Running
Practice
Run “naked”. If you run now and run with headphones, or smart phone guidance, try running “naked” and noticing His creation as you run.
Talk to other runners as you run. Ask them why they are out at that time, what gets them excited about running, what they noticed that day.
Shop at a local run store. You’ll get a better fit, learn about local run resources and most likely enjoy the run much more.
Make running or walking part of your travel plan. See what it reveals about a new community.
Join a local run club and meet other runners, be inspired by their journeys and share your life with them.
Most people have a love-hate relationship with running. It’s either a form of medieval torture to slog around the block or a ride on the wings of the Greek goddess, Nike. For me, and my family, running is a sacred place.
Running is a place you can quietly tune into what God is saying to your heart, notice the intricacies of his Creation, or be inspired by a community of misfit souls who share a passion for where their two feet can take them.
As avid travelers, running has been our simple and effective way of exploring new places. All we have to pack is a pair of shoes and maybe some athletic shorts, a shirt and a hat. There’s no extra planning needed. There is an incredible sense of adventure in lacing up your shoes, walking out the door of the place you are staying, and becoming fully immersed in a new community. The heightened sense of not knowing exactly where you are going or following a path Google Maps lays out for you invites you to engage with the streets and landmarks all around you and experience people as they go about their daily lives.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are in a foreign land, at least paying attention to street signs or having a general idea of where you are is important, but for the most part, we have found that we can run almost anywhere. We have run through dirt streets in Mexico and rural Africa, bustling roads in London and Paris. Running is an integral part of how we see the world and experience a community.
In our local community, running has allowed us to connect with many people we wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise. It may be simply running by another person and slowing down (or speeding up) to ask them how their run is going - or joining a local run group to serve as pacers for events like the Colfax Marathon. Running has created a community for us that has made it a sacred place.
Matt and Molly have been married for almost 20 years and running together the entire time. Both race triathlon and have been in the top ranks at the world championship level, including the Ironman World Championships and the 70.3 World Championships. More than any race, they love the lifelong friends they have made by participating in the sport and running with their children, Mason and Madison around the neighborhood.
