If you capture your focus and it is just for a moment, is it worth it? Yes! Moments add up, they build, they expand. Those moments will get you to your goal eventually if your consistent.
In June, I joined several people in a Run For God program at our church, similar to a couch to 5K program, but with a focus on God being why we take care of our bodies. The end goal for us was October 6 as we completed a community 5K.
On June 16th, I had never really run even in school. I am active, but running has never been for me. I signed up because my husband used to run and it was a hope to connect him to some men in the church. I had completed a 5k before. I walked it, slowly. Had I not had my keys with me back in 2014 when I did the first 5K, I would not have completed it.
That first day in the Run for God program was a 30 second run like 4 times in a 30 minute period with 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down. The moments of running were difficult for me. Thirty seconds seemed like a moment of eternity.
I kept with the program, but anything more than 2 minutes of running at a time and I turned into a walk because I couldn’t breath. When the group started running 5 minutes, then 20 minutes, then 30 I really wanted to quit. I didn’t, but I also never reached the running time goal.
On my best run day, I was able to run 6 rounds of two minutes for a total of 12 minutes of running, with 90 seconds of walking and the warm up and cool downs of 5 minutes. I prayed into every one of those two minutes for God to speed up the moment in time because I wanted to quit running. I have not found that I love or even like running, but I do like how I feel after.
I completed the 5K. I finished in under an hour which was my goal. When I set out, I really had hoped to run more of it. I finished last, which was not my goal. Other people complained of body aches, mine was breathing. I walk a 5K most days at work.
I wanted to be negative after. My husband reminded me of that first day I ran. He pointed me to the progress made during that time and encouraged me to keep going. We have done just that.
I started a new program walk to run 1 mile. Day 2 I realized that I don’t like treadmill running and that I would have to alter the speed they wanted if I wanted to succeed. I could not breathe. I was cleared by the doctor before I started the 5K program, but I haven’t learned how to control my breathing.
My husband and I started back running on the trails for nice days. We have different goals, it that is okay. I have a goal in my mind that I’m working towards, a straight run. I am working on endurance, he is working on speed.
I realize that it will for now happen in moments. My goal is to increase those moments until I can run from the start of the trail to the first road. It is a little under a mile. Then I can increase the goal to run back.
Building a habit happens in moments. My moment of running has increased from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. I am not where I want to be, but I am making progress. Those moments of progress will eventually get me to my goal if I keep focusing on them.
This blog is part of a #Write31Days series on Focus with prompts by #FMFParty. Write 31 Days is an online writing challenge, where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day. Five Minute Fridays provides prompts and encourages writers to free write for five minutes on the prompt.
Restoring Voice 