Avoiding Circles

In the past year and half I've developed an addiction to running. I've also discovered I don't like running around a loop to put in my miles. Perhaps it's a throwback to my days in junior high PE where we had to run around a quarter mile track to reach our long distance. Those circular patterns reinforce my desire to change my scenery and vary the pace when I'm running. It keeps things fresh and stimulates my senses enough to prevent boredom from setting in.

This isn't confined only to my running habits either. I can get caught up in patterns of thought and emotion which run me around in uncomfortable, unfulfilling circles as well. When I recognize this circular rhythm, I have to find ways to bring change to my surroundings to find variety in my routine. It reminds me of a phrase I often reflect on from an author/pastor I follow: "Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective." 

Getting tired of moving and thinking in circles isn't change-provoking on its own. I've actually got to choose new patterns and methods if I want my scenery to be different.

Moving Along

It's no secret that I've become addicted to running in the last year and half. If I go too many days without putting in miles, I start to twitch and become a little unruly. When I'm running I listen to music and also use a running app that alerts me to my running splits. I currently have it set to tell me what my last mile's pace was so I can make adjustments if necessary. There have been several times when I set out at what I thought was a moderate pace only to find out I was running much faster than I anticipated.

Once I realize how fast I'm moving, I have two choices. I can keep up that fast pace or slow down. The biggest factor in my decision is how far I intend to run as the distance is the key for the pace I set. It's no big secret that I can keep up a much faster pace if I am only out for shorter distances.

This is the same for other areas of my life too. I can maintain a fairly frenetic pace if I am only maintaining it for a short period of time. I can get by with less sleep and higher levels of stress if I know there is an end in sight. My energy levels, coping skills, and relationships tend to suffer if I try to keep moving too quickly over long periods of time. If I want to stay healthy, I've got to recognize how fast I'm moving and determine how long I can sustain it before I have to come to a stop.

A Different Approach

Our temperatures have recently changed in Milledgeville as summer starts to slowly slip onto our horizon. While we still have pleasantly cool mornings, the afternoons are starting to quickly warm up. It takes a bit more daily preparation as temperature and humidity adjust upward by the end of the day. As a runner, that creates two vastly different running experiences between morning and evening.

I ran one evening this past week and was quickly reminded of the differences in running in warmer weather. The coolness of winter and spring had spoiled me and I had to make some mid-run adjustments to keep going. I found myself thinking about all of the changes I would need to make for summer running to keep healthy and maintain a good pace. If I want to keep doing well in hot weather, I can't keep doing the exact same things I did when it was cool

How often do we approach changing circumstances with the same solution we've already been using? Even if we've been successful in the past, there's no guarantee we will be able to keep pushing ahead by doing the same thing. We've got to learn to evaluate the issues we're presently dealing with and figure out what is going to work best moving ahead.

If we aren't willing (or able) to adapt, we'll end up frustrated with our lack of progress.

Press On

I was talking with a friend of mine over coffee this morning about the habits in our lives. We are both runners and push each other to keep putting in miles and improving our fitness. We also encourage each other in our spiritual life and the pursuit of things that are eternal. There are enjoyable parts of each of these areas of our life even though we readily admit our struggles in consistency of effort and success.

I was sharing how I had run in Arizona last week on our mission trip and how difficult it was at an elevation of 6500 feet above sea level. On one of my running days out there, there was also a headwind of 25-45 miles per hour. Needless to say, it wasn't one of my best days on the road, but I persevered and finished anyway.

The realization hit us both that this isn't too different from our spiritual focus. There are times when everything we do seems to come easy. Understanding Scripture almost seems second nature, our prayers are focused and powerful, and even meditation is extremely fruitful. There are also times when it seems as if I am reading the Bible in a language I've never seen before, I can't keep a prayer focused for ten seconds, and any attempt to meditate is quickly squashed by my own energy.

I don't stop running when I have a difficult day(s) on the roads, but I push through and then get ready for the next one with an anticipation of it being better. I'm learning to do the same thing with my spiritual practices. Even though I may get frustrated with what I feel is a lack of progress, I push through and get ready for the next day with the anticipation of it being better. It may not radically improve in one day, but I believe it will happen if I keep working on it without giving up too soon.

Pause

One of the things I've been looking forward to in Arizona was running in the morning. As much as running has now become part of who I am, I love the experience of running in new places. Even though the territory out here is familiar, it isn't the same neighborhoods and routes I am accustomed to traveling.

