That Would Be A “Yes”

So, my body says “yes”. I can run this half-marathon. In fact, I can run it faster than I was expecting. I can totally beat my time goal. I mean, who really needs 3 hours? I ran 8 miles in just over an hour and a half yesterday. Yeah. I got this. And I got my dad to keep me motivated. Cause he’s awesome like that.

So that’s it. I’m doing this. And I am so excited about it! I’ve been looking at running quotes and half marathon shirts to see what I want to wear, and I think I’ve found one that I like a lot. On the front, I’m thinking, “Laura Does Columbus” on the front, and on the back it would say, “I don’t go all the way. 13.1” Heehee. Made me laugh anyways.

I’m running the Columbus Half, and I can’t wait!

Learning The Hard Lesson

So, if you’re easily grossed out, skip this post. If not, read on. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Well, about 2 weeks ago, I got an this really bad pain in my big toe on my right foot. And a big bump on the side of it. That bump then turned into a puss and blood filled infection. Awesome. Walking on it hurt, let alone running. So, I went to the doctor’s, got an antibiotic, and took some time off running so I could actually heal. Well, taking time off running was a good idea. Not replacing it with swimming or cycling was not. Sheesh am I stupid. So here I am, a mere 3 weeks from the half marathon, and the farthest I’ve been able to run is less than half of the race. What am I going to do?

I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to stop be stupid. I’m going to actually run. I’m going to get a good, middle length run in tomorrow (I’m thinking 5 miles), at an easy pace, and then run a long run on Sunday (7 miles at a slow pace doing a walk/run combo). I know I’ll be able to do those runs, no problem. Other than pain from where I had my surgery, I feel great all over. So, these runs should help me get back on track. Or make me realize that I may need to defer to the half marathon in the spring. Which would suck, but also help me actually succeed at the race in a way that means more than just finishing it. Perhaps finishing it in a really great time, or running for a cause. Something like that.

But yeah. I learned a hard lesson these past two weeks. What was I thinking? I was thinking I would be fine. I would be able to just get right back on track. Yeah… Not how this thing works. I’m going to run a half marathon, but first, I need to make smaller goals my steps towards actually completing this one. I’ll run 5K’s, 10K’s, and maybe even do a few mud runs. That is, if I defer. Maybe I won’t need to, but maybe I will. And that is something I have to be OK with. Am I? I don’t know quite yet. Let me get tomorrow and Sunday over with and I’ll let you know.

Gandalf and Cider

Laurelville Apple Cider is back! You have no idea how excited I am. It is, without a doubt, the best in the world. Like, I have never tasted anything that comes close. Nothing. You should try it if you can. 🙂

In other news, I am reading the first book of Lord of the Rings. I have finally gotten to the exciting stuff, so the reading is going much faster. And I just read something that made me think of myself. Now, I have a pretty intimate knowledge of the movies, but this is the first time I’m reading the books. And I know this is probably the most popular quote of all three books, but I just really feel like it applies to me and my life right now. Now, let’s all say it together… “Not all who wander, are lost.” Yeah, yeah. Cheesy. Corny. Over-used. Whatever. It’s me. I’m a wanderer right now. Well, I was. Now I finally have a path before me that I know I want to take. But, it has been a journey. And it will continue to be a journey. But I was never lost. I was always going somewhere, and I always had a purpose. I just had too many options and I wasn’t confident enough to take one. But I have chosen. And it wasn’t something where I put all my options on a dart board and threw darts. No. I thought, I prayed, I consulted, and I went with what I felt most strongly about.

I am going into Student Affairs. I miss it. I wish I had gone straight through after getting my undergrad and getting my Master’s. But I didn’t. And now I know I had a lot of learning and growing I needed to do before I made that move. And I know that this is where I need to be. Yes, I won’t be traveling much… But there are universities all over the world that I could work for. I will literally be able to move anywhere in the world (that has a university) and be able to find a job there. Of course, if they don’t have any openings, that would make things difficult. Haha. But I also probably wouldn’t move there without a job. Because every now and then, I am practical.

So there. I was never lost. I was busy weighing my options. I wander still, but not with career choice. Now I’m in the process of choosing a college to get my Master’s at, and if I’ll be staying in Ohio or moving out of my home state. Things like that. And I’m at the very beginning of this process, so I’ll be wandering here a while. But never will I be lost. Mainly because I’ll have my family and friends helping me and guiding me. And, of course, I’ll be consulting God on a regular basis.