Putting things in perspective

I've been training hard all summer, at altitude, up and down the mountains of Asheville. Some training days I will wonder (silently, of course) whether I should take an easier route and avoid the hills. Oh, that treadmill sure looks nice and flat....but something deep inside of me - I think it's my internal, built-in accountability partner - challenges my complacency and reminds me of the code I live by and the benefits gained by taking the harder route. And it's a good thing! Saturday I ran the Wofford GO PINK 5K in flat Spartanburg, SC. I was there visiting our oldest daughter, Emily, who runs XC for the Terriers. With my best races this summer in the mid 18's, I surprised myself with a 17:26 and a 4th place overall finish. This was a PR for me as a Master (40+). What I found through this result was perspective - A week ago, I ran a 20:58 5K on a nasty, hilly, muddy, wet, XC course in Asheville and finished....3rd. It's all relative - different course, different conditions, different expectations regarding time. Both efforts were the best that I could do that day, but one was a PR and the other was the worst time I have ever had for a 5K - the opposite of a PR (I guess that would make it a PW!). Sometimes in life we need to step back and put life in perspective - provided we are giving our best, putting it all out there and not holding anything back, not sacrificing any bit of "the gift", we should stand with our heads held high and thank the One who made our effort possible instead of complaining about the terrain, the conditions, the temperature, the shoes, the competition....trust that I could go on because at one time or another, I've used them all as excuses for a poor effort. At the end of the day, we own the preparation, we own the race day effort, and we own our attitude post-race. It's a great reminder to step back, put things in perspective and remember how far we have come; that we should be thankful for the opportunities we are afforded in this life. Let's be less focused on life's course and more focused on life's blessings! BELIEVE.....PHIL 4:13