Wow...... A lesson in being there

It has been an interesting week. I was really sad to find out that a couple of friends who have been married for 15 years have decided to split up and separate.They were married a month after my husband and myself, we actually stole their wedding date, by accident (long story). There are no kids involved, a couple of dogs, a house and two adult lives.

I've decided that I think that I need to be a better friend. That this could happen and I stand by completely oblivious to it all? I am naturally naive, but here I now just feel neglect full. Not that I could have done anything at all but to not even have a clue that two close friends were in trouble? I am disappointed in my by standing behaviour and attitude.

This couple I have admired in many ways. They never minded the other had outside interests. They seemed to encourage each other in their separate interests. This is something I have admired over the years in this couple. This is all new so I probably don't and won't ever have the whole story. I don't need the story.I really just need it to know that I have to make a better effort to be a friend.

One of the running things I have said to have incorporated into my life is 'improve personal relationships', here I have previously failed. So now I will study harder. I will make more of an effort to be out there, caring and just being there when a friend needs me. Maybe even when they don't need me, just because.... that's what friends do!

There is the story of Job in the bible. There is a time in his life when all is lost, with the exception of his faith, and his friends gather around him. Allot of stupid things are said, all trying to make him feel better, but all he really needs is someone there to just be, to just be there. Nothing needs to be said, there is something to be said in not having to say something at all. Anyways, I need to put in the time to just be there. Nothing more, nothing less.

This brings to mind another situation where I was probably a bit neglect full of a dear friend by trying to be kind and not hurtful. All I can do now is pray and let them know that I am here, whenever the need arises, I am here. So that is what I will do, I will let them know I am here. Every month (every week seems stalker like) I will leave a message on their answering machine to let them know I miss them, and that is all. I won't let the situation get the better (bitter) of me. I will put the work into 'improving personal relationships'.

This is a hard lesson to look at, as I have always considered myself a really great person for a friend, but to see how I have taken my friendships for granted has once again led me to another lesson in humility. And a real eye opener to the world around me. This is not an easy thing to do, look at myself this closely inside, but after the shock of seeing those around me in such.....? Not sure what to call it, as things are seeming quite amicable right now with the separating couple.? To be so oblivious to those who have been hurting? Yes, it is time for me to step up the efforts! To go out of my way for those I love and hold dear to me.

So that is the only warning if you happen to be a friend of mine and are reading this, I love you all so dearly, you are such wonderful people, and I plan to make sure you know it!

Have a great week!

Nicole

Feeling the road

So I had a great run this weekend! The only reason it was great is that I finished and came away with some new lessons learned. I really learn more about myself as I run, some things I would prefer to not know. But then I guess I couldn't do anything about things I don't like if I don't first admit to needing a change?

I had been training in my vibram five fingers, then on race day I gave them up for my husband to wear, and I went out in my old water shoes. This was not a smart thing to do. I didn't realize how differently you feel the road in the VFF's, as it is much closer to barefoot than a water shoe. I think this surprised me as the water shoe has what seems to be a thinner softer sole, where as the VFF's have a harder sole but one that fits much closer to the form of your foot. Moving from a water shoe to the VFF's is an easier transition than back tracking from the VFF's to the water shoe. Once one gets used to feeling the road under your feet, going back I seemed to loose my stride, the placement of my foot on the road. It matters.

It matters what road we choose to tread on. It matters that we can connect with our bodies that have been so wonderfully made. It matters that we can connect with the world around us, and the road under us.

Well if you have read a bit of this blog you may be seeing where I'm gonna go with this now.... I'm really believing that God made us wonderful, and He made our feet to do a job that they are well equipped to do. We were not made broken. In the awesome book "Born to run, a hidden tribe, super athletes, and the greatest race the world will never see" the author Christopher McDougall writes about our consumerism (or a company's greed) as part of the driving force for the creation of bigger and better shoes. He also writes about how many people felt that our evolution has gone well with the exception of our feet, which need help, according to some specialists. He then goes on to provide support and studies which prove these people wrong. To me this supports the case that God has created us perfectly. (not that we are perfect in our choices, but that is another story altogether!) God did not leave out our cushioning, He is our soft cozy place to go when we need comfort. This leads me to another thought... maybe we were meant to FEEL the road, EXPERIENCE our journey, LIVE our lives.

This is a lesson I think I will experience all week as I remember the differences of running barefoot with fitted protective covering, one that let's me feel the road and still protects me from serious injury; and one that fits loosely over me to dull the feel of the road altogether, and does not really protect me.

Above is a picture of the park where we ran. This is the trees by the zoo as we were walking back to our car after the race, what really caught my eye was the incredible colors in the trees.

Have a fantastic week!

Nicole

Random thoughts the night before a long run

A quote I heard last night:

"Better to be with Jesus in over your head in the deep water, than to sit comfortably on the safe shore!"

I think I will just have to trust this as I seem to get myself in over my head time and time again. Another of my favorite quotes is "Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it!" I can't recall her name at the moment, but she is a business woman in the US. This is the quote which got me to sign up for my first half marathon. After I signed up for my first half clinic I did feel over my head, now I'm feeling that again. I must enjoy it, I keep doing it to myself.

I find that I need something to motivate me, if I sign up for an event then I need to train, if there is no event there is no goal, there is no need to train. I have goals, a reason to train, a need to get in over my head. Looking forward to this month as I am looking forward to my first marathon. I will hold on dearly to some scripture as I go though.

But tomorrow is another day. Actually tomorrow is Sunday and I am excited about running another half marathon. This one I get to run with my husband, it is his first and I hope I can keep up. He just started running these last 6 months and has been doing really well. Previously he hasn't been able to run at all as his knees would usually give out after about 10 feet, so with the new stride as a barefooter he has trained for and will run his first half tomorrow. Lucky us, my running partner has girls old enough to babysit, and so we are getting the opportunity to run together. We have done a 5km, a 10km and this will be our first half! I am truly blessed!

Have a great weekend.

Nicole