Week 7: Training Complete

Amount raised for Amazon Medical Missions so far: $710.00.

Well, friends, seven of the twelve weeks of training are now complete. It's funny how at the beginning of the training it felt like some huge monster that would be so hard to overcome. And now as I round the downward slope of it all, part of me will be sad when it's over. I can actually say I have enjoyed the training process. It's been teaching me alot and has cultivated alot of discipline within me. This week I realized how God is using it to teach me about perseverance, and I'm so thankful for all the layers the training holds within me. Not only is it a testimony of a miracle that's called my body, but it's doing some pretty cool things to my spirit as well.

I'm getting excited for race day. I'm excited as I imagine what that day will be like. I wish dearly some dear people I love could be there on the sidelines, but Dallas is a long way away from them.

This week I hit the 7 mile mark. My roommate, Melissa, is also training, but seeing as how she is a Speedy Gonzalez runner and 21 years old, we don't usually run together because, well, she leaves me in the dust. But Sunday for the 7 mile day, we went to the park together and ran. She did run ahead of me and at about mile 5 lapped me altogether (talk about humbling), but it was so good just having her there. I ran better and we prayed for each other, and it was good. I ran a STEADY 7 miles, friend. My goal of late has been 10 minute miles (because I'm a slower runner, yes I am, I know it), and Sunday I did the 7 miles in 68 minutes. But what was so great is that I felt like I could have kept running and along the way my body felt steadily strong. I kept a steady pace and it was a great run. I felt great afterwards with no soreness. That is a testimony to the training, I believe.

Well, I still need your help, though. There is still alot of money to be raised. This week I've been working on some flyers for work, and I'm going today to a T-shirt place to see about getting a T-shirt printed for race day. (More to come on that later). But the closer this thing gets to the finish line, the more fervent my desires become to raise more money for the Amazon. I want to know all this work and running hasn't been in vain and just for me. I want to give as much to Mike and Susie at the end of it as I can.

So, if you still want to give, there is still plenty of time. December 14 is still about a month away.

Thanks for the prayers, guys, I can feel them within my body week by week.

Run for Life!

--Beth