I enjoy the scenery when I run, but I am also focused on keeping my training goals in mind and making good time. I use a running app to track my speed and have it set to let me know my mile intervals so I can adjust my pace. When I was running yesterday, I was hitting a good stride (especially for being at 6500 feet above sea level) and crested a hill to see the sun peeking over the trees. Normally, I don't do anything to break my rhythm, but I decided I needed to stop and take a picture to capture a moment that would be gone very quickly as the sun continued to rise. I paused my running app and quickly snapped a photo before continuing on my way. It was worth the momentary stop to capture a moment.

I probably need to practice that concept more often. In the hectic pace of trying to keep moving forward and keeping up with the flow of life around me, I forget to stop and capture the simple beauty of what is happening around me. Life isn't just made up of forward progress and productivity, but it's also in the moments you stop and enjoy along the way.

Staying Together

The idea of improvement is appealing, but not always easy to fulfill. In fact, I want to get better at many parts of my life yet realize the amount of hard work it takes to make it a reality. One of the keys to successful advancements is to have someone to help push you along.

When I ran in my last half marathon I was able to run at a good pace and wondered if I would be able to maintain it in other races. One of the keys to my successful run was a fellow runner who set a good pace in front of me. We were able to run together for several miles and find an easy rhythm. It's a proven fact that having someone pushing (or pulling) on your journey helps the overall results.

This is true for other parts of our life as well. If we want to develop stronger character, we need to align ourselves with people possessing the same ideals and motives. If we want to be more committed to our families, we need to find people who are passionate about healthy family values. Developing a deeper spiritual life happens best in a community of like-minded mature people. Our fitness levels can increase if we find accountability with others who have the same goals and similar physical health values. 

To help us improve, we should look for people moving in the same direction and at a similar speed. This way we can find a healthy, but challenging rhythm to help us grow.

Making Things Personal

Yesterday, I ran in a local race supporting clean water through World Vision and a local partnership with GCSU. Each registration fee would be directly funneled through this organization to help provide clean water for one person in a country where that is not readily available. The race distance was 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) which is the average distance someone travels to reach an often unclean water source. This particular event brought together two of my passions: running and helping others.

What made the event even more unique was that the race bib had a picture of the person my funds directly supported. This wasn't just a nameless, faceless organization, but an individual whose life was impacted by me. While I will most likely never meet this young man, I can be strengthened by knowing our two lives have intersected in a very real way. Being able to identify those we help increases the bond between us and makes our impact more tangible.

Make It Happen

I'm on a quick 48 hour trip with my girls to see my family in Florida at the end of this week. We packed small overnight bags since we'll be back home tomorrow. I did increase my luggage slightly by bringing some running gear however. Thursday is a regular run day for me and I wasn't willing to let it go by without getting in some miles.

I realized there are some things we are all unwilling to forgo. Can we clearly identify those habits and behaviors we want to hold on to? Are they healthy enough to keep? How will we prepare to make sure we can accomplish them? We might believe there are non-negotiable practices, but we will need to prep to make it an actionable reality.

Low Levels

I have a wireless headset I use to listen to music when I'm running. It keeps a charge for a decent amount of time and will also warn me when the battery needs to be recharged. It will interrupt my music to speak, "battery is low" in my headphones. I was about 2/3 of the way through my run today when it started the warning. It repeated the warning as I was about to start the last mile of my long run and I blurted out loud, "Mine is too!"

Wouldn't it be convenient if we had a warning sign when our personal battery level was getting low? It would be a clear signal that it was time to stop and recharge before our minds and/or bodies quit. In retrospect, we do have those warnings if we learn to pay attention to them. Decreased personal battery levels show themselves in our irritability, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, diminished creativity, lack of patience, overlooking of details, and even personal relationship upheaval. These all point to low energy reserves and predict a crash on the horizon if we don't do something to restore our levels.

Know Your Pace

I use an app on my iPhone when I am running to help me track my mileage, running time, and intervals. I have it set to tell me the pace I have set at the end of each mile. This helps me to determine if I am running at my desired pace and if I need to make adjustments based on the total distance I am running. If I am only running 2-3 miles, I know I can set out at a much faster pace because I don’t have to maintain it for long. If I have a longer run planned for that day, I know I have to be careful not to set out too fast or I won’t be able to sustain my efforts over time.

