Week 4: Mastering the "Mosquito Dance"

One of my favorite places in Upstate New York is The Root Glen at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Owned by the College, the Glen is filled with winding red shale paths lined with towering trees, and an expansive garden filled with different species of flowers. On Wednesday evening, in spite of the insanely hot weather, I decided to go for my run in the Glen. Ever since I did cross-country, I've grown to love trail running. The experience of moving through the rhythms and images of nature really invigorates my spirit. But with the hot summer weather comes the season's star pest: mosquitos. Before my run on Wednesday, my mom warned me that the mosquitos would be in the Glen ready to attack. But that certainly didn't stop me from wanting to get close to God in a more natural element. I went in with the hope of staying cool from the heat (pssh...didn't happen), and I came out with this week's lesson from God.

This past week I was able to run for 90 seconds at some intervals, but then 3 minutes at other intervals (hooray for the increase!). But lately I've been appreciating the walk breaks--it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the progress God and I are making. So I started off with my usual 5-minute warm-up as I approached the entrance to the Glen. The shade from the trees was refreshing, although I could still feel the heavy humidity in the air. So far, no mosquitos in sight. I then went into my first 3-minute interval of running. The combination of hearing the symphony of cicadas, the crunching of red shale under my shoes, and seeing the afternoon sun slide through the canopy of trees---all of it brought so much joy into my heart.

Unfortunately that joy was soon short-lived when suddenly I heard a high-pitched "Bzzzzzz!" whizzing by my ear. Oh, it's only one mosquito, I thought, so I just swatted the air with my hand and kept going. But they kept coming, and before I knew it, I was doing the "mosquito dance"---swatting my hands like an octopus with tentacles around my head, and jerking my body like a fish out of water--trying to inch my way through the trails. Thank goodness no one was around to see me! No matter how fast I ran, the mosquitos were faster, so I decided to bolt out of the Glen and finish my run on the campus. I was a little frustrated (note to self: get bug spray), but I still felt the same joy and energy on the Hamilton campus as I did in the Glen. I wasn't going to let some needle point-size insects steal that from me!

Did you know that we deal with mosquitos every day? I'm not just referring to the blood-sucking insects--I'm talking about those little problems that we blow out of proportion, preventing us from continuing our race. Or maybe we do the mosquito dance in attempt to shove those problems to the side, but soon they come back--only this time there are more of them. We can flap our hands and thrash our bodies until our limbs fall off, but those little pesky problems will never go away. In Proverbs 24:16, King Solomon writes, "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity." There are two different types of "mosquito dances": the first one is what I just described above. The second dance involves us flapping our hands, but in such a way that we keep moving forward. We don't allow the problems to steal our joy.

Sometimes during our mosquito dance, we loose energy to keep swatting and moving forward. That is when we need a secret weapon--that extra can of OFF! bug spray in our back pocket. For me, I rely completely on God's strength to help me through all of the "mosquito attacks" in my life. I wait for Him to make His move if I'm stuck in the wilderness. He gave me the Bible as my own figurative can of bug spray. So whenever I feel an attack coming on, I think of a verse to repel those little problems away. One of my favorite verses to use is Isaiah 40:31: "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." I repeated this verse over and over as I was running around the hot Hamilton campus, and in return He brought me out of the attack so I could be free to praise Him and soak in the magnitude of His beautiful creation.

I encourage you to find your figurative can of bug spray (if you need some inspiration, you can get the real stuff, too). You may be dealing with a swarm of mosquitos that you can't seem to get through. But you can master the "Mosquito Dance"--it's as simple as finding your figurative can of bug spray, smiling at the mosquito bites on your body, and moving to the notes of nature instead of the pitches of your problems.

Week 3: Who is in Control?

"Is your body controlling your spirit or is your spirit controlling your body?" Even though God asked me this question on Monday, I feel like He has asked it to me before--but I never really wanted to give Him an answer until now. I used to be controlled by my body to restrict certain foods, exercise obsessively, and find the nearest mirror to make sure I was thin. I suffered from vanity insanity (a term God gave me yesterday). My body also controlled how I approached running.  I'll admit that I was jealous when my cross-country teammates went on a 10-mile long run, while I was stuck with a 3-mile run. I remember telling myself, "They are so lucky they can run that far! I wish I could do that." In Galatians 5:7, Paul asked the churches in Galatia, "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" By consuming myself with my body's desires, I was detaching myself from my spirit, making it impossible to continue running my race. 

