Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe

The St. George Marathon made it's way into town.  My Dad has been running the long 26 point something miles for 22 years.  And for 22 years I have been able to watch and cheer for him.  I have never missed a single year.  I watched as all those runners took strides to make it the last couple of miles..we figured out last year that the best view was from mile 23.  There was one lady that I was amazed was still running!  I couldn't believe she was moving at all.  I wish I had taken a picture, because I swear the force of gravity would have made her fall down, but she was chugging a long like everyone else.  I was able to spend time with my family and my kids were able to spend time with their cousins and a pot belly pig!

Running has always been a part of my life.  I first discovered running in high school.  The couch in PE kept bugging me to try out for track, he said I great running form, but I never did.  He even had the track couch come and watch me.  But I chickened out and didn't go.  I would run though, every once in a while.  I was never very fast, but enjoyed the feeling of the pavement under my feet.

When I had Sariah, I would run in the evenings, up and down the long hill by my mother in laws house.  It was my favorite run. I had a dog chase me once, he kept trying to beat me..I thought he was going to attack me.  He followed me all the way home.  I was upset when we moved to our house, I missed my old route.

Now, I have been struggling to get back into the game.  You know, being asked four times in about two months if I was expecting has motivated me to get back into the game of running...

Running is hard, it isn't easy.  You can't tie on your brand new running shoes and then expect to run a half marathon the first day.  You have to build up, slow and steady.  Sometimes, your run is amazing, and you feel like you can go farther than 10 miles, heck, you could run a marathon.  And other days, you are lucky if that mile is in sight!  But if you keep at it, the miles and the speed comes.  And the air..I have to train my body to breathe.  It isn't easy.  My lungs tell me to stop, and my heart tells me it can't take another beat.  But I keep going.  Even if I have to start over at a mile, again and again.  And who knows, maybe one day I'll be the one running the marathon, watching for my cheerleaders.  And defying gravity.