Yesterday I discovered that the half marathon that I have been getting geared up to run this fall has been cancelled (possibly postponed until the spring). Does this mean that I am not going to run a half marathon? Nope! I immediately began the search for other half marathons going on from Virginia to South Carolina that would occur between September and November. Found several...and have chosen one that is still fairly close to home. It's a couple of weeks earlier than the mid-November date that I had my mind set for, but if I keep focused on my training I can do the earlier date.
After running four miles last night, I sat thinking that I could have said "Ok, so I won't run a half marathon this year." However, the competitor in me would have never been satisfied with that conclusion. Not to mention that after this half marathon I've decided to add training for a triathlon in 2013. I'll need to figure out how to add time for bike rides and swimming. I still plan to do long runs, but the half marathon training requires lots of long runs, whereas after the half marathon I can scale back on the number of long runs and just add as much biking and swimming as I can.
This then led to the bigger question about how we react to change to change in general. Some things we can control, others we cannot. Even today things changed. I had planned to take the Friday before the half marathon off so I could go to Raleigh and get settled. After talking with my boss about his annual fishing trip to the middle of nowhere, I discovered that since he won't be here that Friday, I can't take that day off. I said no big deal, I'll just leave later. Plans change all the time. Could I have acted like a big baby and pouted because I couldn't have the day off? Yes, I could have, but would that have changed anything? No. I'll adjust. Instead of my last longer run happening in Raleigh, it will happen in High Point. I'll use the Saturday before the run to 'drive' the course to get an idea of where I need to mentally prepare myself for hills and turns and do one last short run to help me relax and put the jitters aside for a little bit anyway.
Rain happens...soccer games get cancelled. Kids get sick...may have to take an unexpected day off. Unexpected expenses happen....can't go to the movies this week. Life is full of change! It's not the change, but how we deal with it. You can't pout and throw temper tantrums when things don't go your way. You have to learn to take the change and do something. 1) Work with it, 2) Work around it or 3) Work against it.
After running four miles last night, I sat thinking that I could have said "Ok, so I won't run a half marathon this year." However, the competitor in me would have never been satisfied with that conclusion. Not to mention that after this half marathon I've decided to add training for a triathlon in 2013. I'll need to figure out how to add time for bike rides and swimming. I still plan to do long runs, but the half marathon training requires lots of long runs, whereas after the half marathon I can scale back on the number of long runs and just add as much biking and swimming as I can.
This then led to the bigger question about how we react to change to change in general. Some things we can control, others we cannot. Even today things changed. I had planned to take the Friday before the half marathon off so I could go to Raleigh and get settled. After talking with my boss about his annual fishing trip to the middle of nowhere, I discovered that since he won't be here that Friday, I can't take that day off. I said no big deal, I'll just leave later. Plans change all the time. Could I have acted like a big baby and pouted because I couldn't have the day off? Yes, I could have, but would that have changed anything? No. I'll adjust. Instead of my last longer run happening in Raleigh, it will happen in High Point. I'll use the Saturday before the run to 'drive' the course to get an idea of where I need to mentally prepare myself for hills and turns and do one last short run to help me relax and put the jitters aside for a little bit anyway.
Rain happens...soccer games get cancelled. Kids get sick...may have to take an unexpected day off. Unexpected expenses happen....can't go to the movies this week. Life is full of change! It's not the change, but how we deal with it. You can't pout and throw temper tantrums when things don't go your way. You have to learn to take the change and do something. 1) Work with it, 2) Work around it or 3) Work against it.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
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