Lessons Learned on the Road - Sometimes You Need to Run Against Traffic

This is our second to last week in this series. How can 9 weeks vanish so quickly? When I first signed up for the St. Jude Marathon, it was 6 months away. I thought I had so much time to train, I wanted to nickname myself Caboose. (Instead that will likely be an apt name for my finish position in the race...)

So far I have run about 350 miles in my training and by December 1st I will run over 200 more. I have coursed uneven trails, quiet streets and congested hills. But some of the most rewarding have been the ones I ran against traffic.

Last Saturday I set out to run a mere 9 miles. A half mile in I was dripping sweat from my breathless face. Nine miles might as well have been 90 miles. I decided to modify and run 6. It was the hardest Saturday run of my training thusfar. 

Maybe it was because I was alone.

Perhaps it was because the cool weather I'd longed for came but difficulty didn't go.

Regardless I found myself in a tough place, running against traffic and out of energy.

I was questioning my ability and even my desire when I saw her. There was no mistaking her identity. I know no one else whose smile electrifies, whose energy emanates like Bobbi. One friendly wave swiped away my doubt. Her presence intersecting with mine shot my heart full of encouragement. This run would not defeat me. I could finish.

Most people choose to run with traffic. But when you run the same direction as everyone else, you never get to encounter. Your interaction is with one more bumper, another set of heels or even another caboose.

Sometimes an encounter requires I give.

Other times an encounter allows me to receive. 

Both require me to run against traffic.

What do risk not giving and not receiving by running the same direction as everyone else? Is there an area of your life where you need to run against traffic?