A Snake in My Path

I remember a few years back, I was out on a run in the mid-July heat. As I was running, I looked down at my watch to mark my mile split and looked up just in time to see a snake sunbathing on the path a few feet from my next step. Talk about perfect timing! After doing the heebee jeebee dance, I mustered up the courage to jump over it and continue on my way, cursing the snake for costing me at least 30 seconds! (It was a pretty intense heebee jeebee dance.) It amazes me even today that I mustered up the courage to jump over that snake! The path of life has its fair share of snakes crossing, sunbathing, or plain coiled along the way, and I for one don’t want to be staring at a watch just to log a run the next time one comes along. The running should never be the focus!

In my season of life, I don’t know from one day to the next if I’ll be able to get out on the trails. I am on a journey with God and my life is not my own, so sometimes the running trails will have to wait. But every time I slip on my running shoes and strike my feet on the path, I will count it as a blessing and savor each step while thanking Him for the time and ability to meet Him in one of my most favorite places – a place He knew I would love, a place where His voice is clear and His presence is undeniable. And, because this is one of Our places, I know He will move mountains to create the opportunity, so I should leave the watch at home and focus on the “miracle of the moment.”.

I guess all of this is another way to say I’m throwing the weekly training schedules out the window. My new training schedule can be summed up with the brilliant words of Forrest Gump: “I just felt like running.” Yeah, Forrest – I’m pickin’ up what you’re layin’ down!

If something is working for you and you love it, GREAT!! Keep it up! If it's not fun and you're not feeling it, switch it up. I'll still be throwing out ideas, but no more regimens. Get out there when you can, take care of His original workmanship, sign up for the races that sound fun to you or don’t sign up for any and check out the countless running resources available to meet you where you are in your fitness abilities like http://www.runnersworld.com/, www.active.com/running, and some listed on this site. Cross train, drink lots of water, and, remember, muscles need a Sabbath, too.

But whatever you do, do it with the guidance of our Savior and let’s catch up as often as we can on the running trails because God gives us Sisters to help us see the snakes in our paths.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together…but let us encourage one another..."- Hebrews 10:24-25a

TRAINING WEEK 4 & 5 - April 10-April 23, 2010

Ok... since I haven't been great last week or this week about getting the training schedule up in a timely fashion, I am posting 2 weeks at a time.

Week 4 Training Schedule:
See Week 2

We had a great 3 mile run on Saturday and were delighted to see some new faces on the trails! We missed those of you that couldn't join us!

Week 5 Training Schedule:
See Week 3

I would love to hear your input as to when works best for you to get together for the group runs. Please comment below as to your dream day and time for group runs.

I'll be taking it easy this week because I never heed my own advice and listen to my body. So learn from my example... injuries happen when you ignore your body!

Happy trails!

TRAINING WEEK 3 - April 3 - 9, 2010

Happy Belated Resurrection Sunday!!! He is not here, He is risen! Oh, how I love Easter. It’s a good reminder for me that, as I endure physical challenges such as training for a race or just trying to keep His original workmanship in tact, no physical challenge I will ever face is greater or more brutal than what Jesus endured. And nothing I face do I face alone.

O, Lord, may I be my whole life devoted to You as You are devoted to me! And may Your light pour out of my brokenness and every one of my pores so that I am unrecognizable. May they say of me, she is not here but she is risen in You!

As you enter into this training week, which is a little late (I apologize), I encourage you in your prayer time to thank God for the abilities He has given you, even at the most simple level of being able to run - however slowly or quickly. And let it resonate in your soul that Jesus endured an atrocious injustice to justify us all and set the captive free. "I am free to run!" from the Newsboys can be taken by this group literally! ;)

And please, above all, remember, this is about BEING with God, not DOING for God! Just be with Him this week. If that doesn’t look anything like the training schedule below, so be it. We all have different physical abilities and goals. Just BE with your Redeemer, your Counselor, your Prince of Peace this week.

