Okay, so I let Running down Friday and Saturday, it must not have been too upset with me since I felt and ran great on Sunday and Monday. I guess we just needed a break from each other for a couple of days.
Sunday I ran with my Bro Jason. We ran 5 miles slushing, squooshing, and slopping all the way. Wow! Snow, water puddles, streams, and mud wouldn't be a set back to us two Wild Men. We had a few honks of encouragement or maybe honks of "Hey Baby", I'm not sure which. Nonetheless we looked like some seriously Bad Mamajammas!
Monday I ran 4 good miles. In the words of Tony the Tiger "They'rrre Great!" I felt stronger and faster than I have on any run to date. Upping the distances of my runs has made a bigger impact than I expected. I'm running faster as a direct result.
I need to buy a watch so I can more accurately time my runs instead of approximating by how much time is left on my playlist.
Sunday, March 29th
Distance: 5 miles
Monday, March 30th
Distance: 4 miles
Time: Approx. 32 minutes
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Where did The Relationship come from?
Last year the New Balance shoe company came out with a new ad campaign about the LOVE/hate relationship runners have with running. Well here is their anthem...
You were in a relationship with Running. A love/hate relationship. Running kicks you out of a warm and cosy bed into a cold hard world. Running calls you at all hours of the night. Running gets you up at the crack of dawn and keeps you at practice long after play has left the building. Every day with Running is a question of your commitment. And Running’s not afraid to ask. Yes my friend it is a complex and torrid affair. It is a constant balance, a balance between joy and pain, work and play, a balance between love and hate. Everything we do is geared toward tipping the balance. This is the new balance.
Running is certaily not afraid to question my commitment. Did I run today? No. Do I feel like I let Running down? Yes. Did Running call a few times today? Yes. Will Running make me run tomorrow? Yes, if I want to keep any kind of relationship with Running at all.Why didn't I run today? Inches of ice on the ground, that's why. Running told me I could run on the treadmill, but I don't like it on the treadmill. My excuses are not good enough for Running.
Okay. okay. Running, I will run on the treadmill tomorrow. Sorry. Please lighten up.
You were in a relationship with Running. A love/hate relationship. Running kicks you out of a warm and cosy bed into a cold hard world. Running calls you at all hours of the night. Running gets you up at the crack of dawn and keeps you at practice long after play has left the building. Every day with Running is a question of your commitment. And Running’s not afraid to ask. Yes my friend it is a complex and torrid affair. It is a constant balance, a balance between joy and pain, work and play, a balance between love and hate. Everything we do is geared toward tipping the balance. This is the new balance.
Running is certaily not afraid to question my commitment. Did I run today? No. Do I feel like I let Running down? Yes. Did Running call a few times today? Yes. Will Running make me run tomorrow? Yes, if I want to keep any kind of relationship with Running at all.Why didn't I run today? Inches of ice on the ground, that's why. Running told me I could run on the treadmill, but I don't like it on the treadmill. My excuses are not good enough for Running.
Okay. okay. Running, I will run on the treadmill tomorrow. Sorry. Please lighten up.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Where did that come from?
Today I ran 4 miles again, only this time in a light rain. It was quite exhilerating, especially since I have very little hair. Feeling each rain drop hit my head felt good, somehow it helped take my mind off of my problems. I did two things differently today than I have in past runs. #1 Kept reminding myself to look up and off to the distance and #2 Everytime I felt pain I would pick up the pace. This resulted in my fastest 4 mile time to date.
It's funny how when I would take my mind off of "the then and there"that the pain would diminish. That is exactly how our relationship works with our Heavenly Father. I have been through some things in my life that I wish I wouldn't have had to go through, but they made me who I am today. ( I may someday share these things, but not now) Pain and trial have a way of molding us into something we didn't think we could be. Because when we are in great pain then we tend to look elsewhere for strength. This is where God comes in.
The times I felt so much pain and thought that there was no way I could continue, the Lord strengthened me in a way that I can't explain, and the pain and trial would grow smaller right before my eyes. It was amazing. Exactly like when Peter was walking on the water, he was WALKING on a raging storm then he took his eyes off of Jesus. What happened? He began to sink, only when he took his eyes off of his Captain.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus and have an eternal perspective (looking off into the distance) our pain and trial seem much smaller. They may not actually get smaller, maybe when we keep our focus in the right place we just see them for what they really are.
