running in the wind

Walking to work today, the wind was blowing extremely hard. it reminded me of the times on my mission in the philippine islands, when we had typhoons. i went through so many of them. you just kind of got used to them. My first day in my mission we got hit with a Signal 3 storm. i can't explain the amount of destruction these storms create. even the small ones. i remember a storm so bad that so much rain was falling and wind blowing that the road disappeared in front of us on our way home. we knew it was coming and thought we could beat it. all you can really do is find some shelter and ride it out. anyways. i've noticed of late that when i go running the wind always seems to be blowing against me. i run south, at the same time, it is blowing against me. run east. same thing. i think it strange that it happens whenever i run. like the weather is out to get me. but i still plod along despite my paranoid delusions of climatological adversity. what am i going to do when it gets tough like that. quit?? i don't think so. it reminded me of the Salt lake city marathon i ran in april. that was so very tough. from mile4 to mile 13, was into the wind. and not a gentle breeze. i'm talking blowing me backwards kind of wind. a few times, the wind completely stopped me in my tracks. I had that going against me, while going at an uphill grade until the half way point. when i reached the turn around on 13, i was so exhausted, but i kept going. I was going to finish that race.
i was talking to a man during my park city marathon at about mile 24. he was a bit older, i'm thinking in his 60s and he kept a good pace and he was very friendly. he could see that i was struggling at this point, which i was, due to the altitude. my heart rate was going to fast and i was having to walk at that point until it calmed down. i'd run until it got too high but then i'd have to slow down. my muscles were fine, i felt strong, but with my labored breathing and my heart rate, high. i couldn't risk a heartattack. he offered some advice. his words were simple. the victory is in the finish. that was it, but so much more, what he mean was to just keep going, you'll get to the finish, do the best you can with what you have. by and by, the end will come and you'll finish this race. especially the marathon. what a feeling it is to finish that run. to cross the line, especially when there is so much going against you. you just keep moving each step and eventually you will get to that finish line.
i don't mind the wind so much, it can get annoying, and it may make the journey bit more difficult. but the victory is overcoming those difficulties and finishing the race. and if you ever decide to run parkcity, you need to know that from mile 6 to mile 16 is all uphill. a gentle uphill from mile 6 to 10, then from 10 to 13, more uphill, then from 13 to 16, a monster of an uphill. good news. from 16 to the end is mostly downhill. the course is beautiful and amazing. very quiet. even when you run through park city. most people avoid the marathon traffic and the streets are nice and non-threatening.
i often wonder, why are difficulties so difficult. reason is, they teach you about what you really are. when testing, you are tested to see what knowledge you have acquired, what skills you have gain. you really don't get that type of measurement without some type of difficult obstacles. the more difficult the test, the more apparent the soul. so when the wind blows, the more my heart desires to move forward. the more i know that once i get through this experience, a part of me will be all the better. no one can take away the victories earn hard through adversity. these types of victories go on into the eternities. far past our time on this earth. I look forward to crossing that finish line.