No Bad Runners; July 18

When our daughter was young, we avoided the word “punishment” and talked instead about “consequences.” We tried to teach her that all our actions—the good and the not-so-good—carried consequences. We tried to reinforce that life is full of choices and that we each have to live with the consequences that arise from our actions. We often said that there was no such thing as a bad child—only a good child who made bad choices.

So this past week-end, I endured consequences. Funny, it felt more like punishment. I packed for our camping vacation/family reunion with every intention of keeping up my running schedule. And, I did pretty well on the first day. Despite waking up to a soaking wet tent—one of the consequences of pulling camping gear out of a 10-year storage—I put on my running shoes and got in the weekly long run. But after that, my dedication was gone. I won’t share the details, but let’s just say the path away from the running trail involved long, relaxing days with family and copious amounts of chips and potato salad. It was delightful and I went willingly.

But then came the consequences. After a week of nourishing myself at the family chip buffet and avoiding runs and cross-training, the schedule on Saturday called for a seven-mile run group run. I finished, but it was tough and for the rest of the day, I was in pain.

The challenge of course, is to figure out how to recover. It’s a good lesson for life. We make mistakes, we face the consequences, and then we choose how to get back on track. I celebrate a faith that has taught me that no matter how far off the trail I might wander, I am always invited to return and start again.

This week is a chance to start fresh. In whatever ways I have stumbled in my faith journey, I will start again. The consequences of my bad choices for preparing for a run are behind me. There are no bad runners, only good runners who make bad choices. This week, I start again.