Race Results ...

Today was my 1/2 marathon ... yes, I originally signed up for the full marathon back in December I think ... but God had other plans ... so the 1/2 it was. I am not about to down play a race that was over 13 miles! I am so proud of myself.

I was up at 4am this morning ... up to Fort Collins by 5, and on a bus to the start of the race at 5:45. The race started up in the mountains and was "down hill" most of the way. It was about 35 degrees when I left my house this morning and about 20 degrees when the buses dropped us off ... the race didn't start until 7! About 2,000 strangers stood around in a huge huddle like March of the Penguins. It was sooo cold. I thought I surely burned off my morning pre-race oatmeal just from shivering so much!

The race route was beautiful! I really just wanted to enjoy the entire race, beginning to end ... flowing river on one side and mountain tops on the other. I worshiped as I ran, listening to great music ... jammed to some Brickhouse and Billy Jean when needed ... I walked when I felt like I needed to and waved at people on the side of the road that stopped to cheer us on. At one point, a man stood alone on the side of the road, just holding an American Flag. It was Divine.

I got a drink at every point available and had a few Gu things too. The last mile was great, although my hip flexors were screaming at me (and still are!) ... and as it worked out I was the only person running down the chute to the finish ... the announcer said, "Here comes Jessica Fernandez from Longmont" ... I pumped my arms in the air and yelled WHOOO HOOO!!! He then said, "with those pig tails in your hair you look like you are 18"~ Haha.

My goal was to finish this race faster than the race I did in California over a year ago ... and sure enough, I finished a little more than TWENTY MINUTES FASTER~!

Before I got out of my car this morning, I brought my Bible with me and I just flipped it open, hoping to find something to meditate on throughout my run ...
"Don't you realize Christ gave up everything so that you could be free?" Galatians 1:5 I thought about that the entire time ... day to day life can get so bogged down with worldly problems ... and really it is all just so simple ... Christ gave up everything so I can be free ... free from guilt, free from shame, free from worldly desires, free from my past mistakes, free from my failures ... free is free is free. I am free and it feels amazing.

Thank you Lord for this race today ... You knew it was just what I needed to refocus; time to think of only You, of my next breath, of my next step, of the beauty that abounds in Colorado, of this body You have blessed me with that carried me so far ... and that is sore already ... but I am so thankful. I am thankful Lord for the freedom I feel, deep in my soul, for the Grace you showered me with today. I am renewed and refocused. Amen.