Isn’t it hard to be faithful in the small things? Faithful, as you may have guessed, is today’s Wednesday Word.
Is this faithful?
There is being faithful in the small things I need to do to keep me running injury free, and I runfess that I haven’t been as faithful to these small things as I should be lately. That might actually be a runfession this Saturday.
Then there’s being faithful to your running plan. Only I’m making it up as I go. Which I don’t actually think is such a bad thing; see my post on being your own coach for thoughts on that.
I’m doing the same thing I do with my healthy eating: taking a little bit from all the training plans I’ve tried over the past 6 years, and cobbling it all into my own personal training plan. Of course I am not a certified running coach, so we’ll see how that works for me.
The upside to making my plan up on the fly is that I listen to my body that week, that day, and decide what the best plan is according to what my body is telling me it needs. Don’t forget that respect is my word for 2016 and I’m trying hard to respect my body and my running.
Those that are most slow in making a promise are the most faithful in the performance of it.
— Jean-Jacques Rosseau
A Slow Promise
I really liked the quote above; it spoke to me on several levels.
In fact, Darlene and I were chatting about whether or not we would be better runners if we’d started earlier in life, or whether not having all that pounding for years would make us better runners as we age on our long run this weekend.
We are both adult onset athletes: I didn’t start running until my late 40s, Darlene was in her mid 50s. It took us a long time, but boy, we are definitely faithful to our running: running in the cold, the heat, the wind, the rain, the snow.
We also discussed being faithful to the miles. Whatever is on my plan, once I make it? That’s what I do. Unless I’m in pain, I never cut a run short. I just do it.
And then, of course, there’s my weight maintenance. It took me decades to get where I am right now, maintaining a healthy weight for more than just a hot minute. One thing I learned over those decades: Weight Watchers meetings work for me, and I am faithful to attending those meetings, every single week, unless I am not here.
Just like my long run, I will rearrange my week so I can get to a meeting if I have to. I once refused to pick Mr. Judy up at the airport because it interfered with my meeting. True story.
What small things are you (or do you need to be) faithful to?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Being faithful to all those little things is important to helping you reach your goals. Good for you! Glad the WW meetings worked for you and that you’re so faithful.
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Little things add up to a lot! I seem to say that an awful lot.
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I don’t necessarily think that you and Darlene would have been better runners had you started earlier in life. Look at it this way…your legs are much more fresh than had you put all those miles on them. Just keep on running!
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Well, yeah, I said as much in the post.
But I just have to wonder if I would have been a little faster if I’d come to it younger!
I’ve not intention of stopping. 🙂
Yeah, and my husband thought — like he’s thought about all my hobbies, and he’s always wrong — well this won’t cost too much.
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I need to be faithful to doing yoga at least once a week. I’ve been slacking.
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During the winter I naturally wake up really early (although not by your standards). I usually figure I’m up anyway, might as well do yoga.
Since Gizmo thinks it’s his lap time, he’ll come down and take any opportunity to lay on me.
It’s hard in the spring/summer when I tend to sleep later.
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I often wonder what kind of runner I would be if I had started earlier who knows?! Respecting and being faithful to your body is key right?
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It’s not something I dwell a lot on, but I do wonder sometimes. But we can’t go back so there it is.
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I am glad I started running when I did. Things happen for a reason and it must have been the right time. I am glad that I started blogging on day 1. I have been faithful to that. I wish I could be faithful to exercise and yoga. Maybe when I retire (if ever.) Right now, it’s work, tennis and a lot of running. (with some fitting it of time for the hubby and friends.)
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I just have an inquiring mind like that (or too much time by myself).
I agree things happen for a reason, and it doesn’t really matter since we can’t change it.
In fact, if I had tried to run much younger, my bet is the running community was as supportive of slower runners then as it is now.
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the little things are so important!
Faithful to:
– hugging and telling my kids I love them everyday!
-making the best choices for myself
-choosing joy
-morning and evening prayers
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All great things to be faithful to!
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This post made me think of my run yesterday. I wanted to do “x” amount of miles but I told myself I would stop half way through if I wasn’t feeling it. I ignored my own self and pushed through and finished the amount I set out to do. That’s faithfulness!
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I always tell myself just 10 minutes. If I’m not feeling something after 10 minutes I’ll stop, and I almost never do!
I actually do technically shorten up yesterday’s run. It was 1/2 & 1 mile repeats, and if I’d done the required reps, it would have been about 8 miles! Since my long run right now is only 9 miles, that seemed just a bit excessive.
So I only did 3 repeats. It was a tough run!
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We are all in the same club that didn’t start running until later in life. I often ponder on the same questions you and Darlene talked about. I still don’t have the answers but I guess there is a time and place for everything. Running is something I choose to do so I make it a priority! I’m exactly like you, if I have it on the plan, my plan, a plan, the plan…. I do it or I figure out how to get it done. Simple as that! You are faithful to what you want to do faithful too! Great post Judy!
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It’s true, if it’s a priority for us, we’ll find a way!
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It’s always the little things that count, they add up to the big things. I needed this reminder that I need to be more faithful to my plans or I’m never going to get the results I want. Love the part where you stood up Mr. Judy for a meeting! Awesome!!
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There is a time and place for everything! I starting running in my mid 40’s that was the time for me:) I do love the fact that you could not do the airport pickup because of weight watcher- that is faithful!
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I’m not sure my husband was really so pleased!
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I love your reason WHY you refused to pick up your hubby….ha, that is great!! I am faithful that I have a hubby who gets me….he understand why I need to run! I am faithful to be fortunate enough to work from home 2 days a week to spend more time with my girlies!! I am faithful just to be running again injury free!
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Running injury free is definitely the best. And an understanding hubby ain’t bad either — while mine wasn’t terribly happy about refusing to pick him up, he got it, too, and didn’t make too much of a fuss.
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I have always made my own training plans, too. I kind of combine elements from various plans into my own plan. I followed a Hal Higdon plan for my first 26.2, and have modified it (as needed) for my other races. I am considering joining forces with a coach, though, to give me some guidance. Although I think I know my body & limitations best, I also know there’s probably even more that I’m capable of….maybe a subjective “outsider” could lead me in that direction #staytuned
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Yes, I do the same thing, combine elements from a variety of plans that have worked for me.
Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t.
I’ve considered hiring a coach, too. I’ve even considered doing the RRCA Coach Certification just for my own benefit (I seriously doubt someone wants to hire a slow runner as a coach, although that would be cool). I went as far as looking it up yesterday, and it’s not that expensive.
But then I’d need to be certified in first aid & CPR, which of course are good things, but time consuming too.
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I need to be faithful to my health, first and foremost, to have a plan and to eat mindfully and make time to get out and move. To a plan to run a 5K this summer. To remaining in the moment, whether i’m writing, reading, working, or with my kids.
Glad I found you through Deb’s Wednesday Word linkup!
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Being present — so hard, yet so important!
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It’s a worthy struggle.
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“The upside to making my plan up on the fly is that I listen to my body that week, that day, and decide what the best plan is according to what my body is telling me it needs,” and that is exactly why it’s great that you’re creating your own training plan! I think you’ll see that it works well for you.
Thanks for linking up!
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I hope so! I’ve done my own, based on plans I’ve used, in the past & it didn’t end well — but I’ve learned a lot since then.
So far, so good, other than my ankle; I had a PT appt yesterday, though, & it looks like it’s mainly an offshoot of aging, not anything I did & he thinks we’ll be able to correct it quickly because I came in relatively early!
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