I'm really a pitiful wimp about this wunning stuff. Truly. Couch to 5K sounds lovely (easy even!), but the reality is really, really hard for me.
My dad says that I'm going to get to a point when I LOVE running...when I can't live WITHOUT running. (My parents ran every morning at 4:45 am until they were well into their 60s. They started before running was cool. What happened to THAT gene?!!)
I'm sceptical.
But this is the sacrifice that I'm learning from right now, so I have to find ways to stay inspired. I have to find ways to make it to the goal.
One of my problems is my head--or what goes through it. Here's what it kind of sounds like...
Ouch!
Ouch!
Ouch, ouch, OUCH!
That thought pattern is not conducive to many minutes of running.
I've tried lots of things. I've tried music. I've tried focusing on a visual goal. I've tried praying. I've tried to grab some happy thoughts.
Those things work temporarily, but they are failing me as my running starts to significantly exceed the walking. The thing that really works for me is to listen to sermons on my Shuffle as I run. That may sound goofy, but the mixture of inspiration and a place to occupy my mind works.
Three mornings in the last two weeks I've found myself crying and running as I listened to Francis Chan talk about his trip to India, as I listened to Andy Stanley give the most simple and beautiful invitation to follow Christ I've ever heard, and this morning as Louie Giglio described God's love for me despite my smallness.
Truth, inspiration and a mind occupied with God. That's a win, win, win.
I'm also VERY visual, so I've put together a little craft to get me to my 5k goal. It's based on Lysa TerKeurst's story about her son Marc and how he moved the "math mountain". Lots of you have probably heard it, but here's the basic lesson:
Sometimes God moves mountains instantly and miraculously. He is perfectly able to work that way.
But sometimes God takes our hand and strengthens us to move a mountain rock by rock.
Here's my visual:
I have 28 days of wunning to be running-a-5k-ready!
2 down, 26 to go! Each day I wun, I'm going to move a rock from one poster to the other until I'm RUNNING!!
This is my inspirational scripture for poster-with-many-rocks #1.
This is the scripture for my growing-mountain poster.
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9 comments:
I LOVE what you did with that poster! So isnpiring.
Sarah
Love the visual! Keep it up, Amy! You can doooooo it!
You go girl! I'm still trying to pursuade my husband I'm too precious to sweat ;>
Awesome!
My Made to Crave group is also doing a C25K. God perfectly placed a personal trainer and motivator in our midst, and an an event sponsored by a local Christian radio station at the end of our study. I'm excited... but probably because we haven't started training yet! Taking our first run next week and might make one of your posters...
Love, love, love the poster, Amy! What an inspiring idea!
My Bible study group just finished up with Made to Crave this week. Two of us are on Week 5, Day 3 of C25K. It's tomorrow actually. The longest run yet. Twenty minutes! "Mercy!" as Lysa would say. :)
I have found that listening to music does help me, but I can honestly say that even with that, there have been times when I just wasn't sure if I could make it.
It was during those times that I found myself repeating over and over again in my mind, "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength" (emphasis mine).
Of course, it was the ALL that was key for me. Not some. Not a few. All. I know God started me on this journey. I know He is with me. And I know He will help me do this.
And He will help you, too, Amy. One rock at the time. :)
Keep it up Amy, I know you can do it!
You go girl!!! You can do it!!!
I've finally got the whole "bundle" and getting ready to start Made to Crave. Oh my, you wouldn't believe that onslaught of dessert cravings that I've had in the last 2 days!!! I believe that I NEED the study!!!
I'm not wunning with you, but trying to be faithful with walking!
Hugs & prayers!
Thank you for your kind comment on my blog. I sincerely appreciate your writing and your visual aid clicked so well for me. Made my day seeing a hello from you!
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