Escape Clause

I am in a rest, recovery and rebuilding phase of my running and training. We trained hard all summer, had a race packed September in which we totally expended oursleves-several times. Now we are in recovery and rebuilding mode.

Which means that I have way dialed back on my mileage. And that I occasionally run with my boys.

Our next race is the Dallas Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. Mr. Hippie and I will be running the 8 mile race. Our boys will be running the 5k with my sister.

While I am in rest mode, the boys are in training mode. I get the privilege of looking like the horrible mother who is pushing her kids too hard. Because they are running at 7:15 in the morning. And they are wasting some of their running energy by (literally) crying that this is too hard.

Except, I know that it really isn’t. It is hard, but I know they can run the distances I make them run. Because they have run them before.

Running is rarely easy, and it is rarely impossible. It is hard, but possible.

We run progressively harder, longer and farther as their endurance increases. We raise the bar and challenge ourselves.

My job as their mother/coach is to help them prepare for their races. My job is to gauge their skill and endurance levels and to evaluate where they can do better and run further, faster.

I have shared the encouragement that I receive from 1 Corinthians 10:13...(link to that post)

I love all of it, but this phrase is such an encouragement to me...

He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. 

Unlike me, who may on occasion, wrongly gauge the running, endurance and skill levels of my boys, God always perfectly gauges my endurance level in resisting temptation.

He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. He will never put a temptation before me that the only choice is to sin because I can’t resist. It may not be easy to resist, but it is certainly possible.

Also, the darkest and coldest part of the morning is right before dawn. So it is with temptations, tests and trials. They are the hardest and worst right before they are done. Satan is fighting his hardest. The cumulative effect is weighing down on you, and you can't take.any.more. 

It is right then that God continues to gives us grace and help to stand up under temptation or...

God shows His grace and faithfulness in the other way. He provides a way out. If I am faltering and stumbling, He has a way of escape right there for me to take.

Always, always.
 

Keeping the Rat out of the Race

Well, I figured it was time to give you another running update...

The thing is, when my running is going really well, you hear about it. I will tweet it and FB it, and generally brag it up. I know. It is pretty rotten of me.

When it is not going so well, you aren't going to hear about it. And, let me tell you, this past month has been a doozy.

I had a really great week almost a month ago. I clocked 32 miles that week, including one 11 mile run at a really good pace (for me).

And, then everything kind of tanked.

I had kids with the flu, and then I got it. Seriously, it is hard to run when you yourself feel like tossing your cookies. But, as a mom, I can't leave my sick child to vomit (or worse) on herself, while I am getting my run in.

And then we got horrible colds. Sore throats, coughs, runny noses. That lasted over a week. Really bad colds. That was a week of shorter runs.

And then, when we were finally starting to feel better, the weather decided to live up to its "April showers" reputation. To the tune of torrential downpours every day, the first couple of weeks of this month. That is not an exaggeration. I wish it was.

As a matter of fact, the namesake river running through town is higher than it has been in over 100 years. Our mayor declared our city a disaster zone. All our long running routes are all under water.

Oh yeah, and my achilles was acting up. So, I had to rest it. For a week. Short runs, or not at all. Not conducive to 25k training.

We ran a long and hilly 10 miles last Saturday, but that is still 5-1/2 miles short of where I need to be.

My 25K is less than two weeks. And I don't feel quite ready. Almost, but not quite. The fact is, I am as ready as I ever am going to be. Inevitable and unprepared. The stress of that was starting to eat at me.

We started training late. We were out of the country for a month. We have been sick. The weather has been rotten. I've got to RUN!

I made a decision. I am going to run my race and I am going to do my best. It may be better than last year. It may be worse. But, I am not going to put undue pressure on myself any longer.

I will keep training. I will push it. In the past 6 days I have run a total of 36 miles, including a 13 mile run. Still 2-1/2 miles short. But almost there.

Running is my life style. I am training for a race, and it isn't going well, but, even after the race, I am still going to be running. Because that is what I do. No matter how good or bad I do in this race, I still will lace up my shoes a couple days after it, and run some more.

Sickness and the weather are things that I can't control. I can control my response.

I am not going to let this bad month ruin me. I am picking up where I am, and going from here. I will not feel guilty for not running. There are other priorities-like nursing my sick kids and healing my body. Being a mom and a wife. That is my life too. It all has to work together and balance out over the long run, or it isn't sustainable.

And, that is the truth.

This is an awesome runner's verse, but it is an awesome life verse too. Sometimes this race of life seems overwhelming. It is hard to keep going. But, our source of strength and encouragement is Jesus Christ.

I am thinking this will be my 25K race mantra. It certainly is my life mantra.

Looking unto Jesus...

What keeps you going in the race of life? What keeps you going on your fitness journey? Where do you find your strength?