To God be the glory!
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| Black Girls RUN! Baton Rouge December 31, 2011 AM Run |
Today I closed out 2011 with my longest run of the year – actually, my longest run ever. ~13.3 miles,
OK – I’ve done half marathons but those are 13.1 miles this was 13.3. I’m movin up! (smile)
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I ran with new running buddy Kristina Darville. Her dedication and determination is inspiring. We prayed and started a bit before 7 am with the fantastic ladies of Black Girls Run! Baton Rouge at the USS Kidd. The route took us down the Mississippi River on the levee. ??
This was the longest I’ve run without someone handing me cups of drink, so I tried my Nike water belt. Turns out the bottle had a slow leak and about 10 minutes in, I realized half of this big bottle had trickled down and soaked the tail of my shirt and my backside. It was cold/clammy and I’m sure not a good look – but no worries. My running pants were black, I’d be wet with sweat anyway and it helped with temp control. I’m also grateful it was water and not colored Gatorade…
The fog was really thick, blocking out the scenery and adding another level of tranquility to the run. Moving through the mist was so refreshing – like running in clouds. For a while I cut down the music and concentrated on the sound of my footsteps and breath. Good praise time.
This extended route was new to both of us and with the low visibility, we passed the turnoff on Brightside and got semi-lost. No worries. In the detour we discovered and explored a bit of a beautiful equestrian park.
I forgot to pack Chomps or Beans or even a Laffy Taffy, and at about mile 9, I could really tell the slice of peanut butter bread eaten before the run was long gone. Thank God for my ample energy reserves (smile). It was a good reminder to eat more substantially and always keep something with me.
A few miles from the end, I was blessed to meet Reuben Twijukye (hope I got his last name right). This young man was smoking up and down the hill of the levee. I’d never seen anyone tackle steep inclines so fast. Turns out Reuben is from Uganda on scholarship at LSU, training for the Olympics in the 800m. We only talked for about 1 minute (long enough for me to refill my leaky water bottle) – and it was another praise period. Reuben shared how he was sidelined from the last Olympics due to injury. He talked about how good God is, thanking Him for his recovery and this upcoming opportunity. It was a blessing. I’ll be watching and praying for Reuben in 2012.
Kristina and I finished a little stiff but both feeling we could have gone further.
Wonderful run to end the year. To God be the glory!
Very inspirational. You have a determination and strength that I wish could be passed on to myself. Congrats on the longest run and I look forward to hearing about more great things you have done to stay healthy and fit.
Thanks ladyyvincent. Trust that you have all the resources you need. Pray, believe and keep with it! (smile) God bless