HEART REST, THE LULL by Lee Hoedl

One-half second. Over and over and over again. An average of 2.5 billion one-half seconds over an average human life span. The duration of a human heart beat: one-half second. And in that one-half second, 5-6 liters of hemoglobin are circulated throughout the entire human body. A life sustaining task that rhythmically repeats itself. You might very well have known all of this information, but did you know the human heart beat is divided into two equal parts - bum-bum - and the second component of that one-half second is when the heart is at rest?

Nature, Life, music continually instruct us on the vitalness of the "rest" - that crucial need for every life cycle, every system and every musical score to pause, to build momentum, to rejuvenate... to reflect...

For a distance runner, the opportunity to give one's body time to heal and rebuild is crucial to successful and continued running. All too often I witness so many of my fellow runners become mesmerized by the rush, the "high" of the run and dash headlong into an almost non-stop daily regiment of high mileage, distance and speedwork... only to be sidelined by an injury that requires him/her to take that much needed rest that they have been avoiding. It's Life's way of reminding us of the importance of "the lull;" those moments in Life - tragic, motivating, inspiring, confusing - that literally stop us in our tracks and cause us to question, evaluate and reevaluate what we believe about ourselves, particular situations and Life in general. So often we have come to see these moments as "unfortunate" (i.e. illness, injury, loss, redirections and new pathways), when in fact they are a natural component of our life journey. Life itself is readjusting itself and we're just a part of that bigger system. What's most important is what we do during these lulls in our life and what new insights/answers we come out with on the other side.

Just before a marathon race, there is a two-week time period known to runners as "the taper." It is that time where we greatly decrease our training miles and we allow our bodies - and minds - time to rest and heal before the great journey ahead of us. It is not by accident that this taper, this rest, this lull occurs, because the 26.2 miles - regardless of whether it is run, jogged or walked - is a serious strain on one's body. It is what we do with this "lull," both physically and mentally, that will be crucial to our upcoming race day success.

My friend, you may very well find yourself in a partilcular "lull" in your life as you are reading these words. You are between jobs, facing a serious illness, recovering from an accident or heartache, or simply at a place in your life that feels like you are at an important crossroad. What makes the "lull" that much more painful for each of us is that we "present day humans of unlimited noise and distraction" are uncomfortable with the silence. When it is most quiet is when that person, that child, that spirit, that voice inside of us begins to speak. Within this lull of your life, it is that voice inside that may say quietly to you, "I'm scared. I'm confused. I'm heartbroken or hurt. I'm lost." And the way you respond (or not respond) to that voice, that child, that spirit will set into motion of how you will brush yourself off and prepare for the journey ahead of you. Looking back over your past journeys, you might see that many of these "lulls" in your life preceded another grand adventure of your life began. The question is, "What will you do during your next lull?" And more importantly, what grand adventure has it come to herald for your life?

Within a marathon race, there are approximately 14-16 water/sports drink stops for all runners along the course. Randomly placed or accidentally added to the race? No, they are those strategically placed brief moments when you are able to hydrate, catch your breath, solidify your spirit and continue on in your journey. For those individuals that do marathon running, the overswhelming majority of them will tell you that these water/sports drink stops are a God-send, a welcomed brief break and a source of rejuvenation and motivation.

If we would only enter into each lull of our life with that same welcoming spirit.

POST NOTE: When my father continued on in his journey in 1986, I was 22 years old and his death created a massive "lull" in my life - mostly for the entire next year. I was just beginning graduate school and quickly realized how much I had looked to my father for security, approval and validation over my first 22 years. That approval and validation was a wonderful aspect of our relationship, but after his death I came to realize and accept that I would need to live my life first to the satisfaction of my Savior and second to the satisfaction of myself. From that lull, that moment, that crossroad I never looked back... Since that time I've run, raced, written, lived, trekked, loved, and explored my life to my heart's content... and it grew from the lull that had enveloped me in 1986.

Are there any regrets looking back over my life? I am very satisfied and peaceful with where my life has headed and what I have witnessed. My only minor regret is that I didn't marry my wife Di years earlier... but considering how my life, my love and my family has unfolded, it is a minor regret with which I can gladly live out my days and years.