Spring Training - A Simple Pleasure

Tonight - to my surprise - the Twins spring training game is on the radio.  And I must apologize to my dogs as I postponed their walk when I found out so that I could enjoy the game. I suppose a  baseball game on the radio should not take precedence over a walk with my girls but tonight it did.  Twins games on the radio are one of those simple pleasures in life.

I enjoy baseball.  Played it in my youth and was usually the only girl on the team.  I would not call myself a die hard fan but if the timing is right and the game is on the radio - I will take the time to listen.  Two years ago, my husband built a deck on the front of our house.  It quickly became our summer evening retreat - to visit with neighbors, to catch up on the day, to just sit and relax as the kids played outside.  With a change in his work schedule, it became my retreat.  I spent many evenings last summer, by myself, just listening to the Twins game and debriefing my day with myself.

As I would sit, I would think - I tend to do that a lot - maybe too much sometimes - but this is one way I feel that God gets through to me.  I wondered what it was about baseball on the radio that brought me so much peace.  And I remembered my childhood.  How carefree life was.  We always had food on the table, clean clothes, parents that loved us, friends a  plenty to play with and Twins games on the radio.  We spent our summer days just playing - anything and everything.  Not a worry among us - except perhaps who got to be which Charlie's Angel or which Duke boy we would marry!  How can you not experience peace when you have nothing to stress over??  It makes perfect sense to me - too bad I didn't realize back then how good I had it!

As the mom of two children and having  a husband working nights, I find I have more worries that I ever thought I would have.  Part of that is inheriting the Worry gene from my Grandma T. But as a Christian, I have been taught not to worry - which sometimes is a lot easier said than done.  In Philippians 4:6, we are commanded, “Do not be anxious [do not worry] about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Have you ever tried to make a conscious effort not to worry?  To stop the minute you feel the worry start and give it to God?  Give it a try.  I find it is something that I struggle to do on a regular basis - mostly because I am who I am (or at least who I think I am) and I want to fix everything on my own. 

But there are things I can't fix - I know that I can't heal anyones cancer, or make the perfect job appear for a friend out of work, or take away someone else's anxieties and fears.  And when I began my workout journey, I felt that I couldn't fix me.  What would be different with this attempt to lose weight that would enable me to be successful?  How would I overcome my fear of having a heart attack or stroke while working out? How would I be able to stick with any part of it?

Well God knew how to fix me.  But it wasn't an overnight fix.  It took me months to realize that just because my heart rate hit a certain number, I wasn't going to keel over and die.  It took the support of my NEW buddy to keep me committed to visiting the health club for the whole week and to keep it up to get my insurance reimbursement.  And it took God working in me to get me to give my worries to Him and to realize that I can't do it on my own and that I don't have to.  And to my amazement  - it is working. Although I will honestly call myself a work in progress!

Part of God working in me to give up my worries is my ability to feel less stress and to take time to enjoy simple pleasures.  So that brings us back to the Twins game on the radio tonight.  Prayers were sent up earlier today and along with them went my worries.  And now I am able to sit back and enjoy the simple pleasure  of listening to the Twins game and know that God is taking care of things for me.

The ride of a Lifetime - or so they say

Today my friend Cheryl and I participated in Lifetime Fitness' Ride of a Lifetime.  A two hour spin class held at the Rivercentre in St. Paul.  I will be honest - not sure if it was worth the $50 I paid for myself (She had to pay $60 because she is not a member.)  Over 1000 people were there to push their bodies to the limit on the spin bike.  But to call it the Ride of a Lifetime is so misleading.  I have done two other  2 hour spin classes at Lifetime - a great workout but not anything to warrant that title. 

Those who know me have followed my new found obsession with road cycling.  I love it.  It started with my cheap Fleet Farm mountain bike and some great trail rides while camping.  To be out in nature, on my own, pushing when I felt like it and finding out what I was capable of - now that is a ride.  And each time, I pushed a little farther - not only in distance but physically pushed my body harder - working different muscles, pedalling faster , tackling new hills (still not my favorite part!)

