5k Every Day in the Month of May 2017 (Day 22)
My legs are feeling pretty good. 22 days into 5k Every Day in the Month of May (and 387 total days of running at least a 5k every day) and I am happy to say that I am feeling great!
I had a chance to run with my buddy Derrick this afternoon. I always enjoy my Monday afternoon runs. Today we were going a bit faster than normal, and Derrick needed to be back in time for his son’s ball game so we settled for a 10k (which is not much shorter than we typically run on Monday’s). It was just a great conversation and a great run.
We ran 6.2 miles in 43 minutes and 56 seconds, which is an average pace of 7:04 per mile.
Today I also started a program with Vertical Runner of Wooster called “Project: Marathon”. I am excited to shift my training a bit and set my sights on getting a little faster and going a little further. This week I am only supposed to run 4 times according to the plan… but… I contacted the guy in charge (who happens to be my brother) and asked if it would be a problem for me to run 7 days this week. Haha… That’s not exactly following the plan. Thankfully, he knows that I am in the middle of 5k Every Day in the Month of May and is willing to let it slide, but starting June 1 I need to follow the plan.
So yes, I am absolutely ending my streak of running at least a 5k every day on day 396. I will not be running on day 397.
Some may say, “Boy… you are so close to 400. Why not just get the four extra days?”
I’ll tell you why. I am not interested in getting to 400 because that is only 100 days away from 500, which is halfway to 1,000… Do you see where I am going here? That is how my mind works.
So, no. I will be ending my streak at 396 and turning to a new goal.
Speaking of goals, I was challenged again today as I read Luke 20-22 and was reminded of how adamantly Jesus set his sights on the cross. There were so many things he could have done to avoid the cross, but that was not a part of his plan. He knew that his horrible death on the cross was the means by which the world could be saved, and so he was undeterred.
I love that Luke gives us new insight into the ear-cutting-off incident.
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. – Luke 22:47-51
The other Gospels recorded this incident, but not with nearly the same level of detail. Jesus, at the moment of his arrest, and knowing exactly what brutal punishment await him, was still making sure that nothing went wrong in the process. He didn’t want this servant of the high priest to finish his days on earth with only one ear, so he went ahead and healed him after telling his disciples to stop resisting.
It is incredible.
How do we even comprehend this kind of love and commitment to finishing the work of salvation through the cross?
Honestly, for many it is impossible to understand. We want to earn what we get, and we stubbornly refuse to accept anything for free. (That is called pride, by the way.) That is why the cross is so offensive to some people. God’s love is a free gift, but we think we have to earn it. We don’t have to earn it. In fact, we could never earn it. We just have to accept it and receive it.
And some people have a really hard time with this.
But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” – Luke 20:17-18
Jesus is the cornerstone. The whole Christian faith stands on him! He died on the cross for our sins, so that we could have a restored relationship with God the Father. For everyone who receives this gift, we begin to build our lives on the foundation that Jesus has laid. But those who reject the free gift, those who stumble over Christ and refuse to accept him and thereby build their life on anything else -they will be crushed.
Without a firm foundation, anything you are building will eventually fall. If, however, the foundation is sure, then what is built upon it will stand forever.
There is no surer foundation than Jesus Christ.
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Another 5k run done. I ran at Waynedale High School track. From waking up this morning my legs were heavy and a ache soreness the whole day so I thought flat rubbery track would be great. I ran 3.25 miles at a 8:46 pace. Not bad but not where I want to be.
One area that stuck out to me is when Jesus was on mount of olives
A angel appeared to him from heaven to strengthen him. Guess it was a reminder that God is always there. Also it talks about Christ praying so hard his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. That’s some intense prayers.
Good thinking to get a track run in. It feels pretty good every once in a while!
The part about the angel being with him stuck out to me, too. I don’t remember that being in the other Gospels. Score another one for Luke and his thoroughness.
We did our 5k this morning. Our time was 26:36 (8:35/mile pace). In the reading, something that stood out to me was how, even at the last supper as Jesus was about to be crucified and take on the weight of the sin of all believers, the disciples were still disputing who was the greatest. It seems so silly and so stupid at a time like that. Then I have to think about the times I’ve been so worried about my stupid and silly desires or selfish ambitions that belittle my Christ.
When are you guys going to be around our area? We should run together and see if we can knock out that 22 flat goal!
I’m with you on the Last Supper comments. It seems like their listening and timing was wretched. But how often am I guilty of the same?!
I don’t think we will be up there until the weekend of June 10. We’ve kept telling ourselves we want to reach it by the end of the challenge, and if we haven’t, go as hard as possible on May 31 to get it. That would be fun to run together though. We were bummed that we would not be able to make it to any of the group runs.
I am not caught up adding comments but I have been running each day. I can’t believe my legs aren’t completely ready to fall off. They are not fast but they aren’t weak either.
Me too, Rachel. I’m so inspired by you doing this in May which has to be a crazy busy month for you! Thinking of you doing this is good inspiration for me when I feel busy – I just remember that you are way more busy than me and still have stuck with it!! Way to go!!
You are ROCKING it, Rachel! Great job!
I am the same as Rachel – caught up on reading and running….getting behind on commenting. Yesterday I did what I think Rachel did a couple days ago and just set the treadmill at a 9:14 pace and made myself keep going. I thought a 5K would seem pretty easy by day 22, but I still have to work for it. Randy, on the other hand, can put a 5K in easy now and often goes farther.
In yesterday’s reading I found it sad and heavy to read the story of the vineyard owners son. I was thinking “vineyard” usually refers to the Jewish nation and so you know the story is about Jesus and what His people will do to Him. And just reading how they had no regard for the life of the “prophets” or “the son” Jesus, but instead wanted to have an inheritance anyway…..just makes me want to scream that there is nothing without Jesus! They have asked for signs from Jesus again and again! I’d like to think that I would believe with what signs He had already given, but I guess I don’t know what I’d do for sure if that was my culture and leaders. I like to think, though, that I’m a little stubborn and don’t just blindly follow a leadership that is so clearly in the wrong.
Haha… I find myself shaking my head and wanting to scream sometimes, too… But often the thing I am most upset about, if I am brutally honest, is something that I struggle with personally. I would also like to think that I would recognize Jesus and follow him, but I have the distinct advantage of looking back after 2,000 years. I guess my best move at this point is to try to learn from the mistakes that I see over and over again in scripture.
Thanks for the comment, and way to keep pushing through!
Another 5k done. I was struck by verse 69 of Luke 22 where Jesus responds to the chief priests, and leaders of the law after being arrested. “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” (NIV) the ultimate good triumph over evil.
Amen!!