It's Only Two

It's interesting how your perspective changes as you engage in activities for a while. I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about the training program I was using for my half marathon. There were days when it only called for two miles of running. I told them I would run at least three on those days since I was not quite warmed up after only two miles. I jokingly said it almost wasn't worth putting my shoes on for just two miles.

I thought back to that comment when I was nearing the end of the race this past Saturday. I realized the irony of dismissing a two mile distance while my body currently groaned at the thought of two more miles. I suppose the difference in perspective comes from when those two miles take place. When they are the only ones I am running I'm not stressed, but when they are tacked on at the end of 11 miles they take much more effort to overcome.

That's probably not very different than any other stressor in our lives. If we are in a fairly peaceful time of life a minor hiccup doesn't seem to derail us much at all. When we have been under constant stress and are filled with anxiety something as simple as running out of milk can seem like a catastrophe. Being aware of our current stress level can help us prepare for these moments and hopefully remember to just take it in stride and keep moving forward.

Overloaded

I wrote yesterday about overload and how a certain level is essential for growth. While this is completely true, too much overload can also lead to damage. In the interest of pushing past our limits we can end up causing self-harm instead of helping ourselves to grow. 

The key is found in recognizing the difference between stress and distress. Stress lets us know that we are working hard while distress is a signal that we are pushing beyond our ability to withstand increased work. When we ignore these warnings we fail to achieve our desired objective and end up taking steps backwards in our development. 

Pushing through exhaustion helps us to see gains, but only if we are able to recognize when we are stretching into potentially injurious territory. We've got to be aware of the warning signs of injury if we want to maximize our maturity while minimizing risk. 

Overload Yourself

The overload principle is essential to strength gains and performance increases in our physical health. It's an idea of doing one more repetition or one more set to stretch yourself. I found myself thinking about this while running steps this afternoon and adding another rep at the end of my workout. I didn't expect that one extra run was going to bring drastic, immediate change. I do know that if I continue to add on to what I am doing that I will see the benefits.

I could use this same principle in a lot of other areas of my life too. Taking the the time to talk with my girls for a few more minutes at breakfast, reading one more passage of Scripture, praying for a few more minutes for specific needs, and holding myself to areas of personal discipline when I'm ready to quit will all eventually bring improvement. The truth is that learning to stretch ourselves in small amounts will eventually lead to big gains. It's a matter of focusing on the extra energy needed to push through with a larger benefit in mind.