Day 88...

THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY!! Can you believe it? Only three weeks until the Boston Marathon? Three short weeks until we take our 26.2-mile victory run from Hopkington to Boston. YEE HAW!!! I'm SO excited. I wish it was tomorrow! :)

But there are three weeks left. Twenty-one days of not only physical training, but also spiritual training. I have no idea what God will teach me in these next three weeks, but I know that He's not done yet. And He never wastes a moment, so I'm sure each of these 21 days will be spiritually fruitful.

Today was a good run. It was only a 6.3-miler, but I had been itching to get in a run at a good pace. Friday had been slow for recovery and Saturday had been slow for a variety of outside factors. Sunday was rest. Man, I was mentally itching to turn up the heat. :) So, I did. And it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I don't know if it was because I didn't sleep well last night or what, but the pace was harder to push than normal. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the orthodics. They've really helped, but they also were something new that my legs had to get used to. They added a little weight to the feet. I'll just have to use these next two weeks to get stronger and learn how to push the pace in them.

I say two weeks because I have to factor in the notion that the last week before the marathon is a taper week. All that means is that you basically don't run much the week before the marathon so that you're itching to go on race day and physically loaded with tons of energy.

(Man! I love peanut butter oatmeal. Hallelujah! haha! Just took my first bite of the morning. SO good.)

So, I mentioned that I didn't sleep well last night. Wanna know something? I knew that was going to happen fairly early in the day. It's such a mental thing! Early on in the day, this little thought took root in my brain, "You didn't run today. There's no way you're going to fall asleep tonight when you need to. You won't be tired." I didn't realize I'd even had the thought until I'd had it over and over and I was already worked up about it by late afternoon. At that point I tried to combat it, but it had become an issue. So, when I laid down last night, all I could think about was the mental battle for sleep and that I needed it and wasn't going to get it.

GOSH! What a lesson in taking thoughts captive before they take YOU captive! 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Today, I pray that the Lord would help me to recognize my negative thoughts when they first strike so that He and I can strike them down with His truth! Would you pray that prayer for and with me? Maybe you need it yourself!

Prayer requests:
-For healing on the feet. (PRAISE GOD! First run without a blister pad on the left side.)
-For our troops! We love you guys and gals! Keep doing what you're doing, knowing that you are storing up treasures in Heaven!
-For Military Ministry and our friends who serve to bring His love to our armed forces.
-For the tempo run and speed work tomorrow morning. Gotta use it wisely!
-For rest tonight.

Thanks, friends! :) You all are awesome!
-Jill