Slow and steady

My personal goal at the moment is to run a 5k.  I won't get too caught up measuring my speed, right now I admit I am a slow runner.  But slow and steady will help me reach that goal.  I have got to work on my endurance and then work on my pace.

We have managed to map a 2.5km lap around a memorial park near where I live and I try to run the course twice.  Yup! a memorial park, you read right. ;) What I love about that place for our runs is that a) it is very accessible to our home.  b) there are a lot of recreational and serious runners who do their training there, but not too many that it is over crowded.  c) the roads are asphalt which means it won't be as punishing on my knees or ankles, considering the weight they are carrying, hahaha! or that my knees were prone to inflammation and that I broke my ankle real bad some years ago.  d) it is not creepy at all, even at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning.  e) I love that there are so many trees and you are surrounded by green grass wherever you run.  f) the terrain is not so flat all the time, there are gentle slopes all throughout which makes for a good workout.  g) you hardly have to worry about traffic.

The last three runs this week were very trying, always falling short of my 5km goal. It is quite frustrating since my running partners can now do 10km.  But again, I tell myself that I will get there eventually - lets concentrate first on that 5km goal.  Each day inching closer to that goal, each day walking less and less.  The first 3km is a breeze, then I hit that mostly uphill slope - not steep at all but maybe because I know that the gradient is slightly up and not level that my mind starts playing games with me.  My breathing becomes labored and I just want to stop and walk.  Which is exactly what I did the first time I attempted that 5km route.  Boo me!  The 2nd time I attempted it, I was able to go past that block but then again did a lot of walking after.

Today was a whole lot better.  Still difficult but I was able to manage the whole 5k with only just a minute of walking (up and down the small bridge and a little bit after).  I time my walks now and forced myself to run after that one minute break (gawd, that is so hard to do, I just wanted to keep walking!).  I'm glad I forced myself, I pretended that I was at a race and told myself  "go go Indy, you can see the finish line, its almost there, cross it running!"  And crossed it running I did.

Do you know what helped take my mind away from thinking I could not possibly make it? Prayer.  I decided to pray the rosary while doing my run.  It was nice to be praying and running at the same time.  Prayer distracted me from most of the difficult areas of the lap except for that last kilometer when mind and body overcame the distraction and I almost gave up to the temptation to just take that one minute walk break and turn it into three, then five, then just totally give up.  So happy I did not give in.  Pat myself on the back, it should only get better.  And if not, I shall just keep trying till it does.

Something to ponder on: We can compare the experience of praying while running, with prayer being a good distraction to overcoming the difficult areas of the lap I ran in, to that of our lives.  I find that it is true that when you are in a difficult situation in your life, prayer uplifts you, gives you hope, distracts you from further thinking of those difficulties.  And temptations do come, to sway you, to tell your spirit you will not make it, to give up.  DON'T.  Keep on going, pick yourself up after you fail, keep on trying, keep your eye on the goal and stay centered on what you know is true - God only challenges us to test our faith.  And we shall come out stronger, better honed, able to stand again because we believed.

Have a good Sunday and Keep the Faith!