The last 1/2 mile of my run today was very strong and the last 200 yards were the strongest I can ever remember running in my life. Where did that come from? Inner strength when I saw the end of my course for the day. We may not see the end of our own individual courses in life, but we know that the End Times are soon drawing near. So, let us run our races with courage and strength provided from our Heavenly Father.
After looking at my playlist length I now think that my run on Tuesday was closer to 35 minutes not 37.
Thursday March 26th
Distance: 4 miles
Time: Approx. 33 minutes
It's funny how when I would take my mind off of "the then and there"that the pain would diminish. That is exactly how our relationship works with our Heavenly Father. I have been through some things in my life that I wish I wouldn't have had to go through, but they made me who I am today. ( I may someday share these things, but not now) Pain and trial have a way of molding us into something we didn't think we could be. Because when we are in great pain then we tend to look elsewhere for strength. This is where God comes in.
The times I felt so much pain and thought that there was no way I could continue, the Lord strengthened me in a way that I can't explain, and the pain and trial would grow smaller right before my eyes. It was amazing. Exactly like when Peter was walking on the water, he was WALKING on a raging storm then he took his eyes off of Jesus. What happened? He began to sink, only when he took his eyes off of his Captain.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus and have an eternal perspective (looking off into the distance) our pain and trial seem much smaller. They may not actually get smaller, maybe when we keep our focus in the right place we just see them for what they really are.
The last 1/2 mile of my run today was very strong and the last 200 yards were the strongest I can ever remember running in my life. Where did that come from? Inner strength when I saw the end of my course for the day. We may not see the end of our own individual courses in life, but we know that the End Times are soon drawing near. So, let us run our races with courage and strength provided from our Heavenly Father.
After looking at my playlist length I now think that my run on Tuesday was closer to 35 minutes not 37.
Thursday March 26th
Distance: 4 miles
Time: Approx. 33 minutes
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Running is Calling!
The first time I went pheasant hunting was this January. I went with a couple of friends and one of their dogs, she was a German shorthair. The temperature was in the 30's and pretty windy as you can count on in Kansas. We put the dog in the back of the truck and made a couple of stops on the way to the fields we would hunt. When we stopped I got out and pet the dog and admired her, awaiting to see what a Bird-dog could do. When I was petting her I noticed she was shaking and not caring too much for my affection. I said to my friend "She must be cold." He said "No she ain't cold, she knows we're goin' huntin'!" Apparently she was anxious to get out and do what she was made and loves to do!
I can identify with this in my Running relationship.
Yesterday after I ate lunch I was tired so I thought I would take a quick nap and let my food settle then go run. I laid down for about 10 minutes and didn't get a wink of sleep. I got up after 10 minutes because all I could think about was getting out and running. My thoughts of running were so intense I was nearly shaking. Why? I love running! Am I made to run? We'll find out over the next few months. My short-term goal is to run and finish the 32nd Annual Johnston's Wichita Half Marathon on September 20th.
I have really just started running this year over the past few weeks. This week I will only log 13-17 miles. Not too many, but I'm off to a good start already feeling strong at longer distances than I ever have. Right now I will keep upping my mileage and distances each week, then really start training in a few weeks.
Running is Calling and so is Jesus! I can't wait to get out and run most days but on the contrary most days I CAN wait to read the Bible and talk to God. Intimate devotional time is one of the struggles in my life. I feel like I always need to be going somewhere and doing something when Jesus is calling. I often think "Jesus I will spend time with you later", or "Jesus I will be right back". Hours later or sometimes not at all that day do Jesus and I ever get together. He is always calling though. "Brandon, come unto me ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest", or "Brandon, my son, I love you. I want to teach you. I want to show you great and mighty things which you don't know" Most often I give Jesus what is left of my time and not what is right. He sacrificed His life, He gave up eternity and came to this lowly world to become man, to know how I feel, and how I hurt, and how I function, because He loves me. The least I can do is give Him more of my time.
Tuesday March 24th
Distance: 4 miles
Time: Approx. 37 minutes
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