I always knew how to run with my body. My arms would be bent at 90 degrees, pumping along the sides of my waist as if I was pulling strings (Thank you, Coach Nugent, for teaching me that efficient technique!). I would land on my mid-foot then spring forward by driving my knees. My hips would rotate to help my legs cover more ground. Pretty basic running form mechanics. But this week, God taught me the importance of running with my spirit instead of my body.

The first verse given for this week's workout was from Acts 20:22-23, "And now, compelled by the spirit, I am going to Jerusalem not knowing what will happen to me there...I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. The task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." When it's 85 degrees outside, the last thing you would probably think of doing is going for a run. Well that is exactly what I did on Monday--call me crazy all you want. Think about it from a metaphorical perspective. When things become so intense in your life, your body tells you to stop moving forward because it can't stand the heat. At the beginning of my hot run I asked,"Okay, God, how do I run with my spirit?" He responded with, "Be distilled by sweat to be compelled by the spirit." If this sounds confusing, don't worry, I'll explain. According to Dictionary.com, the word "distill" means "to extract the essential elements of; refine, purify." As disgusting as it may feel, sweating can really cleanse you of all your body's impurities. You can sweat away emotions, pain, negative thoughts--and the only thing you are left with is your spirit. So as I became drenched in the afternoon heat, I tried to imagine running with my spirit: Feeling God's Hand as my spirit's steering wheel, filling my mind with verses from this week's study, singing songs of praise, and telling my body straight to it's face, "You have NO control over me!" My spirit is moving me forward in every heated race to share God's grace. It will be the only force that carries me to the finish line.

Another way God taught me to run with my spirit is to focus on my own race (this was the theme for this week's study in the "Run for God" book). During the last two weeks, I've been running on hills and kind of at a fast pace. On Wednesday I started to feel a slight twinge in my right foot--oh no.  I was really nervous since I DID NOT want another injury, especially since I haven't even been running that much. But I knew God was telling me to slow down. I am only 3 weeks into running and already want to do hills? Not my smartest idea. I wanted to run hills so my body could get a workout--red flag right there! For a few days, I forgot that God was my pacesetter, and He was reminding me the damaging effects of allowing my body to control my race. Just because other runners around me were running hills, didn't mean I had to. Running for God, means not getting caught up in the pace of the rest of the racers and running the race that God has set before me.  So on Friday (much to my body's frustration) I ran around a flat neighborhood at a conversational pace (talking to God, I might add). Although I didn't feel like my body worked extremely hard (I should tell you that I had to still run 90 seconds at a time), I no longer have that twinge in my foot. And my spirit was filled with so much peace since I was able to slow down and spend some quality time talking to God (It's hard to have a conversation running up a hill, right?).

I think people don't realize the power and accessibility of their spirit. It's not as visible as the body, but it's definitely more powerful. In Galatians 5, after Paul asks the church what stopped them from running the race, he continues with the phrase, "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." Imagine your spirit as a little spec of yeast, and your body as the batch of dough. Without the yeast, the dough cannot turn into bread--it just becomes a flat pancake when it comes out of the oven. With the yeast, the dough grows and turns into something useful. But in order for the yeast to reveal it's true potential, it needs to spend some time in intense heat (notice the connection from two paragraphs above). Take some time after reading this post to think about what your spirit looks like and how it plays a role in your life. Are you giving it the awareness it deserves, or has your body become a power-hungry tyrant that you bow down to?

I would really appreciate some feedback (I can handle constructive criticism) on this blog. If there's anything you want me to add, take out, or any questions about the topics I'm covering, you can either post a comment below or e-mail me at jumpingpaws@yahoo.com. Thank you so much for your support. Next week's post is going to be exciting to write about, so stay tuned!

