"What did you run from?"

so i was sitting here pondering what to blog about, toying around with an idea that wasn't so important or necessary to write about, when i remembered that i went on a run the other day. anyone who knows me knows that this is very far from normal for me. i told my dad and he said, "What were you running from?" he was being sarcastic of course because that's my dad's sense of humor. but it was even funnier to me, because as i jogged down the stairs to start my run, that's exactly what i thought i was doing - running away from something.

as i ran, i began to think about what i was running away from. it is true, i was running away from something, but not so much as i was running looking for something else. running is hard for me; it isn't something i've ever been gifted in and its never been something i've necessarily enjoyed doing either. the whole time i run, i think and i fight the urge to quit...its challenging. but the rush of the cold air, my feet pounding, and the heavy breaths remind me that i'm living and challenges like this are part of living. you aren't always going to like it, it's not always going to be fun, but you can fight through it and it gets better and it gets easier.

it's hard. you may not enjoy it. but the more you work at it, the easier it gets. it will never be flat out easy; life isn't meant to be that way. after a tough week with little resolution, it may seem contradictory to want to add more challenge and more difficulty. but i ran to look for that challenge and to feel that challenge and to feel life.