Getting Irish Jiggy With it

Ran the first 5k of the season yesterday with my friend Spike at the Irish Jig in East Grand Rapids. Great course with some small hills in the first two miles and a nice downward slope for the last 1/2 to 3/4 mile. Ran a 25:08 - very pleased. Spike ran it in 23 minutes - his first 5k race ever!

Up next is the Road to the Final Four 5k in Detroit on April 4th - hopefully Michigan State's basketball team will also be playing that day. Let's go Spartans!

Discipline

Wow - talk about being boastful and arrogant! Refer to my post on February 26th. I bragged about losing 5 pounds that week, maintaining my daily bible reading, and keeping my running regiment on track. Since that time, I have only kept up with the running. I gained a 1/2 pound the next week, then lost 1 pound for a net loss of one 1/2 pound in two weeks. I fell behind on my bible reading almost 5 days at one point. But I did keep the running on track - getting down to 8:20 miles on my four mile run this past Saturday.

I had a huge wake-up call last night as I attempted to catch up on my bible reading. I was skimming instead of reading and understanding. So, for the next week, I'll just read two days worth per evening to catch-up. I also need to re-focus my eating habits. Susan pointed out that I need to talk about eating healthy in front of Anna and Paul - and not talk too much about losing weight and placing focus on appearance. She's right - the appearance will take care of itself when I eat healthy and exercise.

I need to stay disciplined in all areas of my life! And not boast or brag about my accomplishments without giving due credit to the One who is in control.

At the Intersection

I went for a nice hour long run on Saturday. It ended up logging 7 miles. On my long runs, I'm not always sure where I'm going to go or end up. There are some busy streets that I run through and as I'm approaching I send a quick prayer to God to let me know which way I should go. If cars are coming, I turn left or right, if no cars, I keep heading straight. I don't do this for every intersection, just ones where I know I need to make a concrete decision. Sometimes it's when I don't think I want to run anymore - I just say, "God, if you want me to run a little longer today, if there are no cars, I'll go straight, if there are cars, I'll turn left and start back home." I know this sounds extremely simple as to my request to the Lord Almighty, but I trust the decision and keep on running. Do I do this in life decisions as much as I should? Probably not, only when faced with really tough decisions, or hardships, or trials - and maybe not even then. But we should be asking God to help with our decisions all the time - even the simple ones.

Rich's 2009 Running Tour

I've been reviewing the calendar and looking for 5K and 10K races. If you have one in your area, let me know! For now, here is my tentative schedule.

3/14/09 - Clare St. Patrick's Day 5k Road Race
3/21/09 - Irish Jig 5k - East Grand Rapids
4/4/09 - Road the Final Four 5k - Detroit
4/25/09 - Bell Isle Spring into Nature 5k
5/9/09 - 5/3 Riverbank Run 10k - Grand Rapids
5/16/09 - Dart Frog Dash 5k - Toledo Zoo
6/6/09 - Mackinac Island Lilac Festival 10k