And yet...

...it still got done.

Times on these runs ranged from 28:35 (Props to my boy Brandon for pushing the pace on Saturday...) to 32:00. Tuesday was tempo, at 10-8:30-10-12 pace. The mileage is going up. It's time. Monday weigh-in was disappointing (207, +4), and I'm starting to get frustrated. I'm doing at least 3 miles and 30 minutes at each run from here forward all the way to May. My endurance is fine, and this will mean 12 miles per week on average. I'll be changing up my food intake and increasing my water consumption (as always) in the next couple of weeks as well, to try to offset the fluctuating weight. I've gotta turn this boat around! I'm tired of carrying this weight!

Stuck!

When I was doing this tempo run, I did something I don't often do: I held back. I was originally going to go a mile at 8:30 pace, but it was already hurting at the 1-mile mark to be going at 10:00 pace, since I hadn't been as consistent with my workouts in the prior week and a half. So I stayed at 10:00 for an extra 1/2 mile, and made myself do 1/2 mile of 8:30 pace anyway later in the run. Boy, did it hurt!

It occurs to me that I'm going to have to make it hurt a little more often to get back the conditioning and body shape that I so desperately desire. It's like that with all of life, though, isn't it? Our bodies are just a brilliant illustration: if we want to get stronger, we have to make it hurt for a while. Our muscles get sore after a hard workout because they're broken down. But they are extraordinary in that when they rebuild, they become stronger than they were before they were broken.

So it is with our lives as well. Sometimes we need to be broken to be built up stronger. Sometimes the things that are the most important for us to learn can only be taught to us in the context of struggle. Romans 5:3-4 reads: "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." I'll claim that promise for my running, and for my life.

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I'm afraid I'm going to have to just aim at a weekly post here on the blog for a while. It's a busier season than ever in my life, but I'll continue to post workouts, and I'll keep working my way forward!