Last night I went to bed knowing the miles ahead of me in the morning (16) and I prayed,
"Dear God, Make it worth it."
This is the point in marathon training when we are all tired. I've seen it and heard it from my friends in training. The miles are long-weekends of 15-20 milers and midweek runs in the double digits at 0 dark thirty. Don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful that I simply have the opportunity and ability to run. I truly know it is a luxury. Yet by August, by the Make It Worth It month, I miss quiet weekend mornings with my babies and actually feeling rested. And so I NEED to pray, "Make it worth it, Lord. Make these miles mean something beyond me."
This week smack dab in the center of the Make It Worth It month I am taking on my most difficult running challenge yet. I'll be getting up at 2am on Friday morning to hop in a van with 5 friends and heading to Winona. We will take turns running over 200 miles back to Minneapolis, each running about 36 miles of that journey from 5 am Friday to around 4pm Saturday-that's non stop, run, drive, run, drive, run. I'm overwhelmed. The only way I can sustain through this is to pray,
"Dear God, Make it worth it!"
And, oh, do I want this to be worth it because 1. I like my sleep. 2. I am scared to run in the middle of the night 3. I am, frankly, already and perpetually tired and 4. I need the strength of others to do this.
Here's the thing, I don't run super long distances for the love of the run. I could get that runner's high from running much less than I am right now. (A five mile run is my sweet spot.) The reason I am running is so that others don't have to...so that a 7 year old girl across the world can go to school instead of fetching buckets of water. So that her little brother doesn't get sick, so her mother can be safe. I run so that everyone knows about the water crisis in our world and that we have the power to do something about it! YOU can help make the miles and lack of sleep and sore muscles worth it, and YOU don't have to run a single mile. Here's how:
Will you sponsor one of the legs for Ragnar by donating to Team World Vision? Will you pray for us and for those World Vision serves? I'll be runningFriday at about 9:30am, 4pm, 9pm, and Saturday at about 3:30am, 8:30am, 1:45pm. Your support will encourage me in the effort and bring clean water for life to a child in need. With that support you will be with me in spirit and prayer through the miles. I can't wait to tell you all about YOUR leg of the run and will try to update Facebook and Instagram as I go. 6 sponsors will mean 6 lives changed! Donate and tell me-what time am I running for you? Thank you for being a life changer and a light in our world.
Please pray for Team World Vision and please go to my page to give and be a part of the adventure. Thank you! N.