I haven’t exercised for a week due to a cold, which has caused me to adjust my expectations for the triathlon (coming up on April 26). Maybe I’ll just choose to have fun doing it no matter how long it takes, rather than obsessively seek to obliterate my time from last year. What am I trying to prove, or to whom? I may not be any faster (shocking!). I may in fact be slower (the horror!). My goal has never been to become a professional athlete. I have too much lung scar tissue, and too many other priorities, for that to happen. But it’s a worthwhile endeavor to push yourself, condition your body. It’s neat to see your endurance increase, to see the miles (or minutes) pass more easily. But if it gets to the point of obsession, I have to wonder, why? Why am I so bent on doing this? What’s motivating me? The answer to that reveals my heart’s condition.
Tri Ride
So much for my illustrious biking career. I must say I learned much from the morning’s experiences (attempted ride, 29 March). I learned…
--being prepared is always a good idea. Beforehand, I wondered if I should choose NOT to go because I wasn’t able to pump up my tires, or if that was just a fear-based excuse to not go. Well, since I got a flat around a half-mile from home, which successfully nixed the ride, I discovered it’s wise, not pessimistic, to start out with the best possible circumstances.
--having a plan is a good idea. Because I hadn’t thought about which shoe to disconnect from my pedal clips when I needed to stop, my moment of indecision cost me in the currency of a scraped elbow and slightly-bruised pride. At the first stoplight just around the corner from my driveway, I wavered mentally-- right foot? Or left? Gaaaaah! -- and promptly lost enough speed for gravity to claim the right side of me. The guy in the red Mustang next to me hopped out exceedingly fast with an incredulous, “are you okay?!” Thankfully, I was okay. And I wasn’t as mortified as I could have been. I’d been told, after all, You will fall. Having shoes attached to your pedals takes some getting used to.
--along with being prepared and having a plan… knowing how to change a flat and having the appropriate tools to do so would also be a good idea. ‘Nuff said.
Thankfully, God is patient with us, despite our foolish pride and stubborn rebellion! I can't get over that.
I hope to learn from every experience, every decision. When I make a wise decision, I want to ask, ok, how can I replicate that? When I make a poor decision, I want to evaluate, what caused that, what led to it, and how can I do better next time? Rather than bury a mistake to minimize the awkward feeling of embarrassment, I want to throw wide the windows and let in as much light as possible to examine the choice as closely as possible, in order to learn as much as possible. Am I keeping eternity in view, or am I allowing the moment to consume my perspective? I have to ask, after listening to John Piper at the regional Desiring God conference (what a blessing!):
Do I so live that people could infer from my life that Jesus is more valuable than anything else? Am I so radically "happy in God" that letting go of the happiest experiences on Earth would be gain?
Good questions to consider.
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