That's How We Roll

I believe in foam rolling. Experience has taught me that it makes a difference, and as a result, I have begun a small collection. 

Each of these torture devices has its own purpose. The standard roller. Travel size. The spiky one (rumble roller) for when you really want to get serious. And the baby rumbler for torture on the go. 

As I was rolling today, a couple of scriptures popped in my head, one being Romans 5:3:

"...we rejoice in our sufferings..."

Yep. That's foam rolling for ya!  

But I was also thinking about how foam rolling works. Basically, we use pressure to get the knots out. Kind of like ironing.  Pressure (and heat) gets the wrinkles out. This made me think of Ephesians 5:27, which talks about us being presented to God "without spot or wrinkle."  So when we feel pressure (or God turning up the heat), we should rejoice in knowing this is part of the process of us being made holy and perfect as His bride!  

Heart Change

After more than seven months since the injury, I'm happy to report I am finally back to running double digits, which I suppose is enough to qualify as "long slow distance" (emphasis on the SLOW).

They say long slow distance running is key for stimulating development of the cardiovascular system.  As we're slogging through the miles, our hearts change, becoming stronger and more efficient.  By building the network of blood vessels, we also develop the infrastructure necessary to improve delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles.  These changes seem slow and are virtually imperceptible at first, but their effects become evident over time, as we are able to go farther and faster and do what was once hard with less and less effort. 

I'm learning that spiritual development happens much in the same way.  Slow, often imperceptible at first, but over time we notice that something is different.  What once was hard is now easy.  

To be sure, our bodies also adapt in response to high intensity interval training, which I think is the equivalent of how we experience rapid change--often in the form of epiphanies and paradigm shifts--in response to crisis.  But in training and in life, those moments of crisis make up only a small percentage of the time.  Most of the real work takes place as we're slogging through, mile after mile, day after day. 

So be encouraged and keep moving forward, even if it seems like nothing's really happening.  Over time, you will see how God has been changing your heart. 

God of the Impossible

Just hours after my last post, I got my answer about my next marathon!  

Three weeks ago, I had been praying about whether to sign up for the Erie Mararthon in September. It's a waterfront course that's supposedly flat as a pancake, and the race is close enough to Cleveland and Pittsburgh that I could check both ballparks off my bucket list in the same trip!  But as many setbacks as I've had, I wanted to be extra careful and prayerful before signing up. I asked God for clarity, and "Isaiah 41" popped in my head. 

The chapter is about God helping the nation of Israel, but there was a verse that jumped off the page for me:

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

I took that as a green light and got all excited...until I discovered the race was already closed!  I was shocked and confused. I joined the waiting list only to find there were 374 people ahead of me--for a race capped at 1250. That meant 30% of the field would have to drop!  

But I've been doing a study I call, "God of the Impossible," focused on God's flair for miracles.  Surely the One who spoke the world into being, parted the Red Sea for Moses, made the sun stand still for Joshua, and opened the mouth of Balaam's talking donkey could open up a spot for me.  The odds weren't looking too good for Abraham and Sarah to have a baby when they were older than dirt or for Joseph to succeed when he was sold as a slave and then thrown in prison. Gideon and his 300 guys went into battle with trumpets and torches (how do you hold a sword with one of those in each hand?) against an army of 135,000. That's 450:1!  Yet, in every case, God came through and did exactly what He said He would do. 

Part of me reasoned that maybe Isaiah 41 was meant more generally...like He would strengthen me to run some race someday and that He would help me figure out whether to run Erie (and had by closing the darn thing!). But part of me thought, "God of the Impossible is gonna do this."

A little further down in the same chapter of Isaiah, there's a verse that reads:

I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means— that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it. (Isaiah 41:10, 20 NLT)

And now the miracle has happened. I got my invite for Erie today!  The fact that I not only got in but also found out well in advance (sparing me the nightmare and expense for last minute flight and hotel reservations) seems like nothing less than a miracle to me. 

I can't say what will happen on race day. After all, I'm starting out at a lower level of fitness than I had a year ago, with less time left to train before the big day. But I guess I'll just leave that up to God of the Impossible, too!  

                            

Powered By Love

I remember the first time I heard the song "One Thing Remains."

I was training for my first marathon and was struck by these lyrics:

I loved the idea of applying the words of 1 Corinthians 13 to distance running, powered by God's endless and unfailing love, and I remembered these lyrics as I ran Marine Corps. 

On today's run, I was praying about my next marathon.  As I was nearing the end of the run, I heard this song again--which is quite remarkable given than I left my phone and earbuds at home!  (I don't think I was hallucinating; I believe it was coming from the water park near my house.)  I'm taking it as a sign that there will be a next marathon...

The Impossible Run

Seeking a spiritual retreat, I booked a Caribbean cruise, hoping to find God in the vastness and majesty of the ocean and on the beautiful beaches in the Bahamas. Tuesday was our day at sea, so I took advantage of the track on deck to get my run in. 

It was a run unlike any other.  The track was a tenth of a mile, and I ran 10 laps at an easy pace. But the movement of the ship turned my easy effort into a 10-minute 5K!  

Garmin Connect Data - The Impossible Run

As I saw the 3:10 pace on my Garmin, I reflected on this: when we rely on God's power and let Him carry us, we can accomplish far greater things than we are capable of in our own strength--even the impossible. 

Training Plan for 2014

Last year, I spent considerable time researching training plans and ended up creating a customized one by synthesizing principles that I found across several others.  Regardless of whether you follow Galloway, Higdon, or the Hanson brothers (think marathon, not MMMBop), certain principles apply: Build mileage gradually.  Alternate hard days and easy days.  Do long runs.  Fuel them properly.  Take rest days.

As I look to resume training, I'm also considering spiritual principles I need to keep in mind.  My prayer is that my running will be guided by a verse I'm aiming to live for 2014 and beyond:

Those last three really got me. 

Humility.  Not pride.  Ouch. 

Gentleness.  Not pushing myself as hard as I possibly can, up to (or past) my breaking point. 

Patience.  Not focused on speed.  Not rushing the return from injury.  

I hope there will come a time when we can talk about running with endurance (Hebrews 12:1) and running to win (1 Corinthians 9:24). Yet, in the meantime, running with humility, gentleness, and patience will build a solid foundation for my character and for everything that is to come.  

As much as I want to run longer and run faster, I've got to remember: low miles and slow miles are better than no miles!

From 5K to Marathon - Spiritually Speaking

Here's a link to a piece I wrote for Tri4Him, an organization for Christian triathletes, about the shift that's taken place over the past 6 months:

http://tri4him.com/blog/2014/04/27/from-5k-to-marathon-spiritually-speaking/