When Running Blind is Good

So a new chapter has begun in my life.  It seems like things change up in my life quite a bit especially since I dedicated myself to getting healthy and submitted myself to acts of physical cruelity!  Haha!  No really,
this new chapter that started effective September 3rd happened because my friend and trainer, Julia Raglin, told me she wasn't renewing her membership at Gale's Gym and that she was going to be working on her life dream of opening her own gym.  Which by the way, is FANTASTIC! I'm so proud and very happy that Julia is taking the plunge and pursuing this life dream.  Every person should not only pursue but actually DO their life dream.  But what that meant was that I was losing this friend who worked out with me, challenged me and truly walked with me from the start of this health journey since April 2012.  I knew I couldn't go to meet Julia at  her house or new gym because it was too long a drive and working 40 hours a week, I didn't want to add more time away from my family.  So I had to make a choice. I had to make a choice that either I was going to 1. continue without Julia on my own or 2. stop working out because it was just too much for me to handle or do right now.

I chose the right choice.  I had to CONTINUE on this health journey without Julia.  I had to pull on my big girl pannies and really do this.  But I didn't want to do this on my own.  I love working out with a buddy.  Not because I want to have these deep conversations while we're working out (because really, I couldn't do that without gasping for breath after each sentence) but more because it feels right- plain and simple.  We weren't meant to do everything alone. When I'm working out with a buddy or a group, there's this sence of oneness, unity and power. 

So I decided to reach out to a group of ladies that I knew were working out in my home town of Vestaburg and connect with them.  Last time I met up with them, I could totally see that I was no where near as in shape as they were. They were at a different level. And to be honest, I decided that I didn't want to be a tag along and drag them down because I was so slow or so out of breath/shape.  That is when I got connected again with Julia and we did the 3 months in the gym and she pushed me. And I truly belieave that if it wasn't for that time at the gym this summer, I wouldn't be able to workout now with these ladies at Vestaburg.  So I "REACHED OUT" to one of the girls that I new was doing these workouts with the group of ladies at Vestaburg gym.  And I was welcomed with open arms. I started 5am Tuesday September 3rd.  And that first day with them I knew that this was where I was supposed to be and that God continues to lead me each day and leads me to the right people and places for the things that I need to keep me going and growing in my health.

Here is where a new lesson begins for me and maybe you too- on Tuesday, when I arrived at 5am, I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I remember that they did do some lap running in the gym this past spring when the weather was cold and so I thought maybe we'd do that with some weight training.  I just didn't know. When I arrived at 5am at the gym, the ladies said we were going to go running.  I was like "ok, that will be nice on this cool morning."  I didn't think to ask how far or what. For some reason I just felt pretty excited to be there and see what was going to happen.  One of the girls said "lets just run a few blocks". No one said no or laugh so I thought "Ok, i can do a few blocks and that will get us warmed up for what we're going to do."  So off we went. I put on my Mapmyrun to track myself.  I am a slow pace runner and I know these ladies are pretty quick but I kept up with their tempo. We were talking and everything seemed good. But then I realized and starting thinking, umm, they are going more than a few blocks here.  We got to a mile and my Mapmyrun says "Total distance: 1 mile Total time: 11 minutes and 44 secounds." and I was like WHAT?!  That is my best mile.  We kept going and I started slowing down and needed to walk. A couple of the girls stopped with me and I felt real bad and told them to keep running with out me. But they didn't listen. They stuck it out with me and walked with me and then jogged when I started and walked again when I walked.  We finished 1.8 miles in 22 minutes and some secounds.  Seriously, my best time for that distance!!  After that run the ladies and I did some street workout and I can talk about that in a later blog.  But I want to get back to the whole time and running thing.

I told Cornelius that there was something about me not knowing how far I was going to run.  It was like I was blind. I didn't know their path they would take. I didn't know their pace.  Everything was like I was blind folded and was out there giving it my best.  I felt more relaxed that first 3/4 mile. I wasn't thinking "this is going to be hard for me." or "Maybe I should go slower at first so that I can keep running or keep up with them."  I was amazed how "running blind" truly did not cripple me. In fact, it enabled me.   I was enabled to do better than what I thought I could do.  And I've found that when I'm being timed to do a plank or timed to do something, if I'm not actually looking at the clock, I see or find that I do better.

Becca and I read a devotional a few nights ago about the woman who wrote thousands of Hymns like "To God Be the Glory" and some other great ones.  I didn't realize that the writer of those hymns was blind. She was blind since a sickness took her sight around the age of 6 months.  They talked about how she had this joy and never was detered from doing the things the other kids did. She honestly felt sorry for those that could see.  She writes a statement about how she would never wish her blindness away.  This woman jumped fences, played rough with the kids, all while she was blind.  Her blindness did not cripple her.  It enabled her to see in a new way. To see no limits.  She didn't put boundaries on what she could or could not do.

Running blind is like totally trusting God. We don't see the whole picture of our lives. We don't see what is going to happen tomorrow. But we trust Him who holds my life in His hand. We trust that He is guiding us, caring for us, directing us down the right path. That He has enabled me to do more than what I can think or imagine. And when I run blind to God and trust that "he's got this", there really is peace. I feel more relaxed. I can trust that HE SEES and that HIS SIGHT is BETTER THAN MINE.

We need to be blind sometimes so that we can rely on Him and His thoughts of what we can do. And that truly is all I have to say today.  It's been a glorious week. I love that school as started. We all are back into a routine in our household and I love it.  And working out in the mornings just works out for my family too because I have my whole evening after work for them.

Emily Dove, one of my new workout buddies, posted this on her facebook page and I love it......I WILL.....

I will continue to keep you posted on the things we're doing because the workouts have seriously been KICK-BUTT awesome. I will continue to share pictures of my adorable family and life in general.  And I will continue to be real and honest in all that I do and experience becase one of my heart desires is to be "authentic" in my faith walk and that God would shine through me to show His love for everyone I meet.

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS!!