Don’t we do this in other parts of our life? We set a pace that is too intense for us to maintain and end up crashing. We either reach the point of complete exhaustion, engage in unhealthy practices to try to keep up, or suffer from a breakdown of some type. While I believe we need to push our pace some to grow, we also need to make sure we aren’t going so fast we can’t sustain it. Pushing past our limits is possible (and even beneficial) in the short term, but a frenetic pace and maximum intensity isn’t healthy over long periods of time.

Keep Doing It

Some days are more difficult than others. Unexpected events, high stress circumstances, frustrating obstacles, and long hours can dampen your enthusiasm. One of the keys to coming through those healthfully is to figure out some way to re-energize yourself. 

I came home last night after a very long (and in many ways good) day. Before leaving the church I had already made up my mind to run. The cool, rainy weather would not deter me from hitting the streets and in fact, only added a measure of enjoyment to my run. Even though my end-of-day exercise got me to bed much later than usual, it was absolutely worth the effort. I was in a better mood and slept more soundly (albeit in fewer hours.)

We each have a different mechanism to keep us balanced and maintain a healthy perspective. Releasing our stress may be through gaming, exercise, napping, or some other hobby. I would simply encourage people to figure out what helps them deal with their stress in a healthy way and then commit doing it consistently.  

Full Distance

The things we do often present an opportunity to learn if we are willing to look for it. The past year has given me regular, new insights through running. While I started out just listening to my music and trying to survive the run, I now find myself using this time to meditate. As I ponder through things, I am finding new truths about myself and figuring out how to make them part of who I am now. 

Today I worked during the morning, planning a longer run when I got home. I had a number of miles I wanted to run and knew it would be a challenge with our current weather. While we aren't dealing with the blizzard my friends in the northeast are enduring we still have temps in the 30's with a 15-20 mile per hour wind. I bundled up, hit the streets and was able to make the distance I set beforehand. I realized while running, if I had not already decided I was going seven miles, I would have quit much sooner. Setting my goal before hitting the streets gave me a goal--a finish line to look for and cross successfully.

If I hadn't set out with a goal in mind, I am certain I would have quit earlier than I did. Being clear and specific about my objective pushes me to a higher level of achievement. Without a particular target I would accomplish some things, but wouldn't be stretched to the limits of what I can do.

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.

Maintain the Pace

I am a firm believer in setting goals and finding ways to push yourself to improve. This isn't just a mindset at the new year, but something I want to work on throughout the year.

When I finished my first half marathon in November, I decided I wanted to finish my next one in under two hours. I made adjustments to my speed during training and kept track of my completed mileage on long runs. I thought I could probably complete the race based on my preparation, but wouldn't truly know until the day of the event. As I started out I had my overall goal in mind and knew I would have to maintain a certain pace the entire race if I had any hopes of reaching it. I couldn't wait until the last mile and then try to make up the time at the end. If I didn't commit to reaching my goal during the whole race-not just the last mile-I wouldn't have reached it.

I've learned to keep my goals constantly in mind if I have any hope of fulfilling them. (That may seem obvious, but some lessons take me longer to learn than others.) There can't be a realistic expectation of reaching the finish line if there isn't consistent effort towards the goal. It's difficult to achieve 100% of your objective without spreading out the effort over time. We've got to set the right pace and maintain it if we want to keep growing.

Learning As I Go

I'm running my second 1/2 marathon tomorrow morning after my first in November. I actually only ended up taking a week off after that race before jumping back into the preparation phase. In retrospect I might have done things differently, but I'm on the eve of this race and ready to run anyway. At this point there are only small things I can do to change my readiness for tomorrow.

This time of training has given me several things to think about and they don't just relate to running. The lesson of needing rest has been reinforced to me more than once. It's not just about the time off from actual activity, but the also the need for down time and more sleep. Hopefully I'm learning how to fuel myself better in the process and discover what gives me the best energy reserves for endurance. There is also great power in variety and learning to change up the things I do to make myself better. Having a firm objective in front of me is also vital as it helps provide the structure to keep me disciplined when I don't necessarily want to be. One of the greatest lessons is in learning to peak at the right time. I told my wife I felt as if I was most ready to race two weeks ago instead of pacing myself better with the big day in mind.

I believe there are potential learning opportunities in everything we do if we are willing to look for them. I feel as if I do a fairly decent job of identifying them and now have the more difficult task of putting what I learn into practice.

Runner's Mentality

I’ve been a runner for just about a year now. I’ve discovered how much I enjoy it and the shared bond developed with fellow runners. We talk about split times, running courses, injuries, personal records, and nutrition. It’s also been neat to see how many people are runners when I had no idea beforehand.

