As some of you know- I recently embarked on a 3 ½ week, 435 mile run from Rochester, NY to Portland, ME. The idea behind it was to fundraise for the Race; some individuals sponsored me per mile, and I was planning to lodge with church contacts along the way, which would expand my network of potential donors. (If you’re curious as to why now, why that distance, etc. feel free to contact me, I’d love to share, but this blog will already be too long, so I won’t include it here.)
I get it- the whole thing seems a bit crazy, but I’d like to think that God calls us to some “out of the box” things in life at times. If you’ve read my previous blog about running, you know that running is where God and I talk the most. So I get to do something I love, raise money, all while meeting with God. Sounds like a pretty good deal.
I had everything set for the first couple days- after that God was going to have to provide some new contacts, because I didn’t have any. Leading up to the start I knew God was calling me to this, I had fought it for 7 months because I thought it was a little too wild, but I knew God was saying “go”. Everything was working out perfectly, down to the smallest details, I knew this was anointed.
I was feeling ambitious the first day and was eagerly staring down 23 miles. My mom asked to join for the first day, but due to a hip injury she had a few years ago, we would have to walk. I was excited to have my mom along, so I didn’t mind the pace, but it did take us about 10 hours to complete the day! I got a little taste of perseverance and endurance that day.
Hebrews 12:1c “…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Day 2- Another really long day, but I was alone and ran the day through vast stretches of farm lands and woods. It was incredibly peaceful. Near the end of my run a little baby deer decided to join me for a few miles. Then the day ended with a kayak ride on a lake near where I was staying for the night. I got to experience so much peace that day!
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Each day was something new, and I was on this adventure with Jesus!
Starting early in the run though, I could feel my left foot start to ache. Each day was a battle to keep running, even though my foot was throbbing with pain. I kept thinking “why on earth would God call me to this only to have me get hurt right away?!” At the end of day 3 I couldn’t even walk on it.
[ Funny story about day 3- I got to a trail head where I was going to end for the day. I sat down in the shade, only to see a car pull to the other side of the road shortly after. I didn’t think anything of it, except that she was staring at me and talking on a cell phone. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later a cop comes rolling up and parks near me. Apparently I didn’t look as suspicious to the cops because they drove by me a couple times and then left me alone, but this woman literally sat there and watched me until my ride came! ]
I spent the next two days aggressively treating my foot with RICE – Rest, Ibuprofen, Compression, Elevation. I had my brother bring me a road bike so if I couldn’t run I could at least bike the rest of the journey. I also got fitted for new shoes to see if that would help, the ones I had were cinched in the center, so the force from hitting the pavement was focused right on the injury spot.
After a couple days of riding the bike and fighting through my foot injury, I had run out of places to stay. I had to stop. I kept asking God why. I have tried everything I could to make this happen. Besides my foot, I wasn’t really sore and I was ready for the rest of this trip! I really felt like this was the Lord’s leading, so why is this not going as expected? Why did I have to stop?
I can tell you I haven’t gotten an answer to any of my questions. And that’s okay. Through my week on the road I can tell you with 100% certainty that God does not reside inside this box my mind has put Him in. Literally not a single thing went as expected. Sometimes it was better; sometimes I was left just plain confused. But you know what, I trust Him more. I got to see and experience God in a way I wouldn’t have been able to had I stayed put. He is good regardless of the outcome of this journey and He is faithful to take us through exactly what we need and when.
For those sponsoring me per mile- I was able to pound out 100 miles! Hey, at least that makes for easy math.
Also, the foot is feeling better, x-rays showed no breaks, but it was sprained. I’m on the road to recovery though and should definitely be 100% come launch time in a month!
Be Blessed.
