He also emphasized running a slow and moderate pace. Fast runners, great runners, vary their mileage and pace.
I often joined the UNK (University of Nebraska-Kearney) cross country team for their weekly long recovery run of fourteen to sixteen miles at 6:00 to 7:00 minute pace every Sunday after church. I later increased my mileage to twenty to twenty-eight miles, running with UNK either the first or last sixteen miles significantly enhanced the run. Initially, we exerted a relaxing effort. However, my pace frequently shifted from relaxing to moderate between the fifteenth and twentieth miles.
Workouts on Mondays often consisted of running an up-tempo ten-miler under 5:30 pace, including the final two to four miles under 5:00 pace. On Tuesdays we ran an interval workout such as ten by 1,000 meters. These were fast and tough as little rest occurred between each interval, followed by strides to increase our raw speed.
Wednesdays integrated a moderate run usually between 5:20 and 5:45 pace, and another interval workout on Thursday. The team raced most Saturdays during the cross country season.
The workouts often varied from week to week as well as each day in format and intensity. This variance created strength, speed and flexibility. We stretched after each run. Moreover, these guys became among the best collegiate teams in America.
Are you pursuing greatness? Are you determined to be among the best in America? Are you varying your mileage and pace? Perhaps you avoid running because you lack any desire to run. If so, do you read a variety of topics, written in a variety of depths?
In the past two hours this morning, I read an Opera magazine along with one-hundred pages of a book on Adolph Hitler and various portions of scripture. Even though I lack appreciating Opera, I receive the magazine for a reason unknown to me. At first, I discarded the magazine due to lack of interest. I now read to learn a new topic, expand my vocabulary, and new writing styles. Exploring new frontiers improves my speaking and writing. These materials expand my thought process, while challenging and validating my beliefs.
Challenges of these books include the difficulty of believing horrific reality in reading of Hitler’s antics and beliefs. Even though most remain aware of his many evil actions and directives, this book provides additional depth into his demonic nature. Why read this horror? Human nature repeats throughout history. We either learn from history or repeat history. No one should repeat Hitler’s history!
Our beliefs also receive challenges when reading the Grace, Love and Mercy of our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s death and resurrection for our salvation seemingly epitomizes “too good to be true.” Because God’s love for us extends beyond our comprehension. Fortunately, all is True! Christ died and conquered death for our sins. You and I can believe and proclaim this Good News. The real message behind, “If it seems to good to be true…” resides in our inquisition of motive. We find truth in Christ and salvation because of God’s desire for our joining him in eternal life. The Bible is clear: All things are possible through Christ who strengthens us.
The infamous “too good to be true” false promises originate from evil hearts. Satan the father of lies and deception, engages deceptive motives, and a wrongful harvest of gain. Someone wants to run fast, without running fast. Rather they desire running fast because someone else ran fast. In other word, their promise and desire to run fast hinges on the false promise of laziness, envy, jealousy and greed.
Alter, your cerebral workouts. Challenge your mind with new topics and vocabulary. Just as a runner continually seeks greater speed and strength, seek greater depth and breadth of Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding.
Perform “strides” to increase your mental quickness in resolving challenges, improving your raw mental speed.
If you want to run fast, you have to run fast!
Let's continually improve our ability and willingness to run fast in our faith (1 Co 9:24-25), finishing strongly (2 Timothy 4:7). Let's diligently, deeply and urgently study the word of God and engage in prayer, increasing the strength and speed of our faith.
Let us also remember that just like great runners, we must also slow down. Faith training also emphasizes the need to regularly schedule workouts when we slow down and listen to God and the needs of His people.
See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve--Running Fast--with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com
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