Day 62 -- Against All Odds
Today I made a decision that I would start training for a half-Ironman triathlon. I was super excited to begin. I picked an event in Benton Harbor (the Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead) and mapped out a training program for the next 26 weeks. I even headed down to the Dean Aquatic Center on Albion College's campus to purchase a 4 month swimming pass. Today was to be Day 1 of my training.
It's good for me to have an end goal for my exercise. I am the type of person who needs to be on a program to stay focused and to be consistent. I haven't had an exercise regimen since I finished the Cleveland Triathlon (a shorter, "sprint" triathlon) in August, so I have been running only sporadically throughout the winter. Because my mental health seems to be intimately tied to physical activity, I knew that I had to make a change here. Not focused and consistent physically was definitely resulting in being unfocused and inconsistent mentally.
It seemed from the get-go that it was going to be difficult to get started today. It took my husband a full half an hour to get enough ice off of the van for me to drive to the Dean Aquatic Center. And then, once I got there, I was told that the person who handles memberships had just gone. So, I went back to the van, only to find all of the doors frozen closed. I couldn't get in to drive home, so I walked. I was thinking that I would just change my training around a bit. Instead of swimming today, I could run instead. But as I was walking home, it started to snow. Hard. Even walking slowly, I was slipping and sliding all over the place. I was left with just one option: an Insanity workout inside. Ick. Everything in me wanted to just bag the idea. I had every reason in the world to just start tomorrow. No one would blame me for not working out today. These circumstances were out of my control.
But, I wanted to start today. It was not the easier option, but it was the better one. In my mind, I saw today as a crossroads. If I couldn't do this today, how would I do it for 26 weeks? The simple answer is, I wouldn't.
Only through the encouragement of my husband and the strength of my Lord Jesus Christ was I able to get off of my butt, put the DVD into the player, and pound my way through 40 minutes of pure torture.
As I heaved myself off of the floor after my workout, I smiled. I did it.
The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." This is one of my favorite quotes. I know that this might seem ridiculous to you, but deciding to train today, taking that first step today and not tomorrow, was a monumental victory for me. And for that I am thankful. I am thankful that my legs are shaking with fatigue. I am grateful for the patience and encouragement my husband showed me today. And I praise my God for giving me a goal to reach for and the strength to achieve it.
Thank God for completing Day 1 of triathlon training against all odds!
Lord, thank you for giving me the strength to finish Day 1 of triathlon training today. I know it might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me it was a huge victory. Thank you for giving me that blessing. Thank you for blessing me through the encouragement of my husband as well. Lord, I thank you that I am physically able to undertake such a goal and I pray for you would lend me your courage and strength to see it through. In your name I pray, Amen.
It's good for me to have an end goal for my exercise. I am the type of person who needs to be on a program to stay focused and to be consistent. I haven't had an exercise regimen since I finished the Cleveland Triathlon (a shorter, "sprint" triathlon) in August, so I have been running only sporadically throughout the winter. Because my mental health seems to be intimately tied to physical activity, I knew that I had to make a change here. Not focused and consistent physically was definitely resulting in being unfocused and inconsistent mentally.
It seemed from the get-go that it was going to be difficult to get started today. It took my husband a full half an hour to get enough ice off of the van for me to drive to the Dean Aquatic Center. And then, once I got there, I was told that the person who handles memberships had just gone. So, I went back to the van, only to find all of the doors frozen closed. I couldn't get in to drive home, so I walked. I was thinking that I would just change my training around a bit. Instead of swimming today, I could run instead. But as I was walking home, it started to snow. Hard. Even walking slowly, I was slipping and sliding all over the place. I was left with just one option: an Insanity workout inside. Ick. Everything in me wanted to just bag the idea. I had every reason in the world to just start tomorrow. No one would blame me for not working out today. These circumstances were out of my control.
But, I wanted to start today. It was not the easier option, but it was the better one. In my mind, I saw today as a crossroads. If I couldn't do this today, how would I do it for 26 weeks? The simple answer is, I wouldn't.
Only through the encouragement of my husband and the strength of my Lord Jesus Christ was I able to get off of my butt, put the DVD into the player, and pound my way through 40 minutes of pure torture.
As I heaved myself off of the floor after my workout, I smiled. I did it.
The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." This is one of my favorite quotes. I know that this might seem ridiculous to you, but deciding to train today, taking that first step today and not tomorrow, was a monumental victory for me. And for that I am thankful. I am thankful that my legs are shaking with fatigue. I am grateful for the patience and encouragement my husband showed me today. And I praise my God for giving me a goal to reach for and the strength to achieve it.
Thank God for completing Day 1 of triathlon training against all odds!
Lord, thank you for giving me the strength to finish Day 1 of triathlon training today. I know it might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me it was a huge victory. Thank you for giving me that blessing. Thank you for blessing me through the encouragement of my husband as well. Lord, I thank you that I am physically able to undertake such a goal and I pray for you would lend me your courage and strength to see it through. In your name I pray, Amen.
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