I don't believe in the "No Pain, No Gain" philosophy of training. Yes, we should push ourselves, but not too much. And definitely not to the point of injury. My philosophy can be summed up as, Be tough on yourself. Be self-disciplined. Be organized. Have a daily schedule and stick to it. Don't obsess over it, of course, but do try and be consistent.
As you know, most days of mine begin with personal time with the Lord. This morning was no exception.
Then I spend some time in the gym either doing a full workout or a partial one.
After that I usually head outdoors for a walk or a run or a bike or to work on the farm. Today I wanted to push myself a bit so off I went to Farmville for a run.
My plan was to start out on the High Bridge Trail.
Once I had gone about 3.5 miles I would plan on returning to Farmville via the River Road.
This meant a return distance of another 3.5 miles for a total run today of 7 miles.
At some point in my run, my body took over and I was on autopilot. I was a passenger, if you will, a spectator watching the miles tick off. My brain did a good job of setting a pace my body was happy with. All I had to do was maintain this level of performance with the least amount of energy. It felt great. Yes, it was hard. Yes, I had to be tough on myself. But I was never uncomfortable. I was never in danger of injuring myself. My body has learned its most efficient way of running, and that has become my norm.
There are many ways to reward yourself after a good workout. On the way home I stopped by Food Lion and bought a couple of pork chops and some mashed potatoes for supper tonight. As with running, so with eating: Aim for pleasure, not pain. Run healthily and eat healthily. Think about the joy of being active and healthy, not about the pain. Nothing is impossible, but everything takes time and self-discipline. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Just be careful not to fall into the kind of perfectionism that ruins everything. Be tough on yourself, but not too tough. Use running to enhance your life, not to beat yourself up.
I am convinced that every run is a new adventure, no matter how short or how long it is. Every mile is a gift from God. I hope that perhaps reading my blog will make you feel the same way.