Week 2: Setting the Pace for the Race

What kind race did you run today? Take a minute to really think about this question. Was it a race to the grocery store to buy a week's worth of food? Was it a race to the bank to cash in your paycheck? Was it a race to clean the house, cook, and make sure your family was taken care of? Life is like a giant road race, and in order to perform well, a lot of physical and mental training is required. With my own experiences in road racing (both in the literal and figurative sense), I learned that the right type of mental training can either make or break your race.

This week's workout wasn't too different from last week: I was able to run an additional 30 seconds (hooray!), and added 30 seconds of walking. Each workout (there are 3 of them per week) has a Bible verse that I read before I run, then meditate on during and after my run. Workout 1's verse was from 1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one get's the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." I like how it goes on by saying, "Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Wow, how often do we "beat our body and make it our slave"? Try using that phrase to describe to someone how hard you work!

Now notice how that verse said, "run in such a way to get the prize," not, "run to get the prize." I always had a goal for every race I trained for (I'm talking about literal running here): break 23 minutes in a 5K, keep up with a 7:30 minute pace runner, come in the top 25 to get a ribbon. If I didn't reach these goals, I would get frustrated, even if I felt great during the race. I was more focused on my outcome than my performance, and that didn't go over well with God--which might explain why He allowed all of those running injuries. He wanted me to develop the right mental attitude before I went back to running.

While I was running earlier this week, God went further with the verse and told me: "Just when you think you already have the prize, I have something better." Hopefully that makes sense to you. That one person who gets the prize strives for more than to get a fast time or good placement. Those types of prizes don't last forever. But the prize that does last is a winner's attitude--the fuel that will help sustain a good pace during life's race. Every time we toe the starting line, we won't know the outcome of our race no matter how hard we train, or what goals we want to reach. Of course God wants us to have goals, but He doesn't want us to think our race is done once we reach that goal. He wants us to always run as if we are winning, even though we may feel like we are in last place. Running isn't a game where there are winners or losers. I think running is a test of whether or not we can endure any physical and mental obstacle and still cross the finish line with sweat and smiles.

Always running with a winner's attitude isn't easy, especially when the prize seems to be nowhere in sight. There were many times during my road races, and even with my battle with anorexia, where I became tired and wanted to quit. But that was before God became my pacesetter. A pacesetter is defined as a runner or competitor who sets the pace at the beginning of a race or competition, sometimes in order to help another runner break a record. How perfect is that?! Even if you're not that into your faith as I am, know that there's always someone who's willing to be your pacesetter. Try not to become your own pacesetter, or you may find yourself (like I did) focusing more on just the prize rather than the progress of your race. 

I'll conclude with a verse that is actually the theme of the "Run for God" program: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). This is what I think about when God is my pacesetter. He has given me my own "great cloud of witnesses" (family, friends, you, my blog readers) and told me to run without an agenda. And so far not one memory of a running injury or my eating disorder has held me back! I pray that the same type of success will happen in your own race.

Week 1: The Value of a Minute

There are over 50 tasks you can do in one minute. For example, I could empty a trash can, put my shoes away, pour a cup of coffee, water a plant, give someone a hug---and the list goes on. How about appreciate a run?

This week's workout was simple: Start off with a 5-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes.  Follow that with a 5-minute cool-down walk. At first glance, I thought to myself, You have got to be kidding! Only ONE minute of running? For someone who once ran 8 miles at a time, this workout seemed like torture. But then I remembered what my high school track coach once told me, "Love running like life. Don't let it consume you. Treasure every day and every run no matter how long or short." Although running one minute gave me less of a physical workout, it gave me more time for a spiritual workout. I needed to focus on who I was running for and slow down to listen to what He had to tell me.

The moment I took my first stride, God put a Bible verse on my heart from 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." After meditating on it the whole week, I discovered each component of this verse was woven into my workouts.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word "timidity" means, "lacking in courage or self-confidence." After dealing with multiple running injuries, I always worried about starting up again. While battling with my eating disorder, I had no self-confidence. Instead, I fell into this (what seemed like) a never-ending cycle: run excessively, loose weight, get injured, take time off to heal and gain needed weight, finally heal from injury, start back up with running, get injured again, etc, etc. I think my walking cast has about the same mileage as the average soccer mom's mini-van. My fourth stress fracture this past September was my wake-up call. God gave me enough warning signs to take time off from running to thoroughly heal--but this time I was going to listen. I completely surrendered everything to Him, and was soon rewarded with joy and strength as He became the focus of my life.

