“What are your plans for Saturday?” one of my co-workers asked me last Friday. My response, “my only set plan is to run 16 miles in the morning.” The face that comes over my co-worker is a familiar one. I’ve seen it a few times before as I’ve given a number to the miles of my run. It’s the “are you serious” look. Or maybe it can be more accurately described as the “are you insane” look.

I actually enjoy that face. I love the reaction. Perhaps it is a lack of humility that helps me to enjoy that. For I know I can do nothing without the strength and will of my Lord guiding me, but I don’t say “with the Lord’s help, I ran XX miles.” Nope, I usually say that “I ran XX miles”. Before each run, I pray for strength, endurance, safety, and mental stamina. After each run, bad or good, I thank the Lord for getting me through. So I know it is He, not me. The thought convicts me; I need to give Him more credit when I talk about my runs with others.

So, everyone wonders why I would put myself through hours and hours of running miles and miles. I spend roughly 3 hours during the week running (sometimes more and sometimes slightly less) and then I have that long run on Saturday which can be anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours. Why?

Running has always been a source of sanity for me. Being out there and pushing myself for just another mile helps me to sort through life. I spend that time thinking through the issues of the week, praying (not just for the end of the run), and enjoying this world God created. It’s a time when I don’t have to answer a phone, clean a dish, break up a sibling argument, process paperwork, or balance the budget. In high school, running gave me confidence. It was a sport I could do and do fairly well. It was something for just me. I didn’t have to follow my sisters or share the event with them. As an adult, it has healed me physically and mentally. It has pulled me out of more than a few ‘funks’ and has helped me to lose weight while lowering my cholesterol. It helps me to remember that although I am just a speck of sand in the mass of God’s people, even a speck can do extraordinary things. Extraordinary doesn’t mean I’m a speed demon. I’ll always be, at best, a middle of the pack runner, but to me extraordinary means the push, the drive, the sheer will to go more miles and force myself more physically than most people do.

Perseverance, determination, drive, motivation, and dedication are all needed to run marathons. But training for a marathon and using those character traits teaches a runner how to utilize those traits in every aspect of their lives. It teaches them to overcome obstacles and move forward, one step at a time.

Yes, it is, in many ways, insane. Sometimes insanity is a good thing!