When I first starting running I thought you just put your shoes on and started running and that was all there was to it. It was all physical in my thinking at the time. I soon learned how to plan my own successes by scheduling my training although I did not call it training then.
When a fellow runner talked me into signing up for my first race I was so nervous. But as I trained for it I realized that to be mentally confident going to that first 5K I would have to run at least as long as 3.1 miles before the race. That way I could keep telling myself you've already run this before. And that is how I started learning about the mental part of running.
Earlier this month when I did my first 10K I had to do that distance before the race so that I could talk myself through it. Yesterday I found myself doing the same thing on my second trip through my 10 mile route. I found it a lot easier and of course much of that is the physical conditioning. But mentally I knew as I was running that physically I was doing better than the first time around. I also knew I had already done 10 miles once. That made the possible shortcuts less tempting!
It's quite a confidence builder when you get your mind and body involved. I think there are things outside of running that we do not even attempt because we think we will fail. If you had told me I would ever even sign up for a half marathon when I first started running I would have laughed and told you that you were crazy!
But I've taken the challenge a little at a time. Sometimes we look at the whole picture and won't even attempt things. Christianity can be a huge challenge unless you concentrate on training your mind in one little area: intimacy with Him. I plan my life around my runs! As a Christian our lives should be planned around our relationship with Him. And we can ensure spiritual success by taking each piece as we learn it and do it well. Then take a bigger piece..and once we learn something spiritually and make it a part of us.. it should bring us the confidence in Him to walk the rest of it out because we've done it before! And even more than that...He's already done it! We don't even have the work part, just the following Him part! We can do this thing...one step at a time..!
When a fellow runner talked me into signing up for my first race I was so nervous. But as I trained for it I realized that to be mentally confident going to that first 5K I would have to run at least as long as 3.1 miles before the race. That way I could keep telling myself you've already run this before. And that is how I started learning about the mental part of running.
Earlier this month when I did my first 10K I had to do that distance before the race so that I could talk myself through it. Yesterday I found myself doing the same thing on my second trip through my 10 mile route. I found it a lot easier and of course much of that is the physical conditioning. But mentally I knew as I was running that physically I was doing better than the first time around. I also knew I had already done 10 miles once. That made the possible shortcuts less tempting!
It's quite a confidence builder when you get your mind and body involved. I think there are things outside of running that we do not even attempt because we think we will fail. If you had told me I would ever even sign up for a half marathon when I first started running I would have laughed and told you that you were crazy!
But I've taken the challenge a little at a time. Sometimes we look at the whole picture and won't even attempt things. Christianity can be a huge challenge unless you concentrate on training your mind in one little area: intimacy with Him. I plan my life around my runs! As a Christian our lives should be planned around our relationship with Him. And we can ensure spiritual success by taking each piece as we learn it and do it well. Then take a bigger piece..and once we learn something spiritually and make it a part of us.. it should bring us the confidence in Him to walk the rest of it out because we've done it before! And even more than that...He's already done it! We don't even have the work part, just the following Him part! We can do this thing...one step at a time..!
Comments
Post a Comment