5K

Today my running regimen was what is termed an "easy run." I was scheduled to run 3 miles at 5 mph or a 12 minutes mile. I have mapped out a 5K, 3.1 mile, run that I take from my front porch to my front porch. An "easy run" is not what I've termed it in the past. At the 1/2 mile mark I begin a 1/2 mile uphill trek. Then it's a moderate down hill until I hit short uphill. At 1 3/4 miles I hit a tough uphill climb and then a brutal short climb at 2 1/2 miles. Finally, there's a short climb from Maplewoods Parkway to Lydia on 96th street that isn't very much, but it's right at the 3 mile mark and that makes it tough.

As I ran today I was pleased that I was able to run each of those hills without pause. But when I got to that last one I was a bit daunted. I had on my MP3 player and as I made that climb I was listening to the hard driving part of "Let Love Rule." It provided a tempo for my pace that carried me up and over that last hill. I completed my run having averaged 5.5 mph or 10:55 minutes per mile.

I've been training now for 308 days. I'm not ready to run the 13.1 mile half marathon, but today I ran with ease, especially as I was listening to a song that gave me a rhythm that drove my legs through the tough part.

Now the anecdote you knew was coming... faith is not something we just get. Faith is an exercise of life that takes exercise if you want it to be meaningful through the tough climbs you might face. When you've exercised your faith for a year (figuratively speaking) and you are tuned into the rhythm of the love of God, the pace of life becomes much easier, even when the hills seem daunting.