I had someone ask me this past week if I ran with someone else in our church. This other runner is at an entirely different level than I am and runs much (much) faster. I laughed when I responded and shared this rationale: trying to run together would only discourage me and frustrate him. I can’t begin to keep up with his pace and he doesn’t want to run at mine.

The powerful thing about running however is that we can still share in the joy of it even though we are in different places. Our community is based on our common affiliation and not in having matching ability levels. The same could be said about our spiritual journey as well. We don’t have to be at the exact same point of maturity to be able to share with each other and provide encouragement. Our common bond is in the path we are pursuing even if we are moving at different speeds.

Leveraging Each Step

Even though my wife and I finished our half marathon in early November, I only waited a week before signing up for another one. I didn’t want to lose any momentum from my previous months of training and wanted something on the horizon to prepare for. It helps that I have already established a base of mileage and can now build on the fitness level I’ve already achieved. As a result of meeting my previous goal I’ve been able to see greater gains while continuing to train by adding to what I’ve already done.

Achieving a desired goal is an accomplishment worth celebrating—and we’ve certainly celebrated it. I don’t want it to just be an item on a checklist however, but want to use it as a springboard to continued improvement. Using completed goals as a springboard to new challenges will push personal limits and help achieve new levels that might not be possible otherwise. It helps to make our current goals a more valuable part of our future while recognizing how what we’ve already done is helping to propel us forward.

Finding My Rhythm

There are several lessons I am still unpacking from our half-marathon last weekend. One of the biggest is the difficulty I had in finding and maintaining a good running pace. I have never run in such a big crowd and it took me 6-7 miles before I was able to find a comfortable rhythm. I kept having to adjust my stride by slowing down and speeding up to get into a running lane. The course was also new to me so I had to pay more attention to race markers. I also remember being very cognizant of the need to run at a moderate pace so I would be able to finish the race. It wasn’t easy to find the right rhythm, but when I did the end of the race was much smoother.

What rhythms of normal life do I struggle in? How do I keep a mental pace which allows me to concentrate intently at the right time without losing focus? Am I able to keep a good rhythm of productivity by recognizing when I need to push ahead and when I need to pull back? Do I have a good tempo in my personal relationships, knowing when extra attention is needed? What regularity do I have in my spiritual journey through prayer, reading, and meditation?

When I can’t find a regular rhythm I feel disjointed and struggle to maintain momentum. I’m learning to recognize when my pace is off and how to make the necessary adjustments to get me back on track. If I don’t do this life becomes more of a struggle than it should be.

Crossing the Tape

My wife and I completed our first half marathon this weekend in Savannah. We've had this on our calendar for several months and worked hard in our training program together to make it happen. We were a slightly apprehensive heading into it especially with higher than normal temperatures and humidity and the unknown details of a big race. There were big adjustments to make as neither of us had ever run in something with so many people or that lengthy.

It's hard to fully capture the feeling we both had when crossing the finish line. There was a deep, gratifying sense of accomplishment and relief at the same time. Our training and perseverance had paid off and we are both proud of what we were able to do. While we celebrated with our girls and enjoyed time together we are also now left with a slight sense of loss with it being over. We had aimed at this goal for so long and now that it's over, we are looking for something else to replace it. This doesn't devalue our pursuit of family experiences and spiritual growth, but speaks to our need to have other physical goals to pursue. My wife and I both agree we need another objective to aim at and are planning together to figure out what it should be.

I feel that is a healthy approach to life together. We set a goal which was difficult to attain, supported each other in achieving it, and now look for the next adventure as a couple. I'll take that as a pattern of life even if it's a relatively new way of thinking for us both.

Off and Running

My wife and I will run in our first 1/2 marathon this Saturday. We've been looking forward to this race for months and have been training intently. There have been a few setbacks along the way and some unplanned, extended rest to cope with injuries and soreness. I've actually made a conscious effort recently to eat a little more (especially this week) to make sure I have enough energy reserves to push through. We can make some predictions on our expected pace, but I can't do a whole lot to change what's going to happen at this point. I can eat good meals tomorrow and try to get a good night's rest, but the bulk of the preparation is already done.

When we are looking forward to big events, we've got to do the best we can to prepare while understanding we won't always be ready for everything that will happen. We commit ourselves to being ready while staying focused on the big goal and then give it our best shot. I believe firmly in the process of preparation and stepping into action when the moment calls. At that point you can't change any past planning, but you can commit yourself to doing the best you can with what is in front of you.