Painless=Progress!!

I am crazy when it comes to self-diagnosis! Although I am usually right on spot about it, I can get obsessive to an annoying state trying to figure out this pain or that ;D. So in my normal way of attempting to self diagnose my recent back/hip pain I concluded that it was related to about three weeks of poor running habits, not running my long runs consistently, and then trying to jump right into a 8 week half-marathon training schedule. All of the above combined is why I think anytime I ran over 4 miles I was experiencing serious pain. So this week I have set a goal to only run 2-3 miles, but to do it everyday instead of my recent hit and miss schedule. So last night (its not worth driving to the river in the morning for just a couple of miles) I ran 2 miles of hills and I have no pain today!!!! This is indeed progress although small. My friend that I was helping in the morning to get back into running has had some medical issues arise and will not be meeting me in the morning for a little while, so this allowed me to move my running schedule to the evening while I work this problem out. I still woke up at 5:15 this morning on my own, but I thoroughly enjoyed that extra hour sleep. So I am happy today with my 2 small miles of hills and hoping after tonight's run to continue to be pain free. Don't you just love how running so often mirrors life in the sense that we must keep moving forward even though at times our path can be uncertain or we become weary with what seems at times very little progress...we must continue to press on, to move forward, to not be side-lined by the difficulty of the race, by discouragement, or whatever our trials are. Our theology and what we really believe about God is lived out in each and every step of this race. I pray for you today as I do myself that we can press on toward the goal...press on past that part of the race that has already been run...press on with our eye upon that which we have been called.

Run today that you may win!