Still figuring this out…one step at a time.
I have taken up the practice the last couple of years to keep a running journal (a hand-written one). I have always used Strava, Garmin, or Coros, programs on my phone or computer to make notes on how my runs went, but found that I was not good at going back and reflecting on those notes in my training cycle. This, in my mind, restricted my true understanding of growth, both physical and mental. Yes, I could go back and look at how much faster I may or may not have gotten over a period of time, but running is often more than getting faster. I decided a physical journal might help me collect and reflect on my thoughts better.
I have gravitated towards the Racin’ Grayson Training Log and Planner (I do better when things are laid out for me).
Check it our here
I primarily use it for running. It has a section for things happening in life, but I wanted house it primarily for running, to reflect on that area of life. I do write other events in the calendar section, so that I keep up with what is happening (though I primarily use Google Calendar to track my life) However, one thing that really stands out to me is that each week, I am encouraged to choose an intention for the week. There is not a lot of guidance on how to choose this intention, but I have taken it to mean something that I am using to guide my week and help me remember my purpose for running. Each week in this newsletter I want to share that intention, because often I have chosen it because it deals with my life on the run, but it also transcends running and carries over into and overarching theme of my week in life.
Intention for the Week:
Collect:
This week I want to gather together the aspects of my life and running that feel scattered. As we journey in this year, I have noticed that life feels all over the place. I spent much of my holiday break just letting things go and trying to find rest and renewal. However, I neglected the idea of using my renewal/vacation/family time to set me up to be better on the other end of that time off. I felt my life, running, and much more had become scattered (in a metaphorical sense).
This week I want to collect those aspects of my life. I want to collect my mental state on the run, I want to collect my schedule to get things done at work. I want to collect the relationships that hold me strong as I live into the vocation to which I have been called. I want to collect the thoughts that have scattered so that I can move forward in the goals of my life, my family, and the church I serve.
Happenings in the Network
Podcast
Active Faith Podcast
This past Friday’s episode was a State of the Podcast Episode, and I wanted to offer both communally and personally. For me it is an opportunity to set a baseline for where this community began this year. However, beyond that I want it to serve as an opportunity for longtime and new listeners to see into the heart and spirit of this podcast.
I reflect on the first 13 months of the podcast, and some lessons learned in 2022. I then look forward to what 2023 can hold, and my vision and goals for this podcast and network moving into a new year.
Listen to the episode on your favorite podcasting platform.
To find it on your favorite platform, click here.
For a direct link to the podcast episode, click here.
Preachers Gonna Preach
The RunninRev (Andrew) has the latest sermon from the congregation he serves, Beech Grove UMC (Suffolk, Va).
Yesterday I began a new series called, Glimpses of the Kin-dom. I am using it as an opportunity to examine community as it is lived out in the church, and God’s original intentions as we gather together and do this thing called creation. Kin-dom is about more inclusively embodying the nature we often portray as the Kingdom of God. Kin-dom gives us a greater pull towards the true embodiment of community and relationship we have with God and one another. In the first week I explore the baptism of Jesus, and what it means to enter in and covenant in this relationship.
Check it out on the RunninRev Preaches Newsletter or click here.
On the Run
This week should be an interesting one. Coming off one of my largest mileage weeks in quite a while, my coach put me through a 2km (about 1.25 miles) time trial. I was confident that I could finish, but not confident in how I would do. The last time I ran an all out mile (towards the end of 2020), I ran a 6:02. I remember being upset I couldn’t break the 6:00 barrier, but knowing that with training it would only be a matter of time. So I toed the line in this instance to see where my fitness was, and after the past 6 months or so I’ve had I was not expecting much…just put in my best effort and find my baseline. I came through the mile at 5:55, and did 2km in 7:26 (still in the 5:55-57 range), and found myself dumbfounded how good my fitness actually was. This was my on the run celebration for the week, and now I am upping my mileage again as I move closer towards my goal for the Shamrock Half Marathon in March 2023.
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