Gradual miracles

These days, I find myself savoring the "normal" and celebrating the simple pleasures life has to offer. There is a quiet strength and peace that comes from living in the moment, no matter how mundane it may seem. These last days there have been; coffee dates with friends, early morning runs in the rain, bursts of sunshine through the clouds, blooming spring flowers, bootcamp sessions with a lakeside view, tasty treats, good books to read; unexpected encounters, inspiring music and encouragement from unusual sources. I think my capacity to notice these things, appreciate them, and let them nourish my soul has increased a lot since I have lived in Switzerland - the pace of life is just slower here, and as a result, I have learnt to slow down. But I also think it has something to do with learning to be more present in the moment. To notice, to observe, to withhold judgment, to breath deeply, to be gentle with myself and people around me.  My capacity to "be in the moment" is one of the results of some personal growth and healing.

Recently at church we have done a series on miracles which has been inspiring, faith building and challenging. One of the things I took away from the series was the need to appreciate gradual miracles - the ones that don't happen instantly, which I guess is most of them! A few years ago, I felt stressed, anxious and mostly unhappy. Of course, it wasn't all bad - definitely not - but for the most part, I was wrapped up in everything that needed to be done, everything that needed my attention, goals, plans, schedules and next steps. And if my plan, schedule or routine got disrupted - I was not very nice to be around (just ask my family!). I had a hard time appreciating the moment or savoring the simple pleasures. And to me, that seems like a pity. After all, life is lived moment to moment. I see now, that over recent years, God has done many gradual miracles in my life, one of which has brought me to the place I find myself today - more able to live in the present, to be grateful daily,  to be (more) gracious, to notice, to stop and to appreciate. By no means do I get this right all the time, I still have lots of room to grow, but I am grateful for this gradual miracle!

“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Teresa

Personal Best

Running. The activity I love and some of friends think I am crazy for doing. But let me tell you, the "runner's high" is real, and once you have tasted this, it is hard to imagine giving it up.

The last two weekends, I had two runs: first a 10km race in a wet and cold Lausanne, and then a half marathon in a sunny and warm Geneva. At both of these events, I set my personal best times: 53:27 for 10 km (6.5minutes faster than my previous best) and 1:58.26 for 21 km (9 minutes faster than my time from only 2 months ago). At the Geneva race, there were 4,500 participants, and the fastest lady ran it in 1h16. In my block of 291 participants, I placed 117th.  There were 110 nationalities represented at all the events over the course of the weekend (marathon, semi-marathon, a 4km race, relays... etc) , with 30 South Africans! Incidentally, I actually met one of them at the end of the race!

Lausanne 10km

Geneva Half Marathon

Gorgeous day for running in Geneva

I can tell you that the training helped... of course it did. I don't run early in the morning, or in the rain, or when I would rather be doing something else for nothing. I don't go to bootcamp and gym for nothing. I love all the sport I do, but I also do it to get better at something I love. But in setting personal bests, one crucial factor makes all the distance - who I ran these races with. At both of these events, I ran with special friends, girls as crazy with me with a target to reach. I know without a doubt that I would have been slower if it had not been for their encouragement and support. Both these races were tough (not surprising considering I was running hard, at a faster pace than usual) and I know I kept going because of my companions!

Running is wonderful for many reasons:

• It is a great way to explore cities and appreciate the outdoors
• It is a fantastic personal challenge
• I race against myself and against the clock - I can track my progress
• I get to do it with friends I love
• Nothing beats the anticipation leading to a race and the sense of achievement after it
• I always feel after a run, always. No matter how tired I was when I started. 
• It allows me to clear my head and destress
• It gives me energy and improves my concentration. 

There will be more races, and more personal goals and more personal bests to set. And I can't wait!

I leave you with some of my favourite running quotes...

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.” – George Sheehan

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. 
Try to be better than yourself.” -William Faulkner

“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.” -Percy Cerutty

“I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart.” – Mike Fanelli