Perseverance

If you read last week's post, you know that I have had a discouraging couple of weeks in my training.  Oh, what a difference a week makes.

I've been a "runner" for a long time.  I put quotes around "runner" because, as I've said before, what I do makes real runners laugh.  Years ago, my husband and I came up with a term for what I do: "woggling",  a cross between a jog and a waddle.  Very graceful.  What I've learned with time, though, is that what any running program demands is perseverance.  The ability to keep picking them up and putting them down, even when you don't want to, there's little desire or motivation, and you have two bad training weeks in a row.

So, this week's runs were about keeping the faith.  Remembering my long term goal (health and well-being) and my short term goal (the NYC marathon in November).  Running to remind myself that I can.

Monday's run was a short one.  Three short miles, pushing a body that wanted to sleep in and not be humbled again, but I did it.  Didn't feel wonderful, but it was in the bag.  I had a wildly busy week, so it was Thursday before I was able to run again (I run 3x a week, cross train 2x).  Thursday's run was also a short one, four miles that went by painlessly and fairly quickly.

Saturday's long run came early.  I'd been mentally prepping myself all week, I wanted to do the seven from last week's failed attempt, and push myself at 10k pace.  The weather was perfect, so I hit the local rails to trails.  It was a glorious run.  Soul soothing and mind cleansing.  I was able to keep a fairly fast pace (for me) and finished with energy to spare.  A much needed reminder of why it is I run.

I share this because I think it's really important to remember that discipline is about doing it when you really don't want to.  Shaking off the bad days and pushing through them to find the good ones.  Kind of like life.  I'm certainly not the first to compare training for and running a marathon to life, but the analogy is a good one.  I have more good runs than bad ones, but somehow the bad ones are the ones I learn the most from.  The lesson I took away from the last few weeks is that perseverance is an absolute necessity in my training, just as it is in life.  Don't give up or give in when setbacks occur.  Figure out what the problem is, then work through it for a solution.  Don't become discouraged and quit, success is often right around the corner.

³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Romans 5:3-4