Day 242: Wind Breakers

"Compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses... let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
Hebrews 12:1

I finally did something I've never been able to do before; nor did I think I would ever be able to do it.

I ran for five solid minutes!

Now for those of you amazing athletes out there, I realize this is such a piddly accomplishment. Even for those of you who are of a medium fitness level, this really doesn't seem that amazing. Some may even chuckle in their minds and think I'm shooting low... but put the whole picture into perspective and that five minutes will become an outstanding achievement.

One-and-a-half months ago, running was so far out of my mind and physical capability, I wouldn't have been able to run for fifteen seconds, let alone five minutes! I was morbidly obese with a BMI of 45.8 and had so much "flappage" that running was physically painful and not something I would ever consider.

I think once I had to run with the stroller, having been caught in a torrential and very sudden downpour. I could only run for less than half a minute and less than a tenth of a mile. I didn't have what I needed to run my children the fifth of a mile to our house and to dryness and safety. I had to walk; the incredibly brief run had left me completely winded and embarrassed at how much "flappage" I had.

The past month (and one-half), I have been training seriously to compete in the Sandman Triathlon in Virginia Beach (19 September). Part of this training and the triathlon require that I complete a 5k in a maximum time of one hour. I knew I would need to run at least part of the 5k in order to avoid a "Did Not Complete" tag on my performance... this meant I would need to train.

I've been slowly building up each week and was horrified to find this week dictated I run for nine minutes out of thirty. I had barely completed six out of thirty last week, how was I going to do this this week?!

Jason decided to accompany me on my hour-long, postprandial walk with the boys and, somewhere along the way, further decided he was going to push me to a new level. I felt nothing but dread when I heard him declare we would run for at least two four-minute blocks. I told him I couldn't do it. I'd never run for more than two consecutive minutes.

But Jason thought I could and first coached me through a three-minute run - pushing the little boys in the stroller and counting aloud as he ran beside me. After a recovery walk, I knew it was now or never. I began running. As I reached a minute, I could feel my breath coming a little heavier. At a minute and a half, my legs were begging me to stop; my breath, though measured, was heavy. I wanted to quit... but I kept moving forward, trying to think about anything other than running.

At about two minutes, something amazing happened.

My breathing, still deep, became rhythmic and all my muscles relaxed as I fell into a regular pace. I felt as if I could keep running for hours. No more feelings of fatigue, no more desire to quit, no more beleaguered breathing. Could it be I was experiencing that "second wind" I'd heard and read about people attaining? It certainly seemed like it.

I was elated.

You see, a second wind is something I've wanted badly to experience, but never wanted to push myself far enough to experience it. Normally, I would quit before my body had a chance to fall into a rhythm, thus allowing me to perform at a higher level.

The medical world is still not sure exactly what happens during what has been termed a "second wind." It is not something that can be easily reproduced in a laboratory setting; thereby proving it hard to test the mechanisms at work during this event.

Some think it is what happens when your body begins to take in enough oxygen to combat the effects of lactic acid buildup in your muscles. Others hypothesize a second wind occurs when there is an premature "runner's high" with the early release of endorphins; the happy hormones which create that feeling of euphoria and well-being. A third belief is that it's completely psychological... just encouraging someone in their exercise can bring on a second wind.

Regardless of the actual reason for this phenomenon, it happens... and it happens in areas outside the world of physical exertion.

How many times in my life have I given up when things started getting harder? How many times have I focused on the pain and the discomfort, only to miss out on the good times and blessings ahead? Obviously, I can never know the answer to these questions. What I do know is this: the times I have persevered and pushed through and overcome, no matter what the difficulty, regardless of the pain, and ignoring intense discomfort, I have seen God move in such mighty and un-hitherto-foreseen ways and I have seen amazing things happen in my life.

I know this lesson of the second wind applies to each and every human in this world; for if there were no challenges, how would anyone grow? I believe depth of character comes from pushing beyond that point which you believe you cannot pass, just as physical performance and growth increase from stretching your physical limits. Mountains have a peak, but to get to the peak, there is a lot of uphill battling... some are small, some are seemingly insurmountable; they all have a peak.

I hope this encourages you to find your second wind, no matter what challenge you are facing. With God, all things ARE possible. If your mountain seems unusually steep and impossibly long, keep in mind that it, too, has a peak - you will get there if you do not quit or faint along the way.

Just remember that and remember that if I can help encourage you in any way, please get in touch with me; I love to encourage and I love success stories. I want you to be the next success story. I want to be the next success story myself.

Photo courtesy of: www.motivatedphotos.com/?id=46109