Thanksgiving in Feburary

This afternoon I was trying on new shoes. My first "real" pair of running shoes have all but lost their support. I recall wearing out soccer shoes back in the "glory days," but wearing out a pair of running shoes gives you a real sense of accomplishment.

Saturday was our second team run at lake Calhoun. I have been taking the training very lightly lately. Schedules have been pretty tight for daily training, and honestly I have been enjoying being able to focus on other things. I found out Saturday that I need to get back into it soon. We break our team up into three running abilities on team runs, so to fit where everyone is at. I thought I had time to take things easy for a while. I found out differently on Sat when my group decided to work in sprints and hill sprints to our 3.5mile workout. I knew to keep things light but the more we did our sprints the more I wanted to get into it. The second hill sprint got me. I love hills, I love to attack them. I am not ready to do hill sprints. My heart rate spiked on the second one and never really calmed down much after that. Not a big deal. Rather frustrating though. I am thankful for the extra money I spent on a heart rate monitor last year. I know my threshold and I was able to monitor where I should have been. I lightly jogged out the rest of the run and felt good to know where I am at.

I am super excited about the group of guys that will be pushing me during this season. There is a group of about eight of us that will challenge each other to greater heights. So I'll have to get back into the swing of things soon or I'll get left in the dust.

The rest of life training has me in a season of thanksgiving. Spring is ready to start cracking its thick shell and that is certainly something to be thankful for. Most exciting is the places that God has brought me to in respects to relationships that are very important to me. These endurance events have showed me to be patient, and I have applied that to many things in my life. I have never been much of a patient person. I see good or bad, what ever I see I want to react to and take action. Life has shone me to be more sensitive when I am not the only one involved in any given situation. It is amaizing the things you learn when you really strive to be less of your self and more Christlike. Simple concept, but difficult to put into action. It requires giving up. There is nothing that can't be achieved when you honestly give up and look to God for guidance. I have found surrender to be the most powerful action I could ever take. I know that great things are in store.

I look ahead to the next 10 months of my life and I am excited. Excited for the good and the bad. I doubt that it will be a smooth ride, but it will be what I make it. I pray that it will have more evidence of Gods fingerprints than mine. One day at a time. Every day every moment I have a choice.