ITBS & Spiritual Disciplines

I've recently noticed the development of Iliotibilal Band Syndrome (ITBS).  The tell-tale signs of pain on the outside of my right knee have appeared once again after being pain free for several years.  The cause?  Common to runners, ITBS can be caused in a variety of ways... pregnancy, aging, pronation, road camber, worn running shoes, and muscle imbalance. (For more info on ITBS, see http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=3528)


Having ruled out pregnancy, pronation, road camber and worn running shoes, that leaves me with two probable causes: aging and muscle imbalance.  While I can't doing anything to stop the advancing years (though recent studies have confirmed that running & coffee drinking will add years to your life), I'm left with working on muscle imbalance.

During my recent marathon training regimen I focused only on running.  I did little to no cross training, especially anything to strengthen my hip abductors.  This little flare up served to remind me of the importance of cross training.  So this week I hit the gym once again to add in some long neglected weight training and stretching to help strengthen and stabilize my deteriorating body.  What I'm learning, albeit a little too slowly at times, is that cross training is not optional when it comes to one's physical well-being. 

The same is true for a person's spiritual well-being.  God has given us a variety of spiritual exercises that are essential to our growth and success in the Christian life.  These include worship, Bible reading, prayer and service to others (just a name a few). 

I'm not sure if there is a spiritual equivalent of ITBS, but focusing on one or two of your favorite "exercises" will hamper your spiritual health.  We need to make sure to develop a well-rounded regimen.  I'd recommend the following book by Donald Whitney for anyone wanting to learn more about these disciplines.

While there are definite advantages to tending to one's physical health, I'm reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 

Let's keep our balance as we continue to run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

Live to Run Another Day

Training for marathon

Part of my recent trip to Chicago included running the the Chicagoland Spring Marathon in Schaumburg.  This year I decided I would run as part of Team Samaritan's Purse to raise funds for their Clean Water projects.

I trained throughout the winter in Western New York.  While a relatively mild winter, nothing prepared me for the 90 degree temps of race day.

One of my favorite Bible verses as a runner is Hebrews 12:1, "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  On this particular day, a few more verses came to mind...

"My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer" (Psalm 32:4) and "There is a way that appears right but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25).

By mile 12, my strength was waning and I was starting to feel the effects of the heat.  I don't know that I would have died had I continued, but I knew I would have been in trouble!

After the 1/2 Marathon

Another of my favorite quotes is, "The better part of valor is discretion."  (Shakespeare, Henry the Fourth)   So in a rare moment of wisdom and ever-decreasing lucidity, I decided to stop at 13.1 miles.

This day the race marked out for me wasn't the 26.2 miles I hoped to finish.  Life is like that at times.  Rarely do things go exactly as planned, at least by us!  But like a marathon (or in this case, a half marathon), we're in it for the long haul.  There will be other days to run.



BTW... together with those who pledged their support, we raised over $1000 for Samaritan Purse's Clean Water projects.  And that's worth so much more than finishing another marathon or an avoidable trip to the ER.

Keep running the race!

I've been attending the reFOCUS Pastors' Conference in Chicago this week.  One of the seminars I attended was on blogging.  So... here's my start to get things rolling.  I'll be working on improving the look of the blog over the next few weeks.  I plan to use my blog to share things I'm thinking about, things I find interesting, and things God is doing in my life, my family and my church. 

Feel free to offer your insights & suggestions.  Really!