Run, Julia, Run!

I have to memorialize this day because I may never see one like it again. It’s August now, which is supposed to be the hottest month of the year in NYC. But, the high today is 79. The sun is out; there are just enough puffy clouds in the sky, and the perfect breeze. I could not wait to get outside this morning and I can’t stop gushing about how magnificent a day it is and how grateful I am to be living in it.

To my surprise, and I’m sure, many of yours, I have become a runner. I’m not sure exactly when this title became appropriate for me. Maybe it was last Halloween when I ran 6 miles for the first time. Or it could have been when I got my first set of Under Armour gear to brave the winter months. It quite possibly might have been when I started training for a half marathon that I never got to do. I don’t really care when it happened; I just care about the fact that my legs move fast enough to do it, and that I actually enjoy it. Over the course of my short running history, I have gained a tremendous appreciation for the sport/discipline. For one thing, it’s free exercise. Seemed like the best alternative when I no longer could afford a gym membership. Now, I would never go back. I’m spoiled by the outdoors and cringe at the thought of jogging on moving rubber that takes me nowhere.

I live a mere 4 avenues from Central Park, a place that has become a sanctuary for me; I think of it fondly, like a friend. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I’m certain many New Yorkers feel the same way. It’s one of the few places to escape from the frantic noise and hustle of the City. You have to know just the right times to go, though, and the right areas to avoid if you want to steer clear of meandering, camera-happy tourists. Once you’ve got that down, the park becomes yours.

I’ve learned to appreciate the variety that the park has to offer. You can run around the entire park, which is 6 miles, or you can break it off into 5 or 4 miles, depending on your mood or whether you feel like you have the strength to take on the Great Hill. For a shorter, flatter loop, I head to the reservoir, which is 1 and half miles around. It’s completely manmade, but absolutely beautiful. The perfect time to run there is at sunset, when the sun is low enough to create a shadow of the buildings on the water.

Running has also provided an excellent outlet for fellowship. I often run with a running group started by women in my church. We run the reservoir on Monday nights and then head back to one of our apartments to cook dinner. The group has become more missional over time as we meet fellow runners in our workplaces.

Lately, the Lord has been urging me to get out and meet more New Yorkers. Working in ministry, I fear becoming too comfortable in my church community that I forget how to be a light of the world, a city on a hill. We’ve been going through the book of Colossians in our Worship Services and Community Groups, and discussing what it means to be subversive in our deteriorating society that easily lures us into pledging allegiance to the fleeting pleasures of the American Dream. As I’ve been praying about what it looks like to be subversive in my life in the City (which is interesting, considering I’m still trying to figure out who I am in this City), it all boils down to speed.

The speed of New York is 100 miles an hour, and it never lets up. It’s an “every man for himself” kind of world. I hate to say that over time I've become hardened to it. I find myself thinking, “Am I going to make it through the turnstile in time to get on the train if I help this woman carry her stroller down the subway steps?” and “this guy in front of me is walking so slow, doesn’t he know people are in a hurry?” I’m tired of being in such a hurry that I forget that I’m surrounded by people of all nationalities and languages, whom God has created in His image, and loves. The Lord has called me to be subversive by slowing down, by being an inch worm in a swarm of centipedes. I’m determined to get out and spend time with people, and there’s no better way that I can think of doing that, then to meet people in their sanctuary, Central Park.

There is a store a few blocks from my apartment called the Super Runner Store. Just walking into this place makes you feel super cool. They have a running club that meets on Saturday and Sunday mornings and if you run ten runs with them (and you don’t even have to finish with them), you get a free pair of running shoes of your choice. Talk about a deal! Although that’s a great perk, I knew it was also the way for me to meet some other runners. I finally mustered the courage to give it a shot this morning. I’d say about 15 people came. We ended up dispersing into a few groups depending on pace and distance. I ran with a group of 5, and had such a blast talking with them and hearing about what they do and where they’re from. The amazing uncharacteristic weather had us all in a peppy mood, so the 6 miles just flew by! When we finished, we agreed that we made a good little group and should run together more often, so we high-fived and traded email addresses. I was in such a good mood after that, and so overwhelmed by the gift of such an awesome day, that I felt like I could keep running forever. Well, I didn’t run forever, but I opted for 3 more miles. That means that this day makes history for another reason, I’ve never run that far before.