Another Race?

After IronMan Florida in November, I took some time off.  Wondering if that was it.  Am I done with triathlon?  After all, what could be bigger than IronMan?  I thought however, how nice it would be to train when I wanted in the distance, time and intensity I wanted, as I felt not how a plan mandated me.  But without a goal, could I actually do that?  How about another goal, but not as grandiose as IronMan.  I decided I wanted to do all distances of IronMan.  They have a 5i50 series (Olympic distance), the 70.3 series (half IronMan) and the 140.6 (full IronMan).  I signed up for the St. Anthony's Olympic Distance in St. Pete on April 29th (5i50 event) and the Florida 70.3 in central Florida on May 20th.  Thinking by this time I would be ready to train and compete again.  I wasn't counting on the Boston Marathon on April 16th to get tossed in there!  In the past 4 weeks, I have done 3 events (Boston, 5i50, and BIG Cardio 5k)...I'm tired.  So here I am, naturally wondering "Lord, do you have me doing the half IronMan in 2 weeks? 

I never believe anything is "by chance" or "coincidence".  That gift of the Boston Marathon had eternal purposes, I am convinced.  Why else would He have me suffer through 26.2 miles of a race I never asked to do, nor was qualified for?  Then right after that (2 weeks later) I am doing a triathlon in St. Petersburg.  After the 5k, Saturday morning, I was resting at home, exhausted, wondering.  "Lord, what is it?  Why am I doing these races?  I reached my ultimate goal of IronMan.  It's not like I am getting better, winning my age group, or anything of the sort".  There is was the still, small, quiet, voice that He has trained me to hear.  RECOVERY.  If I look back on my "racing career", what I notice is not necessarily my finishing times improving but I remember the recovery time becoming shorter.  I think it was confirmed at the 5k when Paula, a friend and FCAE teammate said to me at the start line how she and others are amazed at how I keep going.  The endurance God gives me.  I knew what she meant.  She (and just about everyone else) is faster than me and seems to do very well in their racing but they don't do the distance, frequency, or consistency of the training and racing I do.  I think marathons and IronMan are crazy...just for the record.  But God seems to put me there to teach me about recovery.  Here's His message to me:  "Tina, these races are never easy and they never will be.  A 5k is as hard as a marathon.  An Olympic triathlon as hard as an IronMan.  It's not about the time, but rather the patient endurance in it.  Like your life.  It will never be easy, it's about the patient endurance in it.  I will train you to sustain and maintain longer and you will grow stronger.  Then comes the recovery.  I always give you enough time to recover, then set you right back on the race course.  You will do it all with my strength and you will praise me the entire way.  After you cross the finish line, you will have a story of my glory to share.  That's what it is all about." 

1 Corinthians 9:24- 27  Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.  And the verse He reminded me of during Boston: Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Last Saturday night, I made a deal with the Lord.  Don't you know He loves it when we make a "deal" with Him.  I asked Him to get me on my bike in the morning and ride for 3 hours at an average pace of 15mph.  If He did this for me I would do the half IronMan in 2 weeks.  He did more than I asked.  I rode those 3 hours at a 16mph pace.  Confirmation for me...I'm doing the Florida 70.3 IronMan on May 20 in Haines City, Florida!  "Lord, Whom have I in heaven besides You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  (Psalm 74:25-26).  Be glorified Jesus, Amen".