So as I was running for the first time on Tuesday, there was this little voice in the back of my head saying, "Oh soon enough you're going to get injured again. You'll be back in that walking cast." But then I voiced out loud, "God, using Your strength, I will not get injured again. I am taking every stride with gratitude and praise, even if it's only for a minute." With the sun beating down on my body, I felt God's presence. No longer was I filled with fear but with power (the first component of the verse). And it was all because I fought fear with faith.

The second and third component of the verse came during this morning's run. My mom and I decided to go to the local golf course's switchbacks, which offer decent hills and beautiful scenery. Normally, I would go off ahead of my mom while she walked alone. But before I left, God asked me, "Why don't you ask her to run with you today?" At first I was hesitant since I wanted to spend one-on-one time with Him, but I knew my mom needed a pick-me-up, so I asked her. She said yes, so off we went. As we walked, I talked to her about the verse God put on my heart, and how it helped me get through the first week. Then that minute of running began. I offered my mom pointers on form, and cheered her on as we ran side by side. I could feel God pat His hand on my shoulder saying, "That's my girl. That's the way to have a spirit of love." After that one workout, my mom is now considering doing the "Run for God" 5K Challenge!

Running with my mom helped me have a spirit of self-discipline. Since I'm not that out of shape (thanks to cross-training) I had every intention of running really fast or for more than one minute. But I knew that in order to not get injured again, I needed to discipline myself to follow the workout exactly as it was written. It's not what I want to do, but what God wants me to do. If I continually follow his game plan instead of my own, I won't have to worry about any injuries.

The whole purpose of the "Run for God" program is to learn how to become a better witness for Christ. Within the first week, I learned that it requires a little sacrifice of your own agenda, and to share your blessing with others. Running won't be for my own personal enjoyment, but preparation for me to bring God's power and joy to others. It started with my mom, and I wonder what next week will bring. Stay tuned!

At the starting line....

Greetings, Readers!

Here's something to think about: Have you ever thought of the similarities between running and faith? About a few weeks ago while browsing the Internet, I learned about this program called "Run for God." According to the website, www.runforgod.com, "the program offers a unique opportunity to join the '5K Challenge,' a practical guide to running and a 12-week training plan aimed at completing a 5K while maintaing a Christian focus. The primary goal is to prepare people to be better witnesses for Christ physically, mentally and spiritually." 

I don't think it's a coincidence that I found this program. Before God was the center of my life, running was an idol that I worshiped daily. My purpose behind it was not healthy in any way. I ran to change myself physically, which resulted in a two month battle with an eating disorder. I thought about it obsessively, which resulted in four stress fractures and a few other injuries. I needed a new approach, or I would be putting my running shoes in my closet for good. 

During my first year of college, I wasn't able to run at all, but that gave me the opportunity to discover my ultimate source of happiness: my relationship with God. And now that I have taken some to heal, I have renewed my strength to begin a new race in my life. Not long after I learned about "Run for God," I bought the 5K Challenge book. It's both a Bible-study and a training program, filled with inspirational stories of runners who run by faith, and some useful information about running (shoes, injury prevention, stretching, etc.). Every week there is a new Bible verse that is the theme for the workout, which can truly illustrate the parallels between an endurance sport like running, and the endurance that faith requires. 

So why am I writing this blog? For the next 12 weeks as a take on the 5K Challenge, I will write about my thoughts of each week's study, and how it connects to my own past experiences. My goal is to redefine how and why I run, while also building a new dimension to my relationship with God. I should heavily emphasize that you DO NOT have to be a Christian to read this blog (it even says so in the book!). You also don't have to be a runner. I hope you find this blog insightful and even meaningful to your own personal life. 

Since I began the program tonight, I will reflect on this week's study later in the week.