13.1

This weekend I did something that was a little outside of my comfort zone. I ran with some ladies from my church in our first (I'm hoping there will be more) semi-official half marathon.

Why was it outside of my comfort zone? Because in a year of running, this is only the fourth time that I have ever run with another person, and the only women I've been brave enough to run with before have been my sisters, Becca and Ashley.

For me, it wasn't the pace or distance that had me nervous Sunday morning. It was that I'd be running with women I'd never met before. 13.1 miles is a long way, but it's also a long time to fill up the silence! Meeting new people is hard, and making new friends is even harder. Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way, but I think it is true for many of us.

So I learned something on Sunday. The physical aspect of running is pretty easy for me. I hesitate to say that because it sounds cocky, but for some reason it just seems to come pretty naturally. Tacking on the miles really doesn't phase me too much. And as satisfying as it can be to meet a new pace or distance goal, the truth is, it's not as much of a challenge. The real challenge is putting myself out there. Opening up to others and allowing them to see me, whether they like me or not.

We have been talking a lot about "real relationships" (aka community) at church, and I know this is something I struggle with. Not with being authentic, but with just with putting myself out there. Saying hi. Asking questions. Making friends. Taking that first step. It seems so daunting.

I remember taking the first step in my fitness journey. I remember my early runs, pushing a toddler-heavy stroller and stopping every block to catch my breath. I remember 2 miles that seemed endless on a treadmill before, and would now be too short to satisfy the daily running "itch".

The point is, I need to push myself in other areas of my life the way that I have pushed myself to run. Being shy is hard, but it's not an excuse. Just like being sore, or tired, or busy isn't an excuse to skip a run.

I walked away from Sunday's run with some sore legs, but also (hopefully) with some new friends. So even though it wasn't the hardest 13.1 miles I've run before, it may have been some of the most satisfying.