No Stopping Any Time

Anyone love a challenge? I have mixed feelings. I've realized that I love accomplishing something new, but I really don't like doing something new.

Last week my running partner Heather and I decided we should run a hill to prepare ourselves for our race in San Francisco which will surely have some elevation changes. The hill which is actually less than 1/2 of a mile long could have easily been 10 miles long because I had only trained on the flats.

About half way up the hill and close to passing out, I had to laugh as I saw a "No Stopping Any Time" sign. I began to think, what would ACTUALLY happen if I sat down right now? Surely Heather, who had long passed me, would eventually notice I wasn't behind her, right?

At first I felt some guilt - the sign said no stopping and I had already reduced my speed to barely a walk and was seriously contemplating sitting down. But then I realized I hadn't sat down and despite my progress being greatly behind Heather's, I was doing my best and still moving!

So my message today is a simple word of encouragement. As I once heard a radio evangelist say, "When you're going through Hell, DON'T STOP!"