I like the effect tempo runs have on my running, but they are torture to me while I’m running them. Yesterday was my third tempo run and for the first time I made my goal of running 3 miles at a tempo pace! Thanks TJ for encouraging me to do this run. I really was dreading it.
About half way through the run I starting feeling tired and my body was saying it had enough. This time I didn’t listen to my body and I pushed through. I kept telling myself that I was in charge of my body and that my body wasn’t in charge of me. It reminded me of something I read in the Bible where Paul says, “…I beat my body and make it my slave…”
I think this year of running has made my body my slave where in the past I was enslaved to my body. Contrary to what my body tells me, I drink a gallon of water a day, I eat less, I run more and I have given up pizza. Okay that last one was a lie. I love pizza. My body wins on that one.
So, although I hate tempo runs, they make my mind stronger then my body.
I guess some people call this being disciplined. I waited 49 years to achieve this. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.
I love running.