Cold

Brrr ….  very cold morning.  Got a late start because I slept in nicely.  Had been out in the wee hours of the morning toting son home from show upstate.  Anticipating the huge storm today and didn’t want him driving.  It was very nice that the dogs let me sleep … boys were nowhere to be found.

Headed out with hubby at noon.  Planning to run the “Ridge” for 8 miles.  Turned out to be nearly 9.  Below freezing and with only a bit of wind.  My face was freezing but otherwise warmed up after a mile or so. 

 Was more impressed today that one of the lessons of the JFK 50 mile race is to embrace “Rrunning in the current mile.”  The difficulty of actually being able “to see” where you’re path is going (i.e., C&O Canal) coupled with little if any change in incline actually makes the retrospect view of the AT portion of the 50 seem much easier.  Of course, they might really have BEEN easier since they were the first 15 miles or so.  The latter miles were made harder by the prior ones.  Duh.

 Makes me know for sure that there is plenty of wisdom in embracing the mile I’m on … whether hilly, uphill or down, whether or not I can see where I’m going (think: flashlight trailing on the AT).  When I pray for an “easier” path, a “straighter” one, or even one that I can see “farther” or what’s coming up next, I’m more inclined to consider that that really may not be what’s best for me.  And I know that the Lord knows best … even if I don’t get it, understand it, or even embrace it.   I am, however, persuaded that that was part of the lesson to be learned. 

 It’s not enough to think that the easy miles running are really that hard or that the hard miles run are particularly easy.  It does cause me to wonder about “embracing the current mile” and what that means. 

More food for thought, Lord.  Thank You.

Split Running

Both yesterday’s and today’s runs were split. I ran some in the morning on the driveway and then some late in the afternoon to finish things up. Yesterday, for whatever reason, 5 miles just seemed daunting. Breaking it into two runs made it more manageable. Morning run on driveway and afternoon on treadmill. Did the treadmill run as a hill run with 1/4 mile repeats at 5% grade at 5.5 mph and then the next at 1% grade at 6.0 … to rest. Go figure.

This morning, I ran on the driveway in the morning waiting for the computer guy to show up to install some gizmos. Got just over 2 miles in before. Finished this afternoon with a walk on the treadmill for the balance of my 4 mile day. Not sure why it seemed too much trouble to change anything but my shoes this afternoon.

Still a good couple of days’ running!

Longer Long Slow Distance

Hubby and I ran in town yesterday, not quite 7.5 miles. Better than the 3.5 to 4 miles we had been running and calling them our s. Ended up quite frustrated with DH and just stopped speaking after about mile 2-3. In a way, it kept my mind on running just ahead of him … perhaps akin to running away from him. That describes my mood running. Ran faster than usual, too. Glad to be done. Emotional baggage with him as well with kids. Ugh.

Glad that the Lord met me this morning before church in my QT. After shedding some negative stuff, realized that a lot of my current issues developed in earnest after I really heard Him speaking to me a week or more ago. Gently, the Lord moved me to see that many of the things I’m struggling with are attacks which serve mostly to distract and discourage me.

It was good to have a bit of extra time this morning to with the Lord and listen for His voice. I know the THAT to which He is calling me now, and it seems abundantly clear that the enemy would rather me not move forward. Somehow, that gives me the impetus to please my Lord all the more.

With His help, I have had a better day today and look forward to a better week.

Tuesday & Wednesday runs

Tuesday’s run was on the treadmill … still majorly blustery here in the mid-Atlantic. Ran 4 miles, not pushing it.

Wednesday’s run was supposed to be after I dropped a kid off to the community college … but roads were beyond treacherous and I was an internal mess after getting there. Decided that it was not worth risking slipping on the new fallen snow to run and that I’d run later at home on the driveway where at least I’ve got some gravel for traction. However, after the equally frustrating drive home, sliding up and down hills, decided my internal stress needed relieved faster than any other compelling need. So I hit the treadmill again for 5 miles. Actually, I took some reading down, some preparatory reading from Esther, and pondered how to take up this next subject in the ladies Bible study in January. It provided some good food for thought while my body worked up the sweat to rid myself of internal frustrations.

I had also gotten a text from a friend who’s daughter needed some major prayer. That, too, was profitable running and prayer time.

Running down the road …

… is MY idea of having fun!

Running in His Strength

The Interval Training of Life

Sigh. Things have been tough for several days at our house. Saturday’s (long slow distance) wasn’t as long as I had planned or hoped. We decided to run up at Gambrill State Park on a trail, but hubby’s feet began bothering him early and we hit the road as soon as we could find one. The total mileage should have been 8 but ended up a 3.5 mile run. Oh, well. I need to remember that I said I’d be happy running anything.

Today, mostly out of frustration with the intervals of life right now, I ran some SPD work on the treadmill. It is crazily blustery out today with wind gusts up to 40 mph so outside running wasn’t going to happen. I spent 5 miles calculating half-mile segments at various speeds in preparation for some YASSO training to prepare for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in early April and for the Frederick Marathon in early May. The mind diversion from my woes of the day was a good thing. The woes are still here but I’m sure the run did me good.

In my QT (quiet time) this morning, the Lord was trying to show me something … something about the hyper-focusing necessary to do fast YASSOs. It’s not JUST focusing. It’s hyper-focusing. Running fast half-mile repeats demands a huge amount of concentration. I can remember using several different tricks to get through the 4 1/2 minutes or so: counting red dots on the T console, counting footfalls per minute, reviewing Scripture, going through prayer lists, focusing on the fact that there is only minute left … anything to get through the relatively short but fast effort.

The Lord, I think, was trying to show me that in these emotionally charged and challenging times with kids and a very sick dog, I need to hyperfocus. That ability to hyperfocus on the duration (hopefully short) of the interval or even how each footfall takes me closer to the end of the interval can be what gets me through it.

The flip side of INT running is that the strength or growth actually takes place during the RECOVERY running … not the fast running portion. Intellectually, I can get my brain wrapped around that; it DOES make sense. However, from the standpoint of the life Training aspect of it, I’m still trying to find my way. In these emotional hours and days, it only takes a minute of thinking to get my heart stirred up. The ringing phone could be a vet’s call. Flash’s whine, even if it’s just to change position, can restart energy expenditure. And with two teens, there is ALWAYS some issue coming up, frequently accompanied by drama.

So finding the recovery INT in my day seems like grasping oil. Maybe it’s less like not having the emotions stirred as it is more like reflecting on the emotions wrought. Hmm. Will have to think that through some more.