I did it

I ran a half marathon. 13.1 miles! in under 2 hrs (by 30 seconds :) And it felt great!! Well, during the race, anyway...the few days after were a different story. Oh, my knees...but during the race I had a little extra pep in my step, and I really think I can attribute that to the sprints I did one day each week during my training. It really makes a world of difference--you've got that extra boost when you need it, and it does wonders for your breathing too.
a little pump up music
and I'm ready to hop on Marta...

So what did I learn in this process of training for & completing a half-marathon? My body does what I tell it to do.

The morning of the race (at about 4:30--had to get up to catch Marta, plus it was hard to sleep, i was stoked!!), God led me to read 1 Cor 9:19-27 (the passage I later realized was on our Justice Team shirt we all wore). These are the verses that talk about becoming all things to all people in order to win some; and about running the race in such a way that you may win; and then running with purpose and aim. Then it goes on to say "I bruise my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified."
I mulled over these verses a lot as I ran...you get in that zone, you know, where you can do some good thinking. Besides, the scenery was amazing -- nifty neighborhoods I had seen and had some fond memories in; and others I hadn't yet discovered. But as I kept going, I realized, we often become victims of our wills, or our emotions, or our circumstances even and follow them and succomb to them; rather than "exercising self-control," as this passage says to, and willing ourselves to do the right thing. Now, I'm not talking about self-reliance here, or mustering up righteousness that we don't have; I'm talking about simple obedience. He tells us he'll give us an out in every scenario, and that we now have His Spirit within us to empower us. We have no excuse.

Hopefully these thoughts will pervade other areas of my life, not just running. Because I make a lot of excuses: when I can't get up in the morning. when I miss my quota. when I don't feel like loving that annoying guy. Then I must beat my body, I must speak truth to my spirit, and obey. It will do what I tell it to.