I put my house on the market.
(which inevitably means doing a bunch of stuff around the house the days preceding.)
I had a day of looking at houses.
I'm tapering on my miles which almost feels like abandoning this four month monster!

And all of this life transition stuff has left little to no time for this little blog of mine. My mind spins with life application and important truths. My heart's gage is all over the place and is in constant need of evaluation or assessment. Which is why I am so thankful that I have the Holy Spirit with me always! He is like oxygen. He is always there and I am in constant NEED of Him.

This morning's gentle, still and quiet entrance of the day is such a perfect picture of His faithfulness. He is always there. HE's always been faithful. I just read: "earth's best cannot bear comparison with heaven's least." This has me still in my tracks.

The Oklahoma wind sure does blow... and blow.... and blow... and blow. This morning, it is perfectly still outside. I hear the birds of spring singing their song. It's like a freeze frame capturing heaven's least. I am somehow equating all of my life's current busyness of marathon, job, house with both the Oklahoma wind and earth's best. So, on this still quiet morning with a perspective of Heaven's least and the peace and calm that is offered in Heaven's eyes, I am refreshed. In this stillness, I start my day.

Happy Sweet 16 to a Friend!

I took my dog on a walk the other day. He has not properly been trained on a leash. He doesn't know the "heel" command. He is so excited to be out and about that you see him taking off to every pull of his desires. As I walked him in the neighborhood, I kept him on a short leash. That's when I started thinking about this analogy where people say that they've "got someone on a short leash". Once we were out of the neighborhood and on the sidewalks, I let the leash extend as far as it could go. It literally put a huge grin on my face to watch him take off to give in to the impulses to mark his territory and sniff all the things to be sniffed. As we walked for a few miles, it all clicked for me.

(Birthday Girl), You have been on a leash under your parents training. They have given a tug if they see your tendencies are taking you somewhere unacceptable or even dangerous. They pull the leash in tighter to teach or give a command. At the age of sixteen, you begin a life of bigger independence and with that comes bigger responsibility. The responsibility that is most important to me is that you begin to recognize, rely upon and obey the spiritual leash that God has given to you. By His Holy Spirit, we as His children will get a tug or we will feel some slack in the rope. Begin to notice it... because when you are released from the leash of your parents and you are like a wild dog excited about his environment, there are dangerous things around that you may not recognize without that tug!

Lastly, that tug is ALWAYS out of love. I don't pull in the slack on my dog's leash because it appears he was having too much fun. I pull it in so that he doesn't get entangled or bulldozed or poisoned. God loves you and wants what is best for you. As you grow in independence and responsibility, may you live wearing your Spiritual Leash! Happy Sweet 16!!!!

Much love to you,
Rachel