I crossed the finish line!

I may not have been the fastest, nor the most beautiful person in the race yesterday... but I crossed the finish line! A full 2 hours behind the leader of the race, I walked across a line I thought I might never see.

This race was on Saturday, and on Thursday my doctor told me I had bronchitis. Then; less than 2 miles in to the race I injured my right foot - in a way where every step you take feels like someone is stabbing a knife right from the top of my foot through to the ground. (This is the 3rd time with the same injury...) by the time I saw the marked that said 7 miles, I wasn't sure I even wanted to go on any more. I wasn't sure I could. I also ended up with a blister on the side of my left foot that is half as long as my thumb... that's fun.

At the 10 mile marker: alone, in excruciating pain, and overwhelmed, I broke down and cried. I prayed with all my heart that my Heavenly Father would give me the strength to go on. I was in an area where new homes are being developed - and this road didn't have a single home on it yet. It was completely deserted. I felt so discouraged I simply wanted to lay down on the side of the road and let someone come back and find me... Zane was waiting at the finish line for me, and I knew he would bring the race directors to find me. I still had 3 miles left to go... and I wasn't sure that was even humanly possible to do. I was crying so hard I could barely see one foot in front of the other as I went along. If I stopped walking, I knew I would not start again.

I know the Lord sent angels to stand by my side and strengthen me. One of those angels was my friend Tammy. She came just at the time when I was struggling the most - and she encouraged me forward.

After mile marker 11, the route was very poorly marked. Apparently, there had been a police officer there earlier in the race to tell runners where to go - but he had long since gone. 2 runners in front of me ran right past the turn we had to make - and a kind woman stopped to tell them they had passed the turn. I saw them, and followed the path they took. I will forever be grateful for that kind woman who made it possible for me to reach my goal of crossing the finish line without getting lost.

So what did I learn in all of this? MANY THINGS!

1. We choose our own path in life.

2. No matter how difficult the path, the Lord is there.

3. Don't quit.

4. When you say you are going to do something - follow through. It may be harder than you ever thought it would be, but knowing you accomplished something you set out to do is worth every blister, cough, sore muscle, or heartache it takes. You will only become stronger in the long run.

5. It is a long run. Life isn't meant to be easy - so why quit during the hard times?

6. Angels are all around us. Friends and family are sometimes the angels sent to us to help us grow.

7. Run, walk or crawl across that finish line. It's your line to cross.

8. Be true to yourself. Never cheat your own value because someone else puts you down.

9. If someone puts you down, do all you can to help lift them up.

10. At the end of a race, take a long nap. YOU DESERVE IT!