Rest is a part of your training, believe it or not. Your rest day is just as important as your hard day in your training program. It's the time when your body builds new cells to prepare itself for the next level of training. If nothing else, you deserve to take a break from the rigors of running. Sleep in, put your feet up, or take the elevator and not the stairs.
Today is Day 20 of my 40-day Lenten Run. Never before have I directly realized the value of rest until now. After 20 days of consecutive running totalling 161 miles, my leg muscles are screaming to stop and take a rest day. For a running mortal like me, to break my 40-day pledge is such a tempting deal.
So why not listen to my body and take that day of rest?
When I pray as I run, I do not listen to my body as much as I listen to the voice of my heart. I listen to God who is the voice of my heart calling me to rest -- to rest in Him. When I pray as I run, I pray that I may rest in God and nothing else. St. Thomas Aquinas said, "You have have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until it rests in you."
Praying as you run can teach you to feel relaxed even when your body is agitated, to remain peaceful in the midst of chaos, to hear God's call in a noisy world, and to gain strength when you feel weary. Long may you run and pray and find rest in Him.
Showing posts with label rest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rest. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
40-day Lenten Run
What are you giving up for Lent? It's a pretty heavy duty question; but sometimes, it's taken very lightly as a conversation topic.
I think it's a very profound question that if we take our answer seriously, it could make a difference in our lives. "To give up" something could be interpreted in many different levels. One level could mean what are you willing "to stop doing" during Lent. This is where the answers of eating chocolates, swearing, drinking, come up. On another level, the question could be interpreted more profoundly as what are you willing "to devote" yourself completely during Lent.
I chose to answer the question in the second way. I am devoting myself to pray and run for 40 days and through the Holy Week up to Easter Sunday. I receive prayer requests from many people and I take them with me as I run, keeping your prayer intentions in my thoughts in prayer - like a pilgrimage.
I have not run this long in my life. I usually take 2-3 days of rest a week from running. The rest days are really prized time for runners. Like most runners, I look forward to my rest days. However, my first rest day will not come until after 47 days to be exact.
Please keep sending me your prayer intentions and share my ministry to other people. I can use all the support of prayers and encouragement I can get. Likewise, I also ask for your prayers so I can successfully complete my Lenten Run.
To send your prayer intentions, you can (1) reply to this post (2) email me at prayingrunner@gmail.com (3) post on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/prayingrunner (4) "like" me on Facebook to support my Lenten Run. Thank you and Godspeed!
I think it's a very profound question that if we take our answer seriously, it could make a difference in our lives. "To give up" something could be interpreted in many different levels. One level could mean what are you willing "to stop doing" during Lent. This is where the answers of eating chocolates, swearing, drinking, come up. On another level, the question could be interpreted more profoundly as what are you willing "to devote" yourself completely during Lent.
I chose to answer the question in the second way. I am devoting myself to pray and run for 40 days and through the Holy Week up to Easter Sunday. I receive prayer requests from many people and I take them with me as I run, keeping your prayer intentions in my thoughts in prayer - like a pilgrimage.
I have not run this long in my life. I usually take 2-3 days of rest a week from running. The rest days are really prized time for runners. Like most runners, I look forward to my rest days. However, my first rest day will not come until after 47 days to be exact.
Please keep sending me your prayer intentions and share my ministry to other people. I can use all the support of prayers and encouragement I can get. Likewise, I also ask for your prayers so I can successfully complete my Lenten Run.
To send your prayer intentions, you can (1) reply to this post (2) email me at prayingrunner@gmail.com (3) post on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/prayingrunner (4) "like" me on Facebook to support my Lenten Run. Thank you and Godspeed!
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Value of Rest
No run today. Today I logged in 0 miles.
I had the day off but got up early still. I went with my wife to go to the post office, the bank and do grocery shopping. As soon as we got home, I grilled some fresh salmon for lunch. Then I took my wife to the movies. Her choice of movie - Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts. Got home then soon after I took my son and his friend to basketball practice. Now, mind you I usually go out for a run while waiting for him during practice. But today, I stayed put. I found a little shade under a tree and read a book. Then I went inside the gym and watched him practice. I saw another parent and chatted with him. After practice, I took the boys to a Chinese dinner. When we got home, we prayed the rosary as a family.
In running, rest is the time when you achieve the gains from your training. In life, rest is the time to spend for the things that matter the most. Thank you, God, for the time today to stay away from running and the time to get away from busy-ness of life. Tomorrow, I shall do in earnest my long run and get ready to go back to work.
I had the day off but got up early still. I went with my wife to go to the post office, the bank and do grocery shopping. As soon as we got home, I grilled some fresh salmon for lunch. Then I took my wife to the movies. Her choice of movie - Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts. Got home then soon after I took my son and his friend to basketball practice. Now, mind you I usually go out for a run while waiting for him during practice. But today, I stayed put. I found a little shade under a tree and read a book. Then I went inside the gym and watched him practice. I saw another parent and chatted with him. After practice, I took the boys to a Chinese dinner. When we got home, we prayed the rosary as a family.
In running, rest is the time when you achieve the gains from your training. In life, rest is the time to spend for the things that matter the most. Thank you, God, for the time today to stay away from running and the time to get away from busy-ness of life. Tomorrow, I shall do in earnest my long run and get ready to go back to work.
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