As I take a break this week from my bland diet and live a bit, I am filled with excitement for the next step in my journey. I am not sure if any of you have ever set out to accomplish a goal that seems a bit out there, but for me to run a marathon seems a bit much. I am confident, however, that I will not only complete it but I will run it strong. With that being said ,I am excited to go and do it now!
Slow down, Matt! You are not ready today to go out and run 26.2 miles strong! But that is what I want to happen - I just want to show up and complete the task. Maybe some could go and do a 5K or 10K that way, but running a marathon that way is not very smart. See, I feel this is the way we all look at a task. We see something that we want to do, we explore all about it, we realize and visualize the euphoric feeling after completing the task, but we often glance over the pain and hard work that leads to the end results.
Last year when preparing for the Akron Half Marathon, I ran 275 miles in a 11 week period. I also did somewhere between 3-4 hours of swimming and I maintained a 2 day a week weight lifting program pretty much right up until a week or two before the race. I can honestly say that I felt like I was ready for that race, but as I reflect on the work I am amazed at what my body went through and at times I am on the verge of tears and overwhelmed by the blessing that God put into my hands.
What will that mean for this year's journey? I am plotting out the 16 weeks leading up to the race and I am enjoying doing it. Putting the journey down on paper helps me to make sure I do not look too far ahead. It helps me to keep my eye on the prize, which is to glorify Christ with every step on race day. It helps me to be accountable to my training! (note: I will be posting my workouts on my blog in the upper right hand corner to share with you all and to hold me accountable for the training)
In the meantime I will begin to build a base of mileage and strength for the next 16 weeks leading up to the week of June 1st when countdown begins. Will that mean 500+ miles, 8-10 hours of swimming, and weight training? I will let you all know, but one thing is for sure - I plan to enjoy it and work intensely in the process. Besides, what else can I do for a few hours to glorify the one who poured out His blood for me?
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