Detox Day

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Fionnuala suggested the other evening that I undertake an endurance challenge for January 2018. It involves running 150 miles during the month and logging them on my Garmin watch. At the end of the month I e-mail the challenge organisers a screen shot of my mileage and, in return, I get a medal and compression top. Not bad for £14. Plus, as ever, I will be running to raise funds for SHINE Charity, a cause very close to my heart.

I like challenges. No, let me rephrase that, I need challenges. Even in work I may moan about it at the time but I work well under pressure and to a deadline. A certain amount of pressure can be healthy. You need to be tested in order to examine your outer boundaries and then go beyond them. So I am grateful to Fionnuala for discovering this fresh challenge for me. She is always thinking of new ways of stretching me. Either that or this is her polite way of getting me out of the house more over the next four weeks.

I’m setting out on a ten mile run this morning as my first leg of the challenge. No time like the present right? The challenge is perfect training preparation for the marathons and half marathons I plan to run throughout the year. I used to experience a different type of alcohol related pain on New Years Day so it will be invigorating and liberating to start the year off in this fashion. I feel as if I will be on the front foot and ahead of the game.

I am also going to use the ‘me’ time alone on the road to think and pray. It is important that we all get this downtime whatever our belief systems. As ever I hope to leave a few of my demons out on the road and return home a more focused and decluttered individual. Running for me is like my writing. I use it to detoxify my soul and spirit, to unburden my heart of worries and fears. It is an act of cleansing and purification; a precious purging.

However you spend the first day of this new year I hope you find a little ‘me’ time to tend to your own mental and spiritual needs. I’ll see you on the road.

How did you spend the first day of 2018?

How do you intend to detoxify this year?

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

61 thoughts on “Detox Day”

  3. Great idea!
    I think I’d like to get back into running too. I used to love it but for some reason stopped.
    I’m just hoping the rain stays away long enough so I don’t get soaked! Best wishes for your challenge, I’m sure you’ll smash it!
    Hayley 😊

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  4. Happy New year to you, what a great challenge for you to kick start your new year! My husband plans to run every day in January and he also has a Garmin watch, or more an extension of his arm 😉 He’s started off with a 5k this morning, you runners are crazy but I admire your determination 😁

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  5. Happy new year to you! 9.22pm new years day and the wife and I spent the last day at a conference we had been at for the last 5 days. Cant wait to sleep for a week! By making better choice lol

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  8. Happy new year! Great way to detox.
    I spent the first few minutes of the new year in his(God’s )presenc,confessing that all I desire is to glorify him in this year.
    The greater part of first day I have been travelling so I will have to find another day to detox. I love having the me time alone in church.

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  9. Blessing to you and your family Stephen! I too use ‘alone time’ for prayer and meditation. I am no runner, so I use any commute time in the car in this way (it is also a good time to work on Scripture memorization).
    Is there a way we could contribute to SHINE from this side of the pond? Thanks.
    Chuck

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  10. Happy New Year! Running sounds like a great way to start off the year. Wouldn’t be very fun here though, as it is -8°F (-22°C). I’m not looking to forward to feeding the chickens 😂🐔

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  11. I am spending my first day of the relaxing on my last day of our vacation. I am giving myself permission to rest which is something I don’t do well. Happy New Years to you. This year, I want to be more intentional about rest and taking care of myself.

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  12. Happy New Year! Its 10:15AM where I’m at and I haven’t done too much yet. I was just going to take today and relax and spend time in God’s Word. Next week I will be heading to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a few days of relaxation with my sister and her family. 🙂 We go every year and it’s just so much fun.

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  13. Happy New Year to you and family. detox is an odd subject to start the year but I fitting I am at the point in my life where I have trust God for daily provisions, waiting on Him and resting in his care for me. I have finally realized I can’t do anything on my own after wearing myself out so I plan on laboring daily to enter into the REST of God.

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  15. Good luck with your challenge all for worthy cause. I would like to donate. Is there a link/page that can donate on?
    I spent the first day of 2018 how i spent the last day of 2017, i was at work. I now have 2 days off after working non stop since boxing day.

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  16. What a wonderful article! I spent the first day running a 5K and stopping at interesting locations along the way home. This year, I plan to maintain my sobriety, quit smoking, and detox my negative thoughts and self-talk. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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      1. I can see that😂😂😂I walk them in the beach or in the forest no leads😉I remember the nice feeling after a run.you really feel reinvigorated.keep it up🐶🏃🏻‍♂️

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  18. I’m not religious but the idea of running as a spiritual exercise rings so true. There’s a feeling I get at the end of a long run alone with my thoughts that I’ve never quite been able to describe but this is pretty darn close!

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  19. That s amazing wow!! We went to bed quite late so we slept in, had a wonderful lazy and cosy day, went for a walk, ate good (and healthy) food – not as inspirational as yours, but I was happy😊

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  23. Hi! I like this. I ran 15km on 1 January as I’m training for the inaugural Newport marathon in South Wales. Running is the North Star of my constellation, it makes my life rich. I am a believer like you guys and would really like to connect. I like the concept of your blog. Check out my post ‘A signpost to show the way’ and ‘Freedom and belonging’. Happy 2018, happy running, happy writing and happy reading!

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