Runners: Take your marks, get set, go...find shelter!

Last night our son Aaron had two basketball games back to back. He did great and they won the first one by many points. It was perfect because I was going to be able to watch most of his second game and then head upstairs for my running group. Just so happened his games were held at the same high school that my group meets at. I watched most of the game and again they were ahead by many points when the officials suddenly stopped all games.

Little did we know as we were cheering, Lincoln was in a tornado warning, not a tornado watch like we are used to having, but an actual warning. So being the city folk we are nobody believed the YMCA officials who stopped all activity or the weather people who were screaming warnings across the radio and TV stations or the loud sirens wailing across our city. Instead of seeking shelter within the school as we were advised to do everyone went outside and saw this...

Bless Alivia's little 6 year old heart as she began crying and praying for the safety of her family members still outside as I took her and Baby Girl back inside. As Alivia prayed for safety I prayed that my life would not end surrounded by sweaty and smelly 14 year old boy basketball players.

So obviously my running group was canceled and I now have to run tonight to make up for last night. I'm ready though. Mentally I am so prepared. Gene and I went to Holmes Lake Monday night and I did my run for 2 minutes/walk for 1 as he coached and timed me. I did it! I knew I could as my defeat the previous Wednesday was all mental. Here's a picture of the lake I go around.

I took this on my cell phone so it's not the greatest of pictures, but it is really pretty. The city made a trail that goes all around it and ends up being a little over 2 miles one way. We started out on the south side of the lake just walking when all of a sudden it hit me. I had to use the bathroom and of course there were no bathrooms in sight.

Then I spotted a porta potty. You know, the ones usually parked outside of construction sights.

I try to avoid the use of public restrooms and especially unisex bathrooms that are plastic and don't flush, but I knew there was no way out of it especially if I was going to run. So I humbled myself and made my way to the outhouse. After I strategically placed toilet paper on every inch of the seat so my flesh not come in contact with any germs, I finally sat down.

Gene kept asking me if I was done yet as I was inside trying to pretend I was at home on my own dirty toilet, BUT right behind me was a men's softball team playing a game. Do you know how hard it is to concentrate when grown men are yelling, "C'mon, you can do it." and "Push yourself!"

Knowing my disgust with sitting on a toilet that gets delivered on a truck, Gene was walking around the pit of nasty laughing and singing I don't know what as I had my elbows on my knees and my fingers in my ears.

After at least 8 minutes, I know this because my husband was timing me, I exited and took a deep breath of fresh air. Gene laughed again as he asked me if I had washed my hands. I ignored him as I asked for my cell phone so I could take this picture. In the background are my boys playing softball not realizing what a distraction they were. Plus I wanted to have a visual reminder to take care of business before going to the lake.

Somehow I managed as a true athlete does to forget where I had just spent 8 minutes of my life, the fact I had germ covered hands and run like I had wind beneath my wings. You all would've been so proud.

Back to the storm...when thinking about last night, when a storm in your life happens....financial burdens, death of a loved one, a messy marriage, unexpected health problems, pregnant teen daughter...where do you find shelter?

Do you run to our Savior or do you think Satan isn't that big and go try to face the storm on our own or like many did last night, just go take a peek at the storm. When we are hit with something in life, whether we are warned about it or not we have to find shelter within our Savior's arms or else the storm will be impossible to ride out.

Satan is just nothing to mess with because when he is done with us it will look as if a tornado swept through our hearts and the damage will leave us in a state of ruin. Let's seek our Savior before the storm, in the middle of the storm and after the storm. God is bigger than any storm on the radar screen, we just have to trust in Him. Beth Moore once said that we so often show God how big our problems are instead of showing our problems how big our God is.

Hopefully next Wednesday God won't allow any storms to stop us from our group run. I was really looking forward to it all day, but I will run hard tonight with coach Gene. AND I will make sure to go to the bathroom before I leave my house!

Below is the run/walk schedule for this week for anyone interested in joining me on this adventure. If you'd like a schedule of the runs for the whole 8 weeks, e-mail me at chealey5@windstream.net

~Many Blessings~

Week 2:
30 second runners:
RUN/WALK
June 12th Thursday: (makeup for Wednesday if you had a storm too & didn't run on Wed.) : 30sec/30 sec for 20 min.
June 13th Friday: 30 sec/30 sec for 20 minutes
June 14th Saturday: 1 min/1 min for 30 minutes
June 16th Monday: 1 min/1 min for 25 minutes
June 18th Wednesday: 1 min/1 min for 30 minutes

2 minute runners:
RUN/WALK
June 12th Thursday: (makeup for Wednesday) 3 min/1 min x 6
June 13th Friday: 2 min/1 min x 8
June 14th Saturday: 4 min/1 min x 6
June 16th Monday: 3 min/1 min x 6
June 18th Wednesday: 4 min/2 min x 5

"Running is about defeating death, not inflicting it."

~John Jerome~

"Running looks much easier than it is."

~Lelia Chealey~