Heavenly Post-Race Parties.

(Disclaimer...I promise...promise promise promise that after the half in about a week I will undoubtedly talk about other things in my blog again...but there's no denying it...I've got the fever - ;-) )

Yay! Double blog post day again! The majority of the reason I'm blogging is because it's 10:16 at night, and today is my off day, and I seriously seriously seriously have been craving a run. It's still early enough that I could get in a little night jog, my favorite kind of running. This rarely happens to me. I think I'm just getting so amped up about the half that I want to prove to myself that I can run. Anyway, tomorrow is a 6 miler and I want to see if I can beat my last time. If I can do just a taadddd better, then I'm very confident that I'll also finish the half at my goal time.

Anyway, I'm writing because I was reflecting on how there are two different types of runners. In my book, anyway. So anyway, like I said, I just finished reading this book by Dean Karanazas who won the worlds hardest foot race (Badwater). Anyway, at the end of the book he talks about running being his salvation, he's sanctuary. This bothers me a lot. Ok, I know that not everyone believes what I believe, but I happen to think that only God is my salvation. Dean (I speak of him as if he is my friend...I think someday I should talk about my deep obsession with books also...) finds solace in running extreme races...but what happens when all the races with all the crazy amount of miles runs out? What happens when you injure yourself and can't run? What if you were to become paralyzed from the waist down? Then is running your salvation? I don't know, it's all kind of silly I guess, but I kind of want to redeem myself here I guess. I think that Dean would be the first kind of runner, the kind that see's running as their salvation, the kind that lives a life full of finish lines, never knowing which one will be the final one. I on the other hand, and I think a few others who happen to be running the ultimate race with me, the heavenly one, run ultimately for one finish line. That finish line is our Savior's arms. I run because it helps me to be a calmer, more relaxed person. It helps me understand my faith. It challenges me. A lot of times, when I'm running, I pray. I love praying when I run, too, because my thoughts are so sporadic, my prayers are so completely naked, like stripped of the "Our fathers, who art in heaven" 's, and all the religious mumbo jumbo. My prayers during runs are often times like "Hey God, so I'm really frustrated today with the way this person or that person treated me. I don't know, I guess I need more patience. Could you help me with that?" It's me praying, not some silly religious fanatic. I pray from my heart. Sometimes, my prayers are even interrupted by "Hang on God, I gotta get up this hill...grunt...errr...I can do it...". I think in those moment's, God's like "Ok Aubree...yeah! You can do!! Get up that hill my beloved!!" My point being I guess, is that I love running, but not without first loving God. Running half marathons, 5K's, or even marathons are all just a part of this greater, bigger race I happen to be in.

And man, what a post race party that'll be.