What a beautiful day it is. I had a speaking engagement at the High School today that I had to prep for and was not able to jog this morning. So after a few text messages, I was able to switch around a few meetings so I could take a “Late Lunch-time Jog”.
It was so beautiful and warm, and I felt pretty good, so I half-heartedly stretched and decided I would walk for a while to loosen up. After 5 minutes of walking in the beautiful weather (which may not be this good much longer as winter is approaching), I thought, “why don’t I do some interval work.”
Recently, I have been hanging around some real runners who take this stuff seriously. I have jogged with a couple of them (until the leave me in their dust) and have heard them talk about doing “interval work”. You know, run as fast as I can for a couple of minutes, then walk 30-45 seconds, and then repeat, doing this for total of about 25 to 30 minutes. That didn’t sound that bad, and if they can do it, so can I.
So, off I go. The first couple of intervals were good. In fact, I was increasing my pace and stride length and feeling good about myself on this beautiful day. Then it hit me. A burning pain in the back of my left leg. Pulled hamstring. NO WAY! It’s warm today, I sort of loosened up walking, and its beautiful outside, this can’t be. So I stopped doing intervals and just walked for a while. As the burning stopped, I started jogging. After 100 yards, there the burning in my leg was again. Long story short, I kept trying to jog and walk, but the last part of the trip was all walking (BTW, I should have headed back toward the house when this 1st happened instead of continuing heading away from the house… I ended up traveling a total of 4 miles, with 3 of that being on a bum leg)
So, what’s the point? The outside environment (whether it is beautiful or not) doesn’t determine what is going on inside of me. Beautiful, warm weather on an AWESOME day doesn’t mean my body was prepared to do what I was asking it to do.
Mistake # 1: I didn’t prepare like I should have. I just went through the motions, walked a little bit and was ready to go. I should have stretched my muscles to begin with. No mater what the outside conditions were, no mater how much I wanted to get out there and get started working out, I STILL SHOULD HAVE PREPARED MYSELF for what I was about to do.
Mistake # 2: I’m not a runner yet! I tried to be something that I wasn’t ready to be yet. Just walking and jogging a few days a week doesn’t make me a runner yet. Hanging around with, talking to, and even jogging with runners, doesn’t make me a runner. Really, I’m a poser. I act like a runner, talk like a runner, but when it comes down to it, I haven’t put in the training or time yet to be a runner. I am a “walker/jogger” right now. Doesn’t mean I won’t or can’t become a runner. I just ain’t one now!
Truth is, there are people just like this in our churches today. Oh, I’m not talking about “walkers/joggers” posing as runners (Thought there are some of those). I’m talking about those who are posing as disciples of Jesus and aren’t prepared for what Satan is throwing at them, and are blaming God for them getting their butts kicked all over town by Satan.
Take a look at Acts 19: 1 – 23 pay close attention to verse 13-23
Remember the mistakes I made running today. 1- I didn’t prepare like I should have and 2- I tried to act like something that I wasn’t yet.
Satan is just waiting for you to “get too big for your britches”, and when he gets through with you, a pulled hamstring might be the least of your worries.
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