Sore feet, happy heart

Today was one of those special gifts straight from the heart of God.
I woke up, read in bed. After a morning of cranking out assignments, cleaning my car and enjoying the sunshine, I headed on a run.
I just uploaded Switchfoot's new album, it was 19 degrees and running was effortless.
Why am I writing about my run? Because I ended up going further than I have ever run before.
Long enough to stand under a freezing shower to shut my screaming muscles up, to give me problems going up the stairs, long enough to listen to the Switchfoot album multiple times.
It was wonderful. Nothing makes you feel as alive as running.
I love sunshine, running, and Jesus. And today, I got all three.
Sometimes, my life is just too good.

Immense Quiet

One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then that one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn time and goes out and stands alone and throws ones head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvalous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising sun - which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so.

And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting though and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries.

Then sometimes, the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure;

and sometimes a sound of far off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.

I loved this. Today was posatively idyllic; one of those days when you know you will live forever. I thought this was appropriate.

Summit of Living

There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy that comes when one is most alive and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.

It is the middle of mid-terms. I am stressed. Confused. Alive.
I have not been running as much as I am trying to fit more readings in; I have gotten a bit behind. I attend my running club ever week and I have plans of running it next year. I will have to see where that takes me.
Today was 2 midterms and one huge assignment. I am drained, hence the morse code update.
I am too wired to sleep. I hate overthinking.

Good night.

Seeing Red

So, my dad informed me that I could race today if I wore my work shirt...
I took him up on it...

Nothing like getting paid to run!

I was happy with my results - I came in second (by 7 lousy seconds) in the female category and ninth over all. My time was 21:07; room for improvement, but it could have been worse.

It felt so wonderful to get back into racing. This was me racing to the finish line!

The writing well is dry tonight. I am exhausted as I did a bunch of studying for my midterm on Tuesday and prep for other classes. Time for some brain candy in the form of 90210 and Gossip Girl!

I am off running! :)

Running on a cloud

I am haloed in a type of runner’s euphoria which may or may not be influenced by the third piece of dark chocolate I am inhaling.
Let’s start at the beginning. Say hello to the newest member of my running shoe family:

I admit, I am not a pink girl, but they are custom made for marathon runners and orthotic wearers (of which I am both). I made this lofty purchase on my way home from school yesterday and it was all I could do to wait until running training tonight to try them out.

How did they work? Like running on a cloud! It was also my first time at running club, and I met some amazing people. I am merging into the sister group that trains for marathons and because there are less people you get more specialized training. I am the only female, but I am feeling like I can hold my own. I am just excited for my first half marathon in the spring.

This will make me step closer to stroking the object of “Run a marathon” off my bucket list. I think I am taking a bit of the morning off this Saturday to do the 5K fun run in Wellesley.

I also met with a few people this evening to go over the logistics of a new group we are forming on campus. It is primarily for Believers and we will focus strongly on prayer. I am excited to start it and see where God takes it!

I guess those are the greatest things to note as of today. Tomorrow I have a special technology seminar to attend early in the morning, so I better get all my things done so I can be alert.

I am off running!

Tennyson trumps Twilight

I am back.

I say this triumphantly; it is quite easy to begin to feel as if there is something fundamentally wrong with you during the summer months. These are the months where Twilight trumps Tennyson and you hear more Britney Spears than Beethoven.

However, the fears vanish as I step back on my turf: the classroom, the coffee shop, and the runner’s trails. This is the world where it is expected to consider boycott grocery shopping until they rid their produce section of the excess apostrophe and their signs from “8 items or less” to “8 items or fewer.”The world where Shakespeare and Facebook share working space and where sushi is consider a proper meal. This is where you meet friends that understand your compulsion to re-write an essay until it is PERFECT, and that you really do love to read.

I meet peers at Starbucks in the middle of the afternoon because I can. I question those wiser than me because they are full of knowledge. I utilize the resources around me because they are present for but a season.

I love being back. I love not feeling stupid for my need to learn and grow. I love reaching inside literature and watching the subjectivity of it vanish as I realise what the author was trying to say. I love finding myself in the characters of those that are long gone, but have left their lives inside my anthologies.

I am back to the busyness, the stresses, and noise... and it is wonderful.

I am back!