Thursday, July 29, 2010

And Down the Stretch They Come! (Of a Half Marathon?)

I have been trying really hard not to.

I really, really have been.

But I'm starting to.

I can't help it.

Tomorrow marks two more weeks until CPE is over.  Can you believe it?  It seems like just yesterday I spent my first day on the floor, contemplating how in the world I could quit CPE and still manage to be ordained.  I believe I sent Bruce a text around noon that day, which said:  "I will be home around 10:00 tonight.  At that point I will need to cry."

And now I see light at the end of the tunnel.  It's weird.

I'm trying not to count down the days for several reasons.  First of all, I need to stay focused at the task at hand.  I need to be a chaplain.  I have two more on calls and I am going to need to be especially present and focused during those times.  The spiritual needs of patients, families and staff won't decrease just because I only have a few days left.

Second of all, I haven't fully come to terms with the fact that come August 14th, I won't really have anything to do.  The last seven years of my life have been structured by my education.  During the year my focus was school.  During the summer my focus was work or internships.  Now my job is to finish working through my ordination process and start looking for a job.  Unfortunately, it's not a simple or a fast process.  So there is definitely an in between time of waiting, being patient and trusting the process.

Easier said than done.  I don't do well without structure in my life.

I was thinking about this yesterday and had an idea.  Enter ...


... the Thanksgiving Day Atlanta Half Marathon.

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it and start training?  The way I see it, registering for a half marathon would accomplish two things.  One, it would give me a tangible goal that I can be in control of.  Two, it would give me an outlet to deal with the anxiety that comes with looking for a job.

My only concern is that I still don't have any cartilage in my right knee - but I'm fairly confident that I can slowly build up my miles and strengthen my legs so I'm not pounding on my knees.  13.1 miles is kind of daunting considering the fact I haven't run more than a mile and a half in over three years - but I think it might actually be fun to create a training schedule and trust a different kind of process.

Should I do it?  Any Atlantans want to do it with me?

9 comments:

  1. I totally think you should do it and if I were there I'd totally do it with you!!

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  2. Do it! Even if you just walk it. There are actually quite a few people that walk marathons and 1/2 marathons. Run what you can and walk the rest :-)

    Great way to spend your Thanksgiving. And then you come home and make Bruce do the cooking!!!

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  3. I felt pretty empowered when I trained for and ran the Thanksgiving half marathon. I think I started training in July/August but had just ran the Peachtree (6 miles) and was starting at a good, solid 5 miles. If you are starting from a mile, you will need to be really careful not to get injured and mess your knee up even more. It's a good goal but be gentle with yourself and don't be like me--push too hard and end up worse.

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  4. Do it!!! who knows what that will lead you to do next...

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  5. Hi. We don't know each other and the only reason I found your blog was because of a Google alert I have set for anything related to the UCC. But I say go for it. I finished up a long-term interim at the end of last year and have been in the search and call process since (well, I did take a break from that to run for office, but that's a long story). Anyway, I have a lot of time on my hands now and the search and call process isn't fun, easy or fast. It is a lot like being on Survivor - without the cash prize at the end. So I say take up this challenge and enjoy it. When you get called you'll find it very hard to find the time for things like this.

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  6. RUN IT! And if you come to D.C. anytime before then, I'll do a training run with you! Running is so empowering and a terrific focus to bring to a "waiting period" in your life. But I'm a little biased :)

    (Assuming your knee holds up--no good getting injured)

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  7. I think if you can do it without hurting your knee, it's a great idea!

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  8. That would be awesome if you did it! :)

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Hello and thanks for commenting! Unless I have your email address, I respond to all questions directly in the comment form. Check back if you've asked one! xo, Sarah

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