Comfort Zone?

I have never been the one to like to be at the center of attention. I have always been a back of the class, behind the camera, blend into the background kind of guy.

While since I have been working on staff at our church I have had the opportunity to sing in the church choir, teach a Sunday School class, preach, and most recently act in our Christmas Cantata.

For a guy who does not like attention, and does not like to preform, acting in the Christmas Cantata has put me way outside my comfort zone. I have had to force myself to put my fear of public performance behind me, I have forced my usually forgetful self to have to learn lines (pages and pages of line), I have had to force myself to see that there is a greater good behind all of this. What greater good? The hope that someone might be saved as a result of this presentation.

Along these same lines has been the ability to be pushed outside of my running comfort zone.

For the past few weekends my dad and I (sometimes brother) have run 13 miles in preparation for my upcoming marathon. I usually have a fear of going out to fast and running out of gas before the finish. So I start slow and stay kind of slow. But running with my brother and dad have put me outside of my running comfort zone. They have been pushing me to run about a mile an hour faster per mile. At first I was upset, in fact my first run of these lone runs was painful! But the second was better and the most recent the best of all. I was able to run their pace for about 85% of the 13 miles.

I had to look past the discomfort of being out of my comfort zone and see the "greater good". What greater good? The fact that I have increased in speed and strength in just a couple of runs.

So my advice to you is, step out of your comfort zone a little and work hard and expect results!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Training Derailment

Derailment is a pretty accurarate description what almost/did take place over the Thanksgiving holiday.

As most of you know my parents were devorced when i was in 2nd grade. as a result i have had to make adjustments. After the salvation of my parents and step parents most of those adjustments were pretty smooth. However there is one adjustment that still hunts me. This is of course the Thanksgiving meals. What do you mean adam?

On thanksgiving day we eat at my dad and step-moms at about 11-1 then from there we ussually head over to Samantha's parents for another meal, usually around 1-4, then if I can I steal away for quick nap before we drive 30 minutes away to eat with my mom and step-dad.

Now there are plenty of ways around this, so as to not destroy my training. But what got me this time was the fact that the flu was woking its way around Samantha's family and eventually made it into my body.

Yes, i was able to survive the abundace of food, deserts and even all the finger foods. But i could not esape the flu.

It hit me hard. for about 3 days, i could feel my body putting up a fight aginst it. I knew something wasnt right, my stomach didnt feel bad, it just fest "unstable". Sure enough at about 2am I made my way to the restroom and there i stayed till it was all out of my system...or so I thought...3am again...

I think i made it to bed about 4. but my body was weak, and hurting. I didnt run for about a week. I just managed to stay in bed.

As of yesterday i have put in 4 runs for a total of 35 miles. So i am happy to say i am back on track.

Now I just need to get in those long runs while i still have time.