20 minute warm-up
5 X 6 minutes at tempo pace (5:32's) with 1 minute recovery
6 X strides with full recovery
10 minute cool down
low motivation. almost no motivation. first few minutes of the warm-up just hurt, everywhere. things didn't get a whole lot better. when i went back to the car to change into my speed shoes, i was nearly tempted just to drive away. cold, wet, miserable, unmotivated. still not sure what stopped me from doing this.
the tempo pace work out was an interesting one. the effort was somewhere between lay back easy and pushing unto death. so i started playing this tug-o-war with my mind and body. i would start out by focusing on my running. but then i would be going to fast. i would be up by a few seconds. so then i thought, well this is easy. i don't even need to think about this. i would let my mind drift into other things, other places. then i would notice that i was too slow. this would continue over the course of the 6 minutes. finally on the last one, i tried with all i was to stay focused for the whole time. this proved to be quite difficult. keeping your mind in it for this long.
i've read that most mistakes in a race happen in the first half. if this is true, then i must train my mind to be focused and alert at all times, even before the pace gets hard. the first half of a marathon lasts well over an hour. this early in the race, you shouldn't really be feeling the tempo. i must learn this type of focus. the focus i found on that last 6 minute tempo run, the most consistent of the lot.
the strides were just crazy. i hit the first one pretty normal. it felt normal. the time was normal. everything the same as it has been since i've added strides to my running. but the second one was a different story. something happened on that stride. something unexpected. there was no reason for it. something just snapped, exploded in my legs. they just started moving me . . . fast. faster than i have ever been before. my torso, my head, my arms, where just going along for the ride. i looked down at my watch. it said 16 seconds. i tried to repeat it for the remaining 4 strides, but i couldn't recapture that feeling, though i did sustain my 16 second pace.
i am getting faster.
i prayed several weeks ago that GOD would use my running for HIS glory. this week, i was focusing on sharing JESUS with a stranger. three people came into mind that were connected with my running. the tall, long legged girl that runs with her two dogs. the guy with long flowing hair that bounces as he walks around the park like he's in a pert plus commercial. the old man who keeps the grounds at the track. though they aren't strangers, for we have had little conversations as i am running by them, i don't really know there names, and i doubt they know mine.
i didn't see any of these people on my run. but i knew that GOD would be faithful in bringing me someone to talk to if i was faithful to keep my eyes open to what HE has for me. if i was ready.
on those strides, as i'm nearing completion, an older man that i've talked with quite a few times, but haven't seen on the track for some time, drove up. i knew this was the guy that GOD had set up for me. i was scared, i was nervous. i started to question myself. i started making deals with GOD. i had dropped off some of my extra clothing under a moveable shelter. he had done the same. i prayed, ok GOD, if YOU want me to talk to this guy, YOU'RE going to have to put him under that shelter when i'm done with my work out.
HE did just that.
we talked for a bit. about life. his injury. running. etc, whatever. i told him that i would be praying for him about his knee. he asked what i did for a living. i told him.
this is not the end of the story.
i know believe that GOD is going to use me in not only his life but others.
i don't think i've ever really believed this like i do now.
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