Mr. Body

I went running this morning (when I say morning I mean this afternoon) for the first time in maybe a month. It's sad really how long the time is between the days I go for a run. I dreaded running in the cold, but I bucked up and donned a sweater and a pair of leggings under my shorts and headed out the door. My lungs froze in my chest as I attempted to take a deep breath of air. The run wasn't very long or hard. Well for me it was both long and hard because I hadn't been running in ages. I got passed by a guy running twice as fast as myself. Maybe three times as fast. All I can say was that he was going fast...or maybe I was just going slow. Both are valid guesses.

I never enjoyed running before. I remember when it took every fiber of my being just to run one lap around the track. But my mom kept going with me every day to the track, sometimes even late at night. She gave me such great encouragement then. I started with one lap and then two and then three and finally four. I remember the first time I ran a whole mile without stopping. It was by no means fast, but it was such an accomplishment for me. I ran that first mile, and then the next day I ran another, and another, and another, I ran a mile every day until I lost count of how many I had run. One evening I went to the track with my dad and I ran two miles for my first time. I had only planned on running one mile as usual, but I had so much energy that I just kept running. Around and around I went until my dad told me to stop. I was ecstatic. I just didn't want to stop. I don't hate running now, in fact I miss running every day.

But I think the most important thing I gained from those years of running was an appreciation for my own body. I was always very self-conscious and didn't love my body. I didn't hate it because goodness knows I would be dead without it, but I had very little appreciation for it. Today I was so grateful for my body even though I couldn't run very fast or very far and I was quickly tired. I am constantly amazed at its adaptability. Our bodies are so strong even in times of illness. So many little (but vital) things have to work together, and it's miraculous that they all do. It's amazing even that our bodies can get out of shape (like mine) and then we can get them back into shape again (like I plan to do). Frankly, I love my body. It may not be perfect, my skin may never be soft, and my nose may always be a little on the large side, but I plan on sticking with this body until the day I die. You can count on that.