Running Communities

So I have the best running buddies in the world. I have my two legged handsome one (my husband) and my four legged fluffy one (my dog). We have run several places together. Our main place is our local parks. They have several trails that we can run on, paved and unpaved. We've run down our street and through the neighborhood next to us. We've run through the back road country of my in law's house, out in the middle of nowhere at campgrounds and in the heart of Downtown Dallas on the Turkey Trot.

What's great about running with people in different places is you get to learn more about them. Through running with my husband I've learned more about him.

This was especially true today. I've been reading that I need to make sure that I train in conditions as close to the race day as possible. My next race is a 15K trail run through Huntsville State Park. Once upon a time, Jared and I rode our mountain bikes along one of the trails there. I remember it being very uneven terrain and had many ups and downs along the winding trail. Much different environment than my flat paved road I've been training on.

So Jared and I hit the bike trails today next to our park that are very similar to the ones in Huntsville and they KICKED MY BUTT. I was so tired and we weren't even halfway through. I went very slowly and yet, I made it alive and with all my stomach contents!

As we were running, I have to admit, it was beautiful. When Jared and I were talking about the run after we were done he said he loved running in that kind of environment. He felt like he could forget about the run a bit more and it was much more enjoyable. Jared doesn't normally speak up about things he likes. He's pretty easy going and likes to do things that I like to do. I've always known he loves being outdoors, but I'm only now discovering how deep that love goes. Let me tell you people, it's deep! I don't necessarily understand him and his likes all the time, but I am sure going to learn how to encourage it!

So I highly encourage YOU to run with a buddy occasionally. If your buddies are far away, you can still do it electronically. My family has been communicating about our runs via email and Facebook as we prepare for our Disney Marathon Weekend. Nike now has a feature on their website and app where you can add friends and "compete" each month with longest distance or number of runs! Communities are important to us just as humans (God wired us that way!) and running communities just gives us an entry point for deepening our relationships with each other!

"And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.<sup>"

~ Hebrews 10:23-25</sup>