It's been awhile since I last wrote about my running exploits. It's been awhile since I've had any running exploits. However, just this weekend I signed up for my first-half marathon. Currently, I'm trying to decide if I'm ambitious or just plain stupid, but nevertheless, training has begun.
I'm not a morning runner. There is something about giving up precious opportunities to press the snooze button that doesn't appeal to me. But really, I don't run in the morning because I don't want to run on an empty stomach. I need some fuel and energy if I'm going to make it up the huge hill my house is perched on top of. My best runs are right after work. I've got enough energy left over from lunch, and get to run for my dinner.
I've been told by the family of tri-athletes I live with, on long runs, you need to consume 100 calories every hour. They jog with their sports gels which they eat as they run the course. Bottom line--the longer the run, the more calories you need. They also tell me I have to drink water every ten minutes regardless of whether or not it's a cool day.
I can't help but think my life's journey is no different. As I look to stretch my capacity not just as a runner but a runner of "the race set out before me," I realize the longer, the more tedious the course, the more of the word of God I need in my life. Sometimes, amidst the busyness, it seems this is the first thing to go. When days get particularly demanding, it's easy to just read a few verses for the sake of saying I've done my devotions for the morning. The truth is, if I want to see great fruit, if I want to reach my full capacity, as the race gets longer and more difficult, I need to dig deeper. I need to eat and drink more than I have before.
And as I move forward with the proper nutrition and the proper training, my eyes are fixed firmly on the finish line.
