Endurance

Slow and steady is the motto for me in sprint triathlon training. This journey started by looking backwards on my life this summer and asking the question, "What do I want to do before I die?"

I know it sounds crazy, but I want to be able to say "I did it!!" about a sprint triathlon. I'm realizing that this process and the actual event will take a lot of endurance as well as specific training. A few times this week I mixed up the workout, running and swimming on the same day or biking and swimming to begin to see what it will be like to do three events in a row. Yesterday's bike ride was a killer! For some reason, I had a hard time (but I did it!) completing the 14 mile bike ride. I've done this ride along the Truckee River a few times before, but for some reason it was tough.

Triathlon is an endurance sport. Building and logging time in these three events is going to be part of the key to finishing well at the actual event. This means increasing the pressure to build endurance. This morning I read in Romans 5:3,4 that pressure, affliction, hardship and suffering actually produce patient and unswerving endurance. This type of fortitude actually develops our character to maturity.
When I looked up the word endurance, here's what I found.

"the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions;lasting quality; duration, PERMANENCE, DURATION."

I am trusting that as I train for Triathlon, these lessons will flow over into other areas of my life as well. Specifically as a believer in Christ there are areas of trusting God with my life and my future that I NEED endurance. Sometimes I get fatigued or stressed in the waiting but God's ability and strength will help me to continue in His promises, to last against the pressures of this world around me.

Ultimately in every area when I stand before God I want to hear him say to me, "Well done my good and faithful servant." I want to run the race of life to win.