Small update before I start, I’m sorry it took me a week to post this blog. I felt that it would be right to be off of social media for a couple of days. Well since Sunday my team and I have said our farewells to Thailand and new friends we have made there, and took an overnight bus to the border. Had a 5 hour stop than took another bus through the border and slowly chugged it’s way through the Malaysian hills. After 11 more hours we made it to Kuala Lumpur. I will spend the next 5 days or so for my squad’s debrief. Please pray for the squad has changes are happening. Now back to your scheduled blog for today…
I awoke to the power and strength of God, starting with a heavy down pour. And to just make his point there was thunder and lightening. Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch a good storm but today since I was going to be outside for a lot of the day I didn’t care for it much. As it was calming, shortly after, I had time to think and let my nerves rise within me. I’m about to run a 10k race in a couple hours, usually that wouldn’t scare me but today was different.
I have been excited about running a race during at least one of these 11 months on the WR. At the start of this month Jordan and I talked about training and running a half marathon that was taking place. We were unsure at the start of this month if we would be still in this area at the time of the race. So we didn’t sign up online and waited until it got closer. But we are in the area still so we signed up the Friday before the Sunday race. (I only signed up for the 10k because I slacked in my training for the half.)
So my nerves… I kept thinking how this is crazy to run a 10k with out training. Though it’s not a half a 10k is a very good distance. I thought how I have only really ran once in 10 months. How I realize the night before that our course is hills, hills, and more hills. How I had to get up at 3am when I could have slept in. But I wasn’t going to let my laziest to motivate me. (If you let it motivate you once then it will happen easier the next time. Before you know it. I’ll be a lazy couch potato.)
I stood by the start line ready to cheer on two of my teammates as they started the half marathon an hour and a half earlier then my 10k. I spent the time before my race just talking with God. (I found my self doing that more these days.) I thanked him for the beautiful day, that I was able to do the race at all. I asked that I not be nervous that I smile and enjoy myself, even if I walk the whole way. Well I started the race and God answered.
God gave me a running partner and motivator. He joined me about 1k into the run and crossed the finish line right behind me. He never said a single word, but when I slowed down or started to walk he would slow down and wait for me to catch up. My running partner’s name was Pup, he was a four-legged friend of man. God also showed me his beauty that is all around us. I heard the softness of the waves as they crashed into the sand and rocks as I ran past. I was even blessed with seeing elephants just slowly making their way down the road on the opposite side from me. (Only in Thailand would you see elephants walking down the busy street.) I smiled and laughed my way through that whole race. I even was able to make others day, as the laughed at the sight of Pup and I running together.
