A bad solution can be worse than the problem – I chose what I thought were good, quality running shoes, and they were. They were just wrong for me. Had I done more research, been better informed, depended on someone more knowledgeable than I was, I would have been saved some pain, and several days of missed running. We face all sorts of challenges as we run the race God sets before us. Depending on our own knowledge and opinions can make our situation worse. However, if we do some (Scriptural) research, talk to more experienced runners (mature believers) consult with the expert (the Holy Spirit), we can hit on a solution that benefits us rather than costing us time and causing more pain.

The right support matters – The new shoes felt great when I tried them on in the store, and during the days I walked in them. But, when I ran, my cool new shoes had no support construction to stop my ankle from rolling when my foot hit. That forced my calf muscles to try and hold my foot in place and that job was way too big for them. Sometimes, we need cushiony "poor baby" kind of support when we're having hard times. Other times, we need firmer "stability control" support to keep us on course when we feel like giving up, or when the job gets too big. It helps to know ourselves, the issues we have trouble with, and the support available. (My husband is stability control, but I have friends who are more cushiony.)

Now that I've identified the problem, and determined what support I need, after a few more days rest, I'll be back in the race!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

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July 1st. The year is halfway over. In a football or basketball game, halftime is an opportunity to evaluate the gameplan and make adjustments as needed. I entered 2010 with some goals in mind. So far, one of them is in the bag (yay!) and one is out of my hands at the moment (sigh!). That leaves running and losing those accursed ten pounds. Let's talk about running.

Progress is slow, but it's measurable.

I love that! Definable, measurable progress. This morning, I ran a lap around our neighborhood park. Then I walked a half lap. Then I ran another lap! Last year, the best I EVER did was to run 1 lap. And I only did that one time. My goal was to run two miles. This week, I've run two miles a couple of days in a row. Still with walking in between, but there is progress.

Progress is painful.

I hurt every day after I run. Granted that may be because I'm 40-something. I prefer to think it's because I'm pushing a little harder, trying a little more each day.

Progress means re-evaluation.

Can I still make the two miles? I think so. October was my goal. Depending on how things go, I may consider stretching that to 3 miles or 5K.

It no different in my walk with God. I need an honest look at my relationship with Him. Then once I see where I am, I need to listen to His suggestions of where I should be. Then I need the discipline to work steadily at achieving that. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit will take care of the hard stuff, but I have to be available for Him to work on. He won't drag me across the finish line of Christlikeness.

What about you? What were your goals? How are you doing on them?

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1. Doing It
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3. Study tip: Set a goal

“But you’re doing it.”

That’s what my husband tells me when I vent my eternal frustration with my lack of stamina. He hops up on Saturday mornings and runs 8-10 MILES. When the weather finally eased above 30 degrees in the mornings last week, I started running again. I had trouble running 2 TENTHS of a mile. (I got a whole mile in eventually, running and walking, but then I was so sore I couldn’t move for two days.)

“But you’re doing it.”

I want results. Progress. The measurable and immediate kind. I think that’s what made the Wii Fit appealing- two minutes of activity and boom! A score. (And a ranking!) The downside is that I get too hung up on artificial measures and lose patience with myself very quickly. Real progress comes slowly after a series of incremental victories.

Writing is a slow process, lots of long hours alone at the computer with very little measurable progress. I often need a healthy dose of encouragement. Faith-building is another slow process. I get frustrated when I see myself making the same mistakes, falling into the same struggles again and again. What is hard to remember and more difficult to measure, is that each time, I come away a little stronger. Plus, while God expects obedient effort on my part, He doesn’t hold me responsible for the results. Sometimes I forget that part.

“But you’re doing it.”

Whether in areas of faith and personal growth, or health and self-discipline, celebrate that effort. It’s easy to recognize you “should”, or even have a “want to”, but overcoming the inertia and doing it counts for a lot.

What is it that you’re ‘doing’?

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I’m watching an indoor track meet from Madison Square Garden, hoping to catch sight of my nephew, Josh. He’s a collegiate runner and also competes in the race walk. I’m just barely a runner, mind you, but his walk time of just over 6 minutes is almost half my run time for a mile. Ah well.

Watching the meet, I understand why Paul used running a race as a metaphor for the Christian life. I have teammates, coaches and trainers, but ultimately, it’s my personal race. It’s my responsibility to train, to condition myself, and to work through injuries. Most of that preparation is done alone, depending on my own self-discipline. If I slack off even a day, it may cost me. It’s important that I eat right and strength-train. I need to be equipped with the right shoes. I have a course laid out before me, and it’s critical that I stay on track. My finish depends on it. I can’t get distracted by what other runners are doing. I can only run my race well.

Josh runs cross-country, too and in some ways that’s a better picture of this race we’re in. The runners get individual times but the team does better when each runner performs well. As we run our races well, we encourage those around us to finish strong.

In 2009, I only ran a few months before it got too cold for me, so I have yet to reach that point real runners talk about when they feel like they could go forever. (I had no trouble getting to the ‘I hope this is not a heart attack’ point.) This Christian race, though, I’m running to the very end.

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1. Running the Race
2. Study Tip: A Long-Running Topical List
3. Halftime 2010