Misogi Birthday

Yesterday was my Misogi Birthday…. Some of you may be asking what a misogi is.

Here are some things I read about them online:  

•  “The notion around the misogi is you do something so hard one time a year that it has an impact the other 364 days of the year….Put one big thing on the calendar that scares you, that you never thought you could do, and go out and do it.”  
•  The point of your Misogi is to “reach your edge so that edge expands.” It’s an “emotional, spiritual, and psychological challenge that masquerades as a physical challenge.”
• “Learning a little bit more about the origins of misogi, it began as an annual Japanese purification process for both the body and the mind. The word misogi translates to “water cleansing” and is generally done by standing under an icy waterfall while winter waters pour over the body. Researching this, I found that Nat Geo had explored traditional misogi in Japan. As the writer shared in their article, standing under the waterfall was like “pressing Control-Alt-Delete on your body.”

1.   "Misogi should push the limit. Whatever your misogi goal is, there should be a 50/50 chance that you will succeed. It shouldn’t be easy enough that you can fully expect to be successful. You need to enter the misogi with a sense of adventure, knowing that you may fail. There needs to be some risk involved. The whole point is to stretch yourself to tap into something you didn’t know for sure you were capable of. 
2.  "Misogi should scare you a little bit. Tied to pushing your limits, whatever you choose for your misogi should create a little bit of fear. It should make you uncomfortable, and the thought of it should rattle your nerves a bit. The beauty is this… in each case, that fear broke down over time – once I chose to take the leap."
3.   "Misogi is for you, not anyone else. The whole point of the misogi experience is to learn something about yourself. The same as it was a traditional way to purify the mind and body in Japanese culture, which was very personal, the Misogi Challenge is an endeavor for you alone. Even if you do it alone with someone else or a group, the experience is still very private. If you’re doing it for someone else, you’ll miss the point."

I had signed up for the Chuckanut 50K last December because our friend Krissy Moehl has been the race director for 20 years (AND the race was set to be on my actual birthday), and I was excited to train through the winter to run this beautiful course. I was hoping also to redeem my experience of running in such extreme heat last May in the Sun Mountain 50K. 

I did one of my long runs at the end of January which seemed to go fine, but afterwards, I had a tight hamstring that just would not loosen up for the next six weeks. I worked on some physical therapy diligently, tried to add cross training in with biking, and I even stopped running for a couple of weeks before the race to try to deal with the strain.  

 

I really was not sure if I was going to be able to participate at all, or if I would start and then have to bail mid-race with an injury.  While Jim told me I was insane to think this was something fun to do on my birthday, I am beyond grateful for the health and strength God gave me to be able to do the run and somehow finish feeling strong (despite the fact that training totally got derailed and there were plenty of muscle cramps along the way keeping me company).  All of this to say, I could not have asked for a more beautiful day up in Bellingham, and two dear friends were at the finish to celebrate.  

My ridiculous birthday running tights provided some fun commentary along the trail and there were a few people along the way who made it really festive (Thank you, inflatable dinosaur!).

at the start 

along the Interurban Trail in Bellingham 

inflatable dinosaur at the 2nd aid station 

with Krissy at the finish 

This passage from Philippians 4 from the First Nations Translation was my mantra through the run and will be the thing that sticks with me for the next 364 days: “Instead, with every step send your voice to the Great Spirit, asking him for the things you need. And in all your prayers remember to give him thanks.”

 

I read this gorgeous prayer from Cole Arthur Riley called “For What You Find on the Mountaintop” this morning, and it sums up my deep gratitude I experienced during the run and helps me to put words to it as I reflect back: “We thank you for allowing us to journey up. That we would be able to see a place not just from within it but from a distance is a gift we do not readily comprehend. Here, as we look out at what seems as if it can fit in the palm of our hand, remind us of beauty’s vastness. In this moment may we be both large and small. Remind us that beauty isn’t merely for our consumption, but that it is something to be protected. Grow in us a wonder that is willing to bow to the beauty of the natural world, that it would be a path to humility and not ego. That we would understand it does not exist for us, but it is our divine fortune that we would be moved by it. And we are moved, God. May this view form us and keep us, as we allow our souls to remain stirred when we return to the ground we’ve known. May it be so.”

picture of Anna when she helped me finish the Sun Mountain 50K 

last May that I brought with me as inspiration :)