I even tackled the Minnesota Ironman on May 1st last year with that mountain bike.  Now that I might call The Ride of a Lifetime. 25 degree windchill, 25 mile an hour winds, ice pellets and a great head/chest cold as I hit the road.  I had signed up for the 30 mile loop and it may have taken me 4 hours and a few walks up hills but I finished.  Several people who had signed up for the 68 or 100 mile loop opted to drop to the 30 because of the weather conditions.  That was the first ride where I really felt I had challenged my body and mind - you should have seen the smile on my face when I finished and collected my Ironwoman t-shirt.  I was so proud of myself that day - and yet I felt that I could do more.  Even on the drive home, I was trying to think up my next challenge.

And challenge I did.  At the end of May, I became the proud owner of Sheba - a Specialized Dolce Comp road bike.  Stylin red and white - lightweight and beautiful.  And so the challenges began.  From Heights to Mounds View, then to Shoreview, then to Lino Lakes, then loops around the many lakes in that area.  20 miles, 30, 40 and finally on September 24th, I finished a 62 mile ride on my own - out to Lino Lakes, laps around the lakes and then back home.  Took me 6 hours - not the fastest biker out there - but I did it. With that ride, I completed 400 miles during the months of June, July and September!

Every ride I did last summer (and this January too) could be called the Ride of a Lifetime because each one was a challenge I set for myself and a challenge that I met.  And each one has been part of my journey to this NEW me.  I find time on each ride to pray (with my eyes open!!)  To thank God for the opportunity to ride, the ability to ride, safety on my ride.  But I also find that once I am in my groove, I take the time to pray for others in my life - friends, family, fellow church members - things just pop into my mind and I pray.  And I have seen so many of those prayers answered.  It is such an incredible feeling to be pushing your body physically and yet have your mind and spirit focused on God and helping others (guess some might call it another way I multi-task!) 

When I first started working out, all I could focus on was me and how much I hated working out, how my body hurt, what good was it really going to do me, etc.  But now I have come to this incredible point in my journey where God is showing me how it isn't about me - it's about Him using me to help/serve others in His name.    It's a feeling I hope you all get to experience at some point in your life - there are no words to describe it.  And once you do experience it - you will know you are on the Ride of a Lifetime!

Thankful and appreciative

This week has been one that has led me to be thankful and appreciative to those around me - for all they do.  Whether it be to help me, as our Great Grandma PTO volunteer has done the last several years as she sorts and counts box tops, milk caps, juice pouches and soup labels.  Even though I had to count several thousand box tops last night and tonight, she had done the bulk of it for me.  For that I am so grateful.

And as I subbed for one of our EAs earlier this week, I have so much appreciation for what she and the other EAs and Special Ed. teachers do on a daily basis.  I don't like to admit my weaknesses but this is one area where I know I struggle to understand why a child can't just sit and do their work and respect those around them.  So when I do work in these situations, I pray that God will give me the patience and understanding and compassion needed to provide that child with what they need to the best of my ability.  This is definitely an area where I need to improve.  I guess I am thankful that God has given me the opportunities He has and that I can still learn and grow from them.

 I have learned so much about myself through my exercise journey and what I am capable of physically and now I am learning new things about myself mentally and spiritually.  I have really become aware of how interconnected so many things in my life are - I can share my exercise journey and my faith journey with so many different people and hope that they can see how it is all working together in me.

And for those whom I work with or volunteer with or see on a daily basis - I may not say it enough - but know that I appreciate all that you do and I am so thankful that you are part of my journey.

Day 472.  Of what you may ask.  Well this would be the 472nd (almost) consecutive day that I have worked out at the health club on my journey to a smaller, more fit and healthier me.  And to think it all started with a 5 day commitment along with my NO Excuse Buddy Scott to NEW (No Excuse Week) in July of 2010.   That led to a 7 day commitment a couple of months later and November 2010 was No Excuses November - 30 straight days of workouts  - and I haven't stopped since.  But this journey towards a healthier me has led me along another path as well - a path of discovering who I am in the eyes of God and what He has planned for me.  I have learned that there is a huge difference between just calling myself a Christian - and living my life as one. I am very thankful for the opportunities God has given me the last few years to demonstrate my Christian love for others and to grow in my Faith.  I would love to call it the Incredible Journey, but I know it is far from over.