Happy Fourth of July!
(My view of the fireworks last year)
Did you see my healthy Declaration of Independence?
Need ideas for healthy frozen treats to enjoy today?
Looking for a book to read (or not) on vacation?
Want some kick-ass songs to add to your playlist?
Ready to enter my PopChips® Giveaway?
I hope you have a fun and safe holiday!
Stop by later for my Go Fourth 8K recap!
Breaking free of an old habit or trying to instill a new one can be so frustrating. I can spend all day making excellent food choices, only to be undone by a bag of chips at night. I can plan a kick-ass workout to start my day, only to hit the snooze button until I barely have time to get ready for work. Then that annoying co-worker I vowed not to bitch about anymore gets on my last nerve (again) and I find myself venting uncharitably to a sympathetic colleague.
When I catch myself falling short of these simple goals, my first reaction is not pretty. The negative self talk is quick to rear its ugly head, and the things I say to myself are not kind. Usually it’s something along the lines of “Really? Again? Why? How hard could it be?” Often childish name-calling comes into play as well: “Dumb!” or “Stupid!” (with or without a derogatory cuss word). 
Of course, beating myself up doesn’t make me less likely to make the same (poor) choice the next time. What is more helpful is taking it in stride, figuring out “why” from a more compassionate perspective, and thinking of positive strategies to try to implement next time–because there will be a next time! It also helps to remember that breaking bad habits is hard, and that falling short of our own expectations is part of our humanity.
Today’s New Testament reading from Romans 7: 15-25, reminded me of just how universal this struggle is. Paul writes:
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
His writing is a bit hard to follow, but when I read it as a rambling rant against himself, it sounds all too familiar! Paul is upset because, over and over again, he isn’t doing what he wants to do, but instead is doing what he doesn’t want to do. He is torn between his “inner being” that knows what is right and genuinely wants to do it, and the “sin” living within him that has other plans.
I’m not a Biblical scholar, so I don’t know what shortcomings Paul is lamenting, and I’m not one to elevate poor food/exercise/health choices to the level of “sin,” but the analogy fits if I take it down a notch. I want to make healthy food choices, I want to workout, I want to bite my tongue instead of complaining about someone else, but I don’t always do what I want to do and all too often do what I don’t want to do: pig out, sleep in, and gossip.
Paul’s solution to his problem–salvation through Jesus Christ–seems a bit much when applied to diet and fitness issues, but the unconditional love, compassion and patience that Jesus offers each one of us as we strive to make better choices sets a good example for how we can treat ourselves, and gently coax ourselves into letting go of what we don’t want to do and doing what we do want to do.
Today I ran my first long run since the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon on June 5th. It didn’t even hit me until I was almost done that it had been so long since I’ve gone more than 5 miles. The weekend after Zooma I ran the Lawyers Have Heart 10K-turned-5K, the next weekend was spent at a lacrosse tournament, and then last weekend I ran a 5K on the beach in Key Biscayne.
The first thing that hit me when I started out was how nice it was! I didn’t check the weather, but it felt like it was in the upper 60s with low humidity–a true gift for July! The second thing that hit me was how everything felt stiff and sore: my lower back, my legs, my feet from those darn dress sandals I wore all day yesterday. I was planning on 8 miles, but when I got to my starting point, I decided to go for 9. It was just too nice to resist. 🙂
Even though I had started out early (about 6:15), there were lots of people on bike path. I guess everyone wanted to beat the heat and burn some calories before their holiday cookouts! I was aiming for a 9:30-ish pace and did pretty well with that after my first mile (which took about 10 min to shake off the stiffness). When I glanced at my Garmin I often saw a 9:00-ish pace, but then slowed myself down a bit. I have to remember that I am running an 8K on Monday!
After I walked a bit to cool down, I took time to stretch and then headed to the grocery store to pick up some ice and a grande bold coffee from Starbucks for my ice bath. Since my last ice bath didn’t feel quite cold enough, I decided to get three bags of ice. I don’t think I’ll do that again. It was *wicked* cold!
Garmin Data
Total Distance: 9.01 miles
Total Time: 1:25:20
Split Times: 10:00; 9:36, 9:24, 9:41, 9:12, 9:23, 9:09, 9:34, 9:17
Happy Friday before the Fourth of July!
At this time of year, I like to celebrate my freedom from unhealthy habits that used to weigh me down, physically and emotionally.
My Declaration of Independence
Have you read The Declaration of Independence lately? It is quite powerful, especially in view of recent protests against oppressive governments.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . .
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government . . . .
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States . . . . And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
(My view of the fireworks last year)
How are you celebrating July 4th?
What would you write in your Declaration of Independence?
I finally finished the first of the three running books my Mom gave me for Mother’s Day. Even though I picked the shortest one to read first, it has taken me this long! That’s partly because of my busy schedule, and partly because I had a hard time getting in to it.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami
The author, Haruki Murakami, is an award-winning, Japanese novelist who took up running when he was 33. At first, I found his writing to be boring. Although he was writing about interesting things, I didn’t feel engaged. I wondered if that stemmed from a difference in culture (Japan vs. U.S.) or perspective (male marathon runner vs. female non-marathon runner). Sometimes I felt like he was just too “zen” about everything to capture my attention. In the “Afterward” he explains the tension he feels as a novelist between “staying true to the novel” and “revealing his own true voice.” Maybe that holding back is why I felt like there was something lacking.
The book was interesting enough that I did want to finish it, even if only to see if it got any better–and it did. I found myself immersed in the descriptions of specific runs and races, and there seemed to be more of those as the book went on.
Probably because it resonates most with my own experience, I was struck by the struggle to find the right balance between under-training and over-training. Early in the book he writes this about one event:
There are three reasons I failed. Not enough training. Not enough training. And not enough training.
But then later he provides this important warning:
It’s important to push your body to its limits, but exceed those and the whole thing’s a waste.
There are lots of other good nuggets in this book, and I probably will remember it more than I expect. Maybe that means it is a good book after all.
Have you read this book?
What did you think?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
