Regent University
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Finding My Running Stride

Women jogging
By Julie Woodruff

Few things in life are as attractive to me as my blue Adidas running shoes and a trail of black asphalt. Anyone who is a runner knows what I am talking about. Hitting the open road and chasing fresh air has a certain gratification to it. I have not been running much lately, but my last run was a few weeks ago. It was on the treadmill, because it was too dark to run outside. I watched my feet one by one as they walked below me on the rattling black belt. My lungs started to wince and my ankles reminded me that they were tired and were not in the mood to work hard. I often ask myself why I love a good run especially when it hurts my body so much. But I know why. It is the feeling of the finish line. It is the feeling when I break free of lethargy into a well-oiled stride and both feet and hands begin to move in line with my stream of thoughts. My stream of thoughts begins to mirror my blood flow.
 
This is my stride. Here I know it is no longer sugar and caffeine propelling me forward. My body is not strong enough to push itself past this point. Stimulated or not, something besides my mental logic or human ability, is pushing me forward. The rhythm of running holds lessons about life. Every runner has a stride-the place where every bone, joint, muscle, limb and thought fall into line with the rhythms in their head. This is a place where desire and energy may tire but the grace of God and human determination is much greater. Only seasoned runners, those who have trained and disciplined themselves to extend the extra-distance, find their stride. It is a desperate pursuit, one worth making. Desperate pursuits are what can unlock extraordinary opportunities.
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Regent students have recently passed the half-way point in the fall 2009 semester. After finishing my first semester at Regent, I understand now why my advisor was confused as to why I committed to eighteen credits this semester. It is a challenging task to complete college. If you have passed the half-way marker through this semester and are still running the race, you are commendable. It is all the more reason to start looking for a stride. The semester is still not over. There is still living and learning ahead.
 
Running like a sprinter from one goal to the next is exhausting. It leaves no time for living, and meaningful things in between goals. Sprinters don't find a stride like long-distance runners do. A stride is much more than learning to save and exert energy, it is the act of learning how to rest and trust that things will work and are already working. Humans cannot thwart the plans of God, no matter what we do. In desperate times when life seems stressful or out of control, pressing on secures the finish line. Quitting means loosing everything. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There is always time for living. No need to rush to the end of the semester.