Day49

Day 49 – 15 Miles:  This is the day that stopped my blog, hard in it’s tracks.  I was so disappointed in this run that I did not know what good a weblog entry would do.

My first thought after finishing this run was, this was horrible!  I was still very much feeling the effects of giving blood.  The route had all of the things that I try to avoid in a run (busy streets, no shoulder, shoulder with bad grades, stop lights, and running on concrete)  It was a good combination of residential and rural.  Instead of feeling the normal fatigue that I feel at the end of a run, I felt like I had been through a battle.  I was really having a hard time find a good spin on this run.  More than my body, my attitude had taken a beating.

I recall an entry I made way back onTraining Day 11 and I referenced 1 Corinthians 3:

13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. (1 Corinthians 3:13)

My bad attitude was brought to light that day.  This run was just the “fire” I needed to confront the selfishness concealed by a life of relative ease.  I our society, we rarely have to do anything we really don’t want to do.  Although I was not thrilled with this route to start with, it was important to me to run with the team.  So if the reason I ran on Saturday was to be a part of this team, and I ran with the team, than this was a successful run.

O.K. – Let’s evaluate this run with the team in mind.  We actually ran 15 miles and everyone made it.  I was struggling and had to walk a couple of times, but someone was there with me everytime.  When we ran through Veteran’s Park, which was the steepest hill, I didn’t even notice it because Taylor and I were talking about baseball and tough coaches we had had.  So at the 12 mile point, I was able to carry on a converstation, so obviously, I was not doing too bad.  In the end, I ran at a pace of 10:25/mile which is pretty much right where I wanted to be.  So, if my goal was to run 15 miles, with the team, at a 10:30/mile pace.  Then this was a good run.  I got the added bonus of great converstation and a much needed attitude adjustment.   This may have been the most beneficial run yet.

The prophet Jeremiah complained to God about how he was working with no apparent results.  God responded like this.

    5 “ If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
      Then how can you contend with horses?
      And if in the land of peace,
      In which you trusted, they wearied you,
      Then how will you do in the floodplain^[a] of the Jordan?  (Jeremiah 12:5)

If I complain with a little adversity, how am I going to deal when it really gets tough.