Week 3 Training Schedule

Saturday, April 3:
We had a great 4 mile run this Saturday. We missed those who were unable to join. This was the long run for the week!
Sunday, April 4 – Recovery run: 2 miles
Monday, April 5 – Rest: 0 miles
Tuesday, April 6 – Pace run*: 3 miles
Wednesday, April 7 – Easy run: 2 miles
Thursday, April 8 – Easy run: 0-2 miles
Friday, April 9 – Rest: 0 miles

*Week 3 Pace Training:
½ mile easy
¼ mile race pace
¼ mile recovery
½ mile race pace
¼ mile recovery pace
½ mile race pace
¾ mile easy

I am praying for each of you, dear sisters. I pray that you don’t get overwhelmed by the task but that you are carried away by your Prince.

“The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.” – Psalm 146:7b-8

TRAINING WEEK 2 - March 27 - April 2, 2010

I hope everyone had a good week one. The weather here in Colorado is always unpredictable this time of year and this week certainly kept me on my toes. From 70 degrees to 30 degrees in a matter of 24 hours! Gotta love it!

Here is the training schedule for Week 2.

Saturday, March 27 - Long run and our first group run!: 3 miles (email me at mikelisafischer@msn.com if you haven't received emails regarding this already)
Sunday, March 28 - Recovery run: 2 miles
Monday, March 29 - Rest: 0 miles
Tuesday, March 30 - Pace run*: 3 miles
Wednesday, March 31 - Easy run: 2 miles
Thursday, April 1 - Easy run: 0-2 miles
Friday, April 2 - Rest: 0 miles

Week 2 Pace Workout:
Same as Week 1

This should all look pretty familiar. You're not crazy - it's the same as Week 1. ;)

TRAINING WEEK 1 – March 20 – 26, 2010

The following is the training schedule I am working from to get ready for the Bolder Boulder, considering I haven't run in... well, a while! Please take care of yourself, drink plenty of water and listen to your body! This training program comes from the "Bronze 5K and 10K Training Schedules" from The Complete Book of Running for Women. By all means if you have something that is working for you already, stick with it! Don't fix what's not broken.

Your runs may fall on different days. Our group runs are considered the long run and will typically fall on Saturdays. Watch your email for our first group run on March 27th!


Saturday, March 20 - Long run: 3 miles
Sunday, March 21 - Recovery run: 2 miles
Monday, March 22 - Rest: 0 miles
Tuesday, March 23 - Pace run*: 3 miles
Wednesday, March 24 - Easy run: 2 miles
Thursday, March 25 - Easy run: 0-2 miles
Friday, March 26 - Rest: 0 miles

*Pace workouts help build endurance and strength as well as increase speed. I recommend including these in your training schedule, but consider your own goals first. These workouts are not sprints; they simply include picking up the pace for a specified distance.

WEEK 1 PACE WORKOUT
First some terminology...
Easy/recovery pace is just what it sounds like. I’m comfortable running at this pace and I can carry on a conversation.

Race pace is the pace at which I would run a 5K. So I’m running fast but I should be able to sustain distance at this pace. It’s not a 50 yard dash pace. Make sense?

So for week 1, here is what your pace workout looks like for 3 miles total:

1 mile at easy pace

4 x 400 meters (recover for 200 meters) – so that looks like this:
::400 meters at race pace (1)
::200 meters at recovery/easy pace
::400 meters at race pace (2)
::200 meters at recovery/easy pace
::400 meters at race pace (3)
::200 meters at recovery/easy pace
::400 meters at race pace (4)
::200 meters at recovery/easy pace

½ mile easy

REMEMBER: 400 meters equals ¼ mile. So you can still do this on a treadmill if you don’t have access to a track. On a standard outdoor track, 1 lap equals ¼ mile or 400 meters.

A final note…
Don’t overwhelm yourself! If this is too crazy for you to get your mind around, just get out there and run! Let’s keep our focus on God and he will take care of everything else!

Happy trails!