When Adam and I began our relationship, we would run or hike and occasionally grab a meal; for the most part, we packed lunch or snacks and hit a trail. A couple of non-running-related injuries would eventually sideline us both. And over the years, we have both lamented how we miss running. We have both tried distance walking at different points, and of course, we still hike. But losing our ability to run took something out of each of us.
I have always been interested in cross-country running; probably the only thing I regret not trying in middle or high school. Therefore, when I finally decided to lace up running shoes and hit the road or trail, it was like fulfilling a lifelong dream. And to have trusted medical professionals advise me to stop within two years of starting hurt. Nevertheless, I listened because physically, I had reached a point where the pain was unbearable; simple runs should not evoke tears from a “seasoned” runner. The years without running have been filled with yoga, hiking, and barre; however, I never wholly committed to either the way I embraced running.
In early February, I shared that “quality time” is my primary love language if you read my post. I am always seeking opportunities for my family to connect while exploring. We can always use more adventure! The preschooler suggested our latest experience by innocently requesting to run a 5K (3.1 miles). While we will not be running a 5K, we are preparing for a 5K Family Fun Walk. Our upcoming 5K is not a first run/walk experience for the preschooler; I guess there is a secret longing for the Healthy Kids Running Series, which is no longer at a convenient location in our area.
Distance walking is not so bad now, as I experience the walking through the eyes of the preschooler. In the past, when I ventured out for a walk, I spent much of the time lamenting about not running versus living in the walk experience. While the preschooler may not be astute at situational awareness, the kiddo points out the clouds that look like random letters, notices the sun and moon are in the sky together and finds joy in jumping sidewalk lines or racing daddy up the hill. The stuff that grownups miss or take for granted because simplicity has lost its wonder?
We have registered for two 5K events this year, roughly five months apart, to keep our commitment to getting outside, improving health, and giving the preschooler more experiences. I am confident that with dedication and working up to it, my child can walk 3.1 miles, if for no reason that I routinely walked such distances as a child out of necessity. Growing up, my family did not always have a vehicle, and I remember walking most places as a child. I recently looked at some of those walked routes and captured the distance; yes, I begrudgingly did it out of necessity; I will gladly walk with my child and husband for fun and health.
At the beginning of the Lenten season, I journaled, reflecting on the pieces of my life I hoped to improve. On that list is “a healthier body and a routine to maintain more energy,” in writing those words, I acknowledged that I would have to say yes to whatever God presented. That was March 2nd. On March 26th, the preschooler asked to run a 5K, and on March 28th, the preparation began.
Did I imagine that my family would tackle a 5K? No, it was not even on my radar. I am continually in awe how God chooses to mold my family members. In the ability to say yes to things the wildly unexpected and challengingly, I am truly living as clay in the potter’s hand (Jeremiah 18).
Bibliography
Healthy Kids Running Series. 2022. https://healthykidsrunningseries.org/.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Walking.” Mayo Clinic. May 19, 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261 (accessed April 10, 2022).
Moyer, Elizabeth. February 7, 2022. https://faryetclose.com/2022/02/07/obsessed-with-overlanding/.
Pediatrics. Cleveland Clinic. May 13, 2019. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/born-to-run-how-young-is-too-young-to-run-a-race/ (accessed March 27, 2022).
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