Here We Are Again (Winter 2023 Seasonal Review)

As I’m writing this post, I can’t believe that we’ve come to the end of another winter. Sometimes just the fact that we’ve made another turn around the sun is enough to make me stand in wonder.

A year can feel so short, and yet so long.

I’ve seen the junior high track athletes practicing at my school, and sometimes I can’t believe that, just a year ago, I was one of them. And yet, at the same time, I can’t believe that a whole year has gone by since then.

I had my first official track meet last weekend, and it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped.

I finished the 3200 with an injured hip and the worst time that I’ve done all year. It was one of those races that made me ask myself, “Why am I even doing this?”

With every step, I felt that all-too-familiar twinge in my hip. I felt the all-too-familiar anxiety that came with seeing the other runners pull away from me as I fell more and more behind.

It reminded me of my final eighth-grade cross-country races, where I had felt pain as I ran with a hip injury. And it reminded me of my eighth-grade track meets, where I had fallen behind as I ran with an iron-deficiency, an anxious heart, and a weary soul.

I felt like I had turned back into the eighth-grader from which I had tried so hard to break away.

But maybe my eighth-grade struggles aren’t holding me back anymore.

And maybe I’m not the same person anymore.

I’m here again, in another season of waiting. I’m here again, struggling with an injury and questioning my identity as a runner. I’m here again, in the place where I had hoped to never find myself.

But maybe I’m not in the same place where I was at the end of last year’s winter.

Maybe I know by now that broken things can be made beautiful. Maybe I know by now that my identity is not in my successes, or failures, but in Christ alone.

And maybe knowing this is enough to make me keep going.

It is enough.

Because I’m here. I’m here at the end of another winter, but I’m also here in a different place as a different person.

And you’re here, too. I don’t know what you’ve experienced over the course of this past year, this past winter, or even this past month. I don’t know where you’ve been, or even where you are right now as you continue down life’s road.

But you’re here. You have hope.

And you can run free.

As we finish this winter and enter into spring, let’s run free together.

Approaching this spring with a growth mindset

Hills have always been my weakness.

I had a difficult time on the hills when I ran the Mt. SAC course earlier this past winter. But ever since then, I’ve approached hills with a different mindset—a growth mindset.

I now see hills as an opportunity to become a better runner. Hills give me the chance to face my weakness head-on, and come back stronger for it.

I want to approach the hills on life’s road with this same mindset.

Spring has always been the season for growth. As I enter this spring, this track season, and come face-to-face with reminders of my eighth-grade struggles, I want to come back as a stronger person.

And I want to come back with a stronger faith.

What I did this winter…

When I look back on the past few months, I can see that this has definitely been a wonderful season of my life! One of the biggest things that happened to me was launching this blog. As I write the words in these posts, my faith feels so much more real, and it’s so amazing being able to use my words to encourage others and point them to Christ.

Some other things that happened this winter:

• I’ve felt a lot more connected in my church community. This has been something in my prayers for a long time, and I’m so grateful for this. In February I attended a FCA worship night that was held at my church, and the community—as well as the closeness to God—that I experienced while there was amazing.
• I ran several races and time trials. In December I ran a cross-country race at Mt. SAC, which was easily the worst course I’ve done—I’m just glad I made it through! In January, I ran a 3000 at an outdoor open track meet, where I got a PR. I also broke my 5k PR in an official time trial that I ran with my teammates during our winter training program. And, I’m the most excited about having done a half marathon in February, since that’s been a goal of mine for a while.
• I went on a few short trips with my family. I went to Walnut for the Mt. SAC race, and on the way back home my family hit up Palm Springs. We also spent one weekend at Newport Beach. On the day after Christmas, we made a day trip to Julian (a small mountain town), and that was so much fun.
• I celebrated Christmas. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and always a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us!
• It was my (and my twin brother’s) birthday. We turned fifteen a few days ago (on the 6th) and did some fun activities to celebrate, including fondue, rock climbing, and lunch with friends.

What about you?

After telling you all about my winter, I am looking forward to hearing about yours! Feel free to tell me about it in the comments below.

I also want to wish you a blessed spring you enter another season in your life as well. I hope that you will see the reminders of God’s love every step of the way!