One of my Running trail runs is tough. It’s a muddy slog through increasingly thick woods. It’s a slow claggy run climbing through undergrowth that sees only glimpses of the sun. It’s very claustrophobic. Your on your own. A little voice keeps telling you to just stop. Why am I doing this. One step forward, two back.

But with patience and effort the going becomes easier. The ground levels out. The cover starts to thin and the distant view begins to reveal itself.

Then your out. The openness is initially disorientating but it’s been so worth the struggle.

Then a reluctance. A moment of doubt. Need to turn your back on the openness and head back into the dark. The way is back through the woods.

This trail run reminds me of our life these days. I head into the working week with trepidation. Too much to do and not enough time. Self doubt is king. Often so little direction and so much frustration. It feels like you are against the world. Battling uphill through mud. Our Son heads into 5 days of mainstream school. So little help. Fighting on his own. Not sure why he is doing this. It’s an alien world. You just have to keep plodding on but then Friday comes. Our hopes and spirits build. Then you arrive at the weekend. For two sweet days life improves. The week’s slog and struggles are forgotten. But so quickly it’s late Sunday and you face the trepidation of the upcoming week and the return to the darkness.

So we move on. The week calls and maybe so does the woodland trail. That’s our life cycle.

35 thoughts on “The view opens up”

  3. The thing about slogging along a rough area is, you eventually wear down a path and it’s easier to make your way to the clear, open spot.
    Sure, there will be new growth to trip you up occasionally, but the path itself is still there.
    Sometimes all we can do is just keep running that same ground until we’ve made a path, and cherish the open areas in the meantime
    Hugs!💌

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  4. Great analogy – picture perfect, in fact. 😉

    Has the thought ever occurred to just run in all that glorious wide-open space that is your brief ‘reward’ for all the hard slogging you choose to do beforehand?

    I’m sure your doctor would prefer it.

    Sometimes the obvious answers elude our gaze. 🙂

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  7. I didn’t realise you ran as well. How often and how far do you run?

    I could relate to your post especially how the start of the week leaves you feeling overwhelmed with so much to do and so little time.
    My past weekend was very busy I never got enough time to rest. I’m looking forward to the weekend with open arms.
    Great post!

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      1. Sorry, I should have been more specific. There was a photo of what looked like a valley, with pale green fields in the foreground (as far as I remember) – I presume that must have been towards the Wolds?

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  10. A church leader I listened to described life (I think, specifically, marriage) like a roller coaster. I liked what he said about dips and turns and such, but think your comparison to a mud run through trees is more accurate.

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  13. YES, this was me this week, constantly slogging, struggling to move forward again and again while more problems just keep coming. And you’re right–all we can do is continue on, hoping, praying, and doing what we can when we can.

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