Ah, December 31st. I have always appreciated and enjoyed this day, no matter what the year. It's like finishing a long, cliffhanger of a book. It doesn't matter if you agreed with the Author, if the plot made sense, if the story moved along quickly or slowly, or if it had a happy ending. It only matters that you stuck with it, you finished it, and you learned from it. The best part, though, is that you can now put that book aside and begin a new one - a sequel with its own unique plot twists and turns and unexpected surprises. Cherished memories, and upcoming hopes and expectations are true blessings!
Usually around this time I am excitedly planning out my race schedule for the new year, anticipating the goals and limits I can push my body to. But this year is much different, in a good way. Instead of looking forward to training for my sixth triathlon, or pondering whether or not I have the ability to run my first half-marathon, or planning ways to fund raise for my favorite state bicycle ride, I'm having to pick out nursery colors, register for bottles and diapers, and visit the doctor's office once or twice a month. My training this year is preparing to become a new mom.
There are some similarities between being an athlete-in-training and a pregnant mom-to-be. Both must eat wisely and healthily to enable their bodies to best perform the task set before them. Both experience long, tough days that seem impossible to endure, where the end result seems too far away to grasp. Both also experience euphoric days when everything goes just right, the sun is shining, and all the hard work seems worth it in the end. And both must stretch their bodies and minds to limits once thought impossible. In the last seven or so years, I've been running 5ks, riding a 2-wheeler vast distances, and competing in triathlons. My body has impressed me time and time again, always going above and beyond what I ask, nay, demand of it. Every time I have thought I reached my best or finally found my limit, my body has surpassed it. In this regard, I have always been mesmerized by the human body's ability to push harder, run farther, ride longer, and not give up.
Now, I have no immediate plans of participating in any races, but I am training for the most important job of my life and my body is once again amazing me! It is carrying, nurturing, and growing a new person, by the grace of God! I may not be as strong as I was, or as fast as I was. I definitely don't weight the same amount that I did when I was training, and the only real exercises I can currently manage are walking and some degree of strength training. However, my God-given skin is stretching to make room for new life, my heart is pumping twice as hard to accommodate for increased blood volume, and even my immune system has weakened itself so as not to accidentally fight off or harm the little one. These may sound like negative outcomes (and honestly, there are days when the symptoms are less than desirable), but if this is to be a marathon of physical and mental endurance ultimately resulting in the honor of motherhood, then the seemingly negative side effects are minimal in light of the blessed reward waiting at the end. In summary, the intense training will once again be worth it in the end.
So, welcome, 2014! I look forward to traversing the God-sanctioned path set before me this year. Praise the Lord for His blessings!
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