I had three goals going into today's 5K in Cary.
1) Start out at the back of the pack (as usual) and then see how many runners I could slowly reel in during the race. There were 127 competitors in today's event. How would I fare against the competition?
2) See how my Altra Lone Peak 5s would hold up, especially in the muddier sections of the course.
3) Come in under 30 minutes. Would this be possible on such a hilly cross country course?
I love these events. I see them all as great opportunities to challenge yourself. I never once looked at my Garmin watch today while out on the course. I ran by effort, not pace.
So what happened?
1) Out of the 127 participants in today's race, I came in #89 -- confirming my status as a mid- to back-of-the-packer.
2) My shoes crushed it. While other runners were having to slow down through the muddy and wet sections of the course, I could keep right on trucking along because of the amazing grip my outsoles were providing. Thank you, Altra!
3) As for my finish time, the hills won. I didn't even come close to finishing in under 30 minutes, even though I caught and passed other runners, especially on the hills.
When I had only about a half mile to go I set my sights on passing these two high school girls.
Somehow I pulled it off, only to be passed by one of them near the finish line. Yes, this morning we were all RACING!
Today I was reminded of the importance of discipline in life. God disciplines us. That's one reason we're called disciples. The highest form of love is to train ourselves to do what is right and good while our own fleshly desires are battling for control. God simply loves us too much to let us get away with undisciplined lives. Love compels him to intervene when we disobey his laws. "We all have human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" Unpleasant and painful doesn't necessarily mean bad. Discipline simply means having higher standards for yourself -- and others. Hopefully our children will see through our example that discipline and obedience pays off. Let your discipline, drive, determination, and utter dependence on God speak volumes to your kids.
Set some goals and give it a go. No one outruns aging. But you can always improve.