So yesterday morning I was running on the trail by our apartment here in Little Rock. It was cold. It’s dipped below freezing for the first time this season. That is cold for a New Orleanian. I was thankful to be bundled up [beanie hat, gloves, arm warmers, layers, etc]. Nonetheless, I was just not feeling it.
It has been interesting to note how the weather affects my psyche. It is becoming increasingly harder and harder to get out of bed at 6am to hit the trail. You can imagine the cold before you even walk out the door. In fact, you can imagine it before you get out from under the covers.
To make matters worse, it feels like I have nothing to train for right now. We are past all of the Fall road races that I wanted to run and the Spring is months away.
I read an article in Runner’s World a couple of weeks ago on running only to maintain your fitness level. It feels like that I what I am doing right now. I am trying to run the minimal amount necessary to not loose ground. Progress is optional. This article seems to think that is a good objective through the colder months.
So that leads me to my musings during my run yesterday. I pondered, “Is it a good idea to make your goal simply to maintain fitness?” Is it even possible? It feels a bit like I’m spinning my wheels and beginning to slip backwards.
This isn’t really a discussion about running, it’s about life. In every area, we reach seasons where we are tired of pressing on and begin to believe the lie that we can just tread water.
Then we begin sinking.
Tebow’s eyeblack verse of the week [lol] was Heb 12.1-2:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“
That speaks to a lot of life, doesn’t it?
