Finding my Rhythm


I am a distance runner in my own right. I ran 3 full marathons last year and am right now training for my first ultramarathon (49K) next month. And having trained for running long distances, I have found that I don't usually find my pace until after the 3rd mile. The first couple of miles are the most difficult for me as I struggle to find my rhythm. The excitement and anxiety of the starting line pumps my body with so much adrenaline that my timing is off. I try to keep in pace with the pack, pushing me to run at a pace I am not used to. It is in mile 4 when my body settles into a comfortable tempo that I could sustain for the rest of the race.

Danny Dreyer, in his blog ChiRunning, says "Your body loves rhythms ... it thrives on them. Your heartbeat, your breath rate, your need for rest are all based on rhythms that occur naturally in your body or that you've established in your life. The more rhythms you establish, the better your body likes it. When your body has a rhythm to follow, it doesn't have to work as hard. It knows what to do and when to do it."
Your body loves rhythms ... it thrives on them. Your heartbeat, your breath rate, your need for rest are all based on rhythms that occur naturally in your body or that you've established in your life. The more rhythms you establish, the better your body likes it. When your body has a rhythm to follow, it doesn't have to work as hard. It knows what to do and when to do it. - See more at: http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/running-with-a-metronome#sthash.9ToniP33.dpuf
Your body loves rhythms ... it thrives on them. Your heartbeat, your breath rate, your need for rest are all based on rhythms that occur naturally in your body or that you've established in your life. The more rhythms you establish, the better your body likes it. When your body has a rhythm to follow, it doesn't have to work as hard. It knows what to do and when to do it. If you go to bed at the same time every night and you get up at the same time every morning, your body knows, "Now I get to rest, now it's time to get up." When you begin each day with a rhythmic consistency, it allows the rest of your day to unfold more easily than when you dive into the day with no rhyme or reason. - See more at: http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/running-with-a-metronome#sthash.9ToniP33.dpuf

Finding my rhythm. That is what I always strive to do in the first few of miles of a long run. As my body settles into the running rhythm it is used to and comfortable with, then I begin to enjoy the run, the scenery and the people I am with.

I am into the first mile of this marathon called the Superintendency and I am trying to find my pace and rhythm. Just like a long run, there is excitement and anxiety in this first mile. I'd like to start strong, but I also want to last and finish strong in the end. I ask for your continuing prayers. I also ask for your patience. The rhythms of this role are quite different from that of pastoring a local church. I am still looking for the right tempo and cadence, trying different combinations, that will make me effective and efficient, as well as faithful.

What about you? What are your personal rhythms of life? And what are the life rhythms of your family and your faith community? Are you aware of them? If so, are those rhythms optimal for growth and faithfulness? Or is there anything that needs to be tweaked? Do you need to slow down? Or maybe speed up? Is there a need to re-order your days or perhaps change the way you do things? If you are not aware of your life rhythms, I invite you to start paying attention to them.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says, "There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, The Message). The chapter goes on to outline proper times of doing things, suggesting a pattern, a rhythm of life, and calling us to pay attention to this rhythm and live according to it.

As I run this race, I always remind myself that it is a marathon and not a short sprint. I have to pace myself. I remind myself that I have been created uniquely and have to run at my own pace and not at a pace dictated by others. I remind myself to find a rhythm where I am not only able to run but also enjoy the run. I encourage you to do the same.

Your fellow disciple,


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