Be Proud and Look Around

As many of you probably noticed, my name was not in the results for the US Cross Country meet. Unfortunately it was not because I ran so fast that I didn’t get a time:) I am currently on the DL (disabled list). I decided not to travel to St. Louis because of a foot injury. I have been off for about two weeks and will hopefully be back running in about another two weeks. Obviously I was very frustrated when I first had to stop running, but there is little to do but to accept it and move on. My sister reminded me that our purpose is to always strive to be the best we can be, and I can do that whether I run or not. So…the plan for now is to dwell on truth, especially on the fact that God knows the plans for me and that they are good (Jeremiah 29:11), and then march forward with enthusiasm and perseverance.

I have always wanted to be a “Regular” somewhere, and I guess I am officially a “Regular” at Lifetime Fitness (not quite what I had in mind…) Although I do not hope to cross train indoors the rest of my life, I have been encouraged and inspired by those around me. Being in the pool and on machines confines you, but also makes it so you can work out alongside people with a variety of goals. I have found myself in the pool a lot during the Water Aerobics class where there are at least 2 generations separating me from the others. Their workouts look very different than my own; people are typically floating on noodles, following the instructor’s directions, or chatting. Despite the dramatic difference in our age and workouts, I realized we have a lot in common: We both are in the pool taking care of ourselves, looking to better ourselves, and taking pride in our efforts.

One of my most inspired moments at Lifetime happened this week when I was doing 6-minute aqua jogging intervals in the deep-end of the pool. A rather elderly woman joined me as I was halfway through the workout. She lowered herself into the pool via a mechanical chair and paddled over to the deep end. She floated in the deep-end and did toe touches and other mobility exercises. As I was huffing and puffing she would tease me with insensitive but friendly comments like “Looks like you are running out of steam” or “So you are starting to torture yourself again?” After I finished my workout, I chatted with her a while. She shared her entire pool routine; how she would wake up and the first thing she did was put her suit on and come swim, do 40 toe touches, etc. She clearly beamed with pride. I was so impressed with her ambition and all that we had in common. Her motivation is to make sure that she maintained some mobility and to get out of the house, while my motivation is to work as hard as I can to maintain fitness so I can have a smooth transition back to training and run a fast 5k, but we both were proud of what we were doing and were able to encourage the other. After my interaction with Eileen, I have been excited about the fact that no matter who is around me, I generally have something in common with them and can acknowledge them and encourage them to be proud of their endeavors. For now, while I am working out at Lifetime, I hope to acknowledge those working out around me and to affirm them so that they can take pride in their workout to be the best they can be!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”

Be PROUD and Look Around!

Action Vs. Evaluation

I have been back in Minnesota now for about two weeks. It is good to be back home (especially when the weather is almost 50 degrees and sunny in February!) I ran my first race of the year a day after I returned. I ran a 3K at my Alma Mater, the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse. It was strange lining up with Gophers alongside of me and not wearing an “M” on my chest and having my old coaches Gary Wilson and Sarah Hesser there, but not coaching me. Although it felt odd, it felt great to get back on the track and be surrounded with people that I love. I was reminded of the joy that comes along with racing. I felt overwhelmed with the opportunity to be in an environment where it is encouraged to be intense and to be the best that you can be. Also, it was so wonderful to be surrounded by a number of people that I care about and that continue to encourage me. I certainly get nervous, but I am trying to celebrate the fact that being nervous simply means that I care about something and that I have the unique opportunity to channel my excitement into a performance. I ran with my teammate, Jamie Cheever for much of the race. I ran a 9:29, which is a PR by a few seconds. Although it is only a few seconds, I was encouraged because I did not modify my training for the race, so I entered the race feeling tired and without much speed work! I am looking forward to more races to come.

Next on the docket is US Cross Country Championships in St. Louis this Saturday, February 11^th. It is an 8K Cross Country race. Honestly, I am a little anxious about this distance; collegiate races are 6K for women. While I was at Lifetime Fitness doing pull-ups I had a bit of insight into how I want to approach this race. I was doing 2 sets of pull-ups. In my first set I was focused on how many I was trying to complete and evaluating if I was going to be able to accomplish the reps. On my second set I decided that I was going to focus not on the number of reps I wanted to get done, but on pulling really hard and being powerful. During my second set, I found that my pull-ups were more quality and that I got through them with much more success. I realized that when I focus on the action involved rather than constant evaluation of where I am at and how I am feeling, the process is much more successful and enjoyable! Rather than trying to preserve energy and worry about getting to the destination, I have to believe I will get to the end goal and aggressively focus on doing the action necessary for that moment. This weekend, that is going to be my mentality. I am confident that I can run an 8K well. Now all I have to do is to enter the race with an aggressive attitude and focus on each moment and race. I asked Dennis what a good strategy was for running an 8K, and he just said, “You just have to race.” I had to laugh at this seemingly uninspired advice, but in reality, that is all I have to do: start the race and be an aggressive competitor each stride. My verse for the week is 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” I am not called to be timid, and am eager to run for God’s glory with power, love and self discipline as a good soldier would! To God be the Glory!

Here is a link to the US Cross Country webpage.