Run, Pook, Run!

There is a special field in Gettysburg. It's on Cemetery Ridge along the Union line. It's right on Baltimore Pike and it's got a few cannon stationed on it. Since Cemetery Ridge was the high ground during the battle (thus gave the Union the advantage to win this very important battle), it's needless for me to tell you that it is somewhat of a hill. There is a small monument at the bottom of the hill that I am ashamed to say I cannot for the life of me think of who or what person/battalion it stands in memoriam to. However, it was my absolute favorite hill in all of Gettysburg. When I was little my Dad named it Run, Pook, Run because as soon as my feet hit the soft grass of that sacred ground, I would take off running, flying down the hill and back up again!! I remember this so well! When all of us Beanies would bounce along in our big blue van and head to Gettysburg the excitement was at full throttle and we couldn't WAIT to see that exit sign for Gettysburg/Baltimore Pike. We would cheer as we took the inclining exit ramp and Daddy would say, "....annnnnnd weeeeeeeee're HERE!", proclaiming "HERE" as loud as could be when we reached the top of the ramp! Oh what joy would fill my heart to hear that special phrase! 3 miles later we would see the Military Museum (Dad's favorite)up on the right and 2 fields in was RUN,POOK,RUN!! Daddy would pull the van to the shoulder and I would be the first one out! About 15-20 min later we would pile back into the van, all a flutter with excitement and bounce merrily once more down the road to our campground...

Daddy ALWAYS stopped there for me. It was tradition. He would stand at the top of the hill and holler, "Run, Pook, Run!"

And so, in 2011, I started to do just that. Running. Me, April Dynarski, a runner? No way, Jose!! I would have said that just 2 months ago! I literally could not make it even 1/8 of a mile around the high school track! It was impossible! That little girl (2nd fastest girl in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades!) and her ball of running energy was long gone! Or was she?

It all began about 1 month ago. After an epic fail of an attempt to run last Nov, I had injured myself and my chiropractor took me off all but walking (not that I was doing anything else). I had a severely injured back that required me to visit him 2-3 times a week. It was hopeless. I became very content with walking. Until the end of February that is. One afternoon, when my walking pal and best friend, Paula, wasn't able to join me, I headed out for my usual walk and found myself power walking. I prayed during that walk for Jesus to show me what i needed to do to boost my exercise and accomplish more. I covered 6.3 miles in 1 hour and 40 min! Pretty cool! It was so refreshing to push my body past just mozzey-along mode and it occurred to me that I might try running again...but only if Paula would do it with me! Always the supporter of my crazy ideas, and thinking she wanted to herself, we began running. What a hoot and a holler THAT was! We could literally make it halfway around the track (1/8th of a mile) and we would have to stop. Huffing, puffing, red-faced and spit flying out when we spoke! WHAT A SIGHT! Until the next week when she went out one morning that I couldn't make it and went around ONCE! Why, if she could do it, so could I!! And around I went the next morning! Holy Moly Makanoli! I'm a runner! I just ran 1/4 of a mile! Then came 2 days later....PAULA! We just ran 1/2 a mile!! Then it was the 1 mile mark! UNBELIEVABLE!! Then the unthinkable, TWO MILES!! STRAIGHT THROUGH!! Me, April, yes, 2 MILES!!! I was elated!! I had spent that Saturday morning running with worship music playing on my iPod. I ran, imagining that Jesus was right next to me. Cheering me on, telling me I could DO this! I sang in my head, prayed, laughed, and triumphantly gave my LORD the praise when I had finished! I was on top of the world that day!...Then my foot hurt...this was bad...it hurt for a WEEK!! OUCH!! I knew it, I wasn't cut out to be a runner!! Wait? What's that? Special running shoes? You mean my very stylish Nike walking shoes aren't for running? I'm an overpronator? What in the world is that?? Flat feet? Yes, yes I do have flat feet, why? Oh, that means I'm an overpronator...

(An overpronator does not absorb shock efficiently. Imagine someone jumping onto a diving board, but the board is so flimsy that when it is struck, it bends and allows the person to plunge straight down into the water instead of back into the air. Similarly, an overpronator's arches will collapse, or the ankles will roll inwards (or a combination of the two) as they cycle through the gait.)

A trip to Famous Footwear and a new pair of Saucony shoes for overpronators does the trick! I'm back out and running! THEN, that beautiful, wonderful, fantastic morning of Tuesday March 22, 2011, I achieved what I thought I never could! Arriving at the track at 6:37am, I, April Dynarski aka "Pook" ran 3.2 miles!!!!!! For those of you that don't know, that is the equivalent of 5k!! as in MARATHON!! As in, if I ran a 5k marathon, I would FINISH!!! WOW!! To GOD be the Glory and PRAISE!! This lazy, fat hunk of clay is being molded, slimmed and lovingly nurtured by Jesus and is learning that she can do amazing things in life! Why if I can run, what else can I accomplish in my life, especially for Jesus, that I am limiting myself in??

I can run physically with Jesus help and now I must press forward and run spiritually with Jesus help!!

1 Corinthians 9:24
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

I have achieved what I thought was impossible!