Interval Training

Tonight my training group had the dreaded interval training scheduled. This involved a 1 mile warm up; followed by 4 one mile intervals and then a 1 mile cool down. These are designed to increase your speed. You are supposed to run at a fast pace for those four miles but the kicker is that you have to try to keep each of the one mile intervals around the same pace. It is not something any runner I know looks forward to.

We did tonight's run at a track which was 1/4 of a mile so we had to do 4 laps to make a mile. When we took off for the warm up mile I made a mental decision. Instead of dwelling on the fact that I had only done interval training once before and it was 5 miles total not 6, I decided to take it one mile at a time. Not rocket science I know, but a mental battle to fight nonetheless.

When we took off for the first speed mile, I told my running partner, "We only have to make it four times around. That's it." She agreed with me and off we went. We finished that mile much faster than either of us had planned and we were tired. We took our two minute stretch and got set to go again.

I looked at the long track ahead. Only four times, I told myself again. I don't have to think about the fact that it's really 4x5 times around. I just have to get around it four times right now.

I continued this method of thinking until I finished the cool down mile. To my surprise, I not only did the second mile faster than I had planned, but I managed to keep it really close to that pace for all four of the intervals. I don't know how I did it, but I was elated. I am making such big strides (pardon the pun) and it feels great.

On the ride home it occurred to me that if I looked at life the same way, I might be more peaceful about things. I don't have to think about everything ahead of me. I just have to think about what's going on right now.

And while I think that God wants us to see the finish line and know it's there, I don't think He wants us running the whole race every day. All He asks is that we put our shoes on and get out there. We get to the finish one mile...one lap at a time. It not only gets us where we're going, it helps us to have fun and grow along the way. Enjoying the journey, the fruits of our labors, is what makes the finish so much sweeter.