Week 4: Free to Run

God's time first ... 


Proverbs 24:16
" ... for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity."

This verse reminds me of a saying, "We are not measured by the way we fall, but by the way we get up."  The author of the saying is unknown, but is in the failures of life that we learn most.  Calamity falls on both the good and the evil.  Unlike the wicked we have our Lord there to help us up any time we fall.  Like a protective father watching his child ride a bike for the first time without the training wheels, it is the same with our Father in Heaven.  We are bound to fall but our Father in heaven helps us persevere and rise again.  In running you may hit a "wall;" in your spiritual run you may hit a "wall."  Anytime there's a wall set before us, Jesus is there to help us run right through it.

What does that look like in real life? Check out this interview with Ryan Hall, who grew up in nearby Big Bear. Ryan is the fastest American-born marathoner (26.2 miles in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds at the 2008 London Marathon) and also holds the American record in the half marathon (13.1 miles in 59 minutes, 43 seconds at the 2007 Houston Amoco Half Marathon). But first and foremost, he is a follower of Jesus Christ.



This week's workout tip: For most of you, consistency is what we've been working on. Distance running is built on that, and in order to get stronger and build in endurance, you have to be consistent with your training. Don't expect results if all you're doing is the "weekend warrior" workout, and you do nothing during the week. You'll be able to finish the race, but you will not experience the benefits of consistent workouts: better stamina and strength, an improved cardiovascular system, your clothes fitting better (or in some cases, you may need to get a smaller size), less extreme reactions to stress, a more relaxed outlook on life in general, an overall more healthier you.

Hmmm ... sounds almost like the benefits you'd get when you give yourself to consistent Bible study, worship, prayer, and fasting when needed ... I mean, if you just do those things only on Sundays (and really, who does fast on a Sunday?), how can you expect to grow and mature spiritually, and serve God effectively and with meaningful and lasting impact  in the world around you? Answer: You really can't.

Anyway, the key is consistency. If you haven't worked on it yet, start doing so now, because from weeks 6 to race weekend, the workouts start ramping up.

Again, I suggest, especially for you beginners, a Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday routine.

Workouts 1 and 2 
Beginners
Monday and Wednesday ... if you missed Monday, then go Tuesday and Thursday


Start with a brisk 5-minute warm-up walk.  Then alternate 2 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking for 20 minutes.  Follow that with a 5-minute cool-down walk. 


Total workout is 30 minutes. Make sure you stretch and do your core exercises after each workout.


Intermediate and advanced
Stick to what's been working for you, but don't over do it ... pick one, just one, workout during the week and try this: After 10 minutes of really easy running, go for 40 minutes,running semi-hard for 2 minutes, then slowing down to recover for 2 minutes... repeat that for 40 minutes, then follow with a 5-10 minute cool down of really easy running.


Make sure you stretch and do your core exercises after each workout.


Workout 3
The Saturday group workout at Mountain Gate Park.


Workout 4
Use Sunday to do an "active rest" workout. That is, go out for about 20 minutes of brisk walking. This will help wash out some of the lactic acid from your muscles as well as help you add more training volume in an easy workout.


Make sure you stretch and do your core exercises after each workout.


Still plenty of time to invite family and friends to join us, 7 a.m. every Saturday at Mountain Gate Park in Corona!