it takes so long.

Last Sunday, Jon and I ran 13 miles. 13 miles...Half of a marathon.

You can read that in two ways: (1) 13 miles is pretty good since, at the beginning of the summer, we could run about 3! or (2) 13 miles is only HALF of what we're training to run.

But that's all beside the point because last weekend it wasn't the distance of the run that made an impression on me, but the amount of time that it took. It was really a great run...the weather was absolutely perfect, my legs felt great, I had caffeinated Jelly Beans to keep me going...Jon and I ran at a 10-minute-mile pace, which is pretty good I think. Still, in total, the run took about 2:15 hours. That's a long time to just run.

And it got me thinking because we're only half way through training and the runs are only going to get longer....But it got me thinking about what I'm doing in that time besides just running. Writing? Thinking? Observing? Praying?

For the past three days, I've been a little bit sick (no big deal really...sore throat, some stomach aches, headache here and there, general fatigue). But I think the sickness is my body's way of telling me slow down. With a 40-hour work week (and additional evening work events), studying for the GRE, frequent weekend trips up to Michigan, and starting to fill out applications for law school and spring internships (not to mention marathon training), I have forgotten to rest, to breathe, to take a minute to slow down and look at life instead of rushing through it.

So I'm thankful for running in kind of a peculiar way. For forcing me to take 2 hours to write, to think, to observe, and to pray. For making me finally slow down.