Friday, May 15, 2009

Plodding Along!

I managed to make it through Week 3 - Day 2 today, and am eagerly anticipating a Sunday run to finish out Week 3. This is an entire week longer than I made it the last time I started this C25K program, and I'm feeling great!

It's funny to listen to all of the things that go through my head when I'm running, especially during the longer intervals. I'm discovering that running is just as much of a mental sport as it is a physical one. I was so pumped to start my run today, because I missed it yesterday and my body was actually craving it. The first 90 second interval went by smoothly and felt great. Then when I was half way through the first of two 3 minute intervals I was thinking, "AH! Did I really WANT to do this?!" Which is exactly what I said to myself during my run on Tuesday. I'm learning to keep putting one foot in front of the other when things get hard, with the knowledge that as soon as I make it through the hard part, there will be that wonderful reward waiting for me at the end; a warmed-up body that is strong and actually enjoying the run. Today that happened once I finished the second 3 minute interval. I had two "laps" to go (the treadmill keeps track of laps for you so you can see how far you've run) before I hit two miles, and even though I was in the cool-down phase of the C25K podcast, I figured I'd run one more lap. It felt great! It's amazing to find out that I'm capable of a lot more than I might initially think - if I'll just stick with it!

It makes me think of the same process in spiritual growth. When things get difficult and I feel like giving up on the Lord because of life circumstances, I've learned to just be in the moment and do what needs to be done. The hard parts do pass, and on the other side I always come out with a bigger understanding of God's love and His holiness. And I always find myself feeling much stronger than I initially thought. It's crazy how spiritual principles parallel the physical ones, huh?

Scripture calls us to cast all of our cares on Jesus and assures us that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). That encouragement is in context of Scripture calling us to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand, because He gives grace to those who are humble but He opposes the proud. I pray that as you find yourself up against the difficult life circumstances that might come your way, that you would trust your heart to Jesus and allow Him to sustain you moment to moment. He wants your whole heart, and He deserves it!

3 comments:

  1. WTG!! emilyjh75 here, and a new subscriber to your blog. I have also just started running, and ITA with everything you have written here. It can also apply to childbirth, to breastfeeding, and a number of other things. There is value in learning to persevere in the face of opposition. In fact, it was my UC that gave me the courage to start running. And when that voice in my head told me I wanted to quit, I just pressed on. After all, I'd done that several times before - in the middle of a contraction. :)

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  2. You are so right, running is far more mental then it is physical. Especially when you are actually running a race. Both races I have written I am stoked at the beginning and running fast and then halfway through I get to the point when I start thinking "What the heck was I thinking, why am I doing this to myself?". And that is when you seriously have to fall back on all that training (mental) that you have prepared for. I am so excited for you to run a race, it is one of the best feelings in the world.

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  3. ha ha, I meant "run" instead or "written". I am a bit spacey.

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