Sunday, March 29, 2009

Cool Runnings

I'm horrible with movie trivia, but do remember a family friendly film put out years ago called Cool Runnings? It was about the first Jamaican bobsled team that went to the winter Olympics in Canada. They trained in the heat of Jamaica going down grassy hills. (It was funny and worth watching or sharing with your kids if they haven't seen it.)

Of course the appeal was partly the team doing a winter sport in a country that was so obviously hot. It was a paradox.

I feel a bit like I'm living a paradox with the running thing. I've always thought that I could never be a runner and I would really never be a runner in the cold. Even though it is technically spring, the weather in Illinois is cold. It was in the thirties yesterday and there was actually a very wet snow on the ground this morning.

But with an odd determination (perhaps like that of the first Jamaican bobsled team), three of us in the Tiger (transitional or really slow group) Catch the Wave running program ventured out into the weather yesterday. We bundled up and were warm after our five minute walk warm up and first interval of running 2 1/2 minutes and walking 1 1/2 minutes.

A necessity break took us into a downtown Normal establishment. Honestly, it felt like a sauna to us. My face was beat red and I was dripping sweat when I told Chris and Katie I was waiting outside.

To add to the scene, imagine huge drops of rain that pelted us as we headed back north on the trail.

After braving the cold and even the rain, we decided that maybe we really are runners. Only runners are crazy enough to go out in the elements, right?

We did a 3.15 mile trek. We estimated a 14-15 minute mile. Slow in the world of runners, but it made us feel like we accomplished something.

Wed. night when our group meets again for Catch the Wave, we are suppose to run 3 minutes and walk 1 minutes. It sounds challenging, but I think we were all feeling more confident after yesterday. I do need to get another run in sometime tomorrow....


Is there anything you ever thought you would never seriously attempt that you are working on or praying about working on?



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3 comments:

Holly said...

Yeah Amy! I am so proud of you! Keep it up...there will come a day when you will wake up and actually get really excited to go out and run. You will look forward to it each day. It will transform you mentally, physically, and emotionally. So happy for you girl!

Renee Swope said...

Yes, I never thought I'd run a half marathon and I did last December!!! Now I LOVE running. I look forward to it, like Holly said. I crave it. I may even be a little addicted to it. But it's so good for me and I feel so close to God when I running and seeing all that He created around me.

I am so proud of you!!! I bet you are meeting some really neat people, too!

Joyful said...

WOW - way to go Amy! I am so impressed! Not being a runnner myself, I think what you're doing is amazing! I love to get out and "power walk", but I am not a runner!

Your pic is great! Everyone looks so happy. I think that's the major thing that discourages me from desiring to run. Most runners I see have such pained, unhappy expressions, it doesn't really entice me to join them.

I really don't have an answer to the question you asked. Sadly, I don't think I am working towards anything right now. My days have been stolen from me as I spend each one at the hospital with Dad. You have provided me some 'food for thought' and some motivation. I'll let you know what I decide to 'run' after :o)

Blessings,
Joy