Success?

I successfully completed my duathlon on Saturday. My goal time was 1:45.00. I finished the duathlon in 1:42.08. Everything went so well. I thought I was near death at the end because it was very hot (about 94 degrees when we finished), but I most certainly did not die.

After completing this duathlon and feeling successful, I got to thinking: what is success? Is success finishing something you started? Is success making others happy? Is success having a lot of money and a lot of friends? I feel like in this day and age people define success in the wrong way.

According to dictionary.com success is defined in this way: 1. The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

2. The attainment of popularity or profit.

This is how the world views success. I would agree in some ways that success is accomplishing an aim or purpose that you have set for yourself. I will consider myself successful if I live my life to the fullest, with no regrets and not holding back. Through doing this, I will strive to serve the Lord and love Him with all of my heart, mind, and soul and to love my neighbor as myself.

I am happy to say that I successfully completed this duathlon and am slowly getting back into running and learning how to love the gifts and abilities God has given me.

Duathlon

I am currently sitting in Florida right now and couldn't be happier :) I love it here, and I love spending time with my brothers. As I look ahead to this weekend, I am SO excited for the duathlon. Ben, Tim, and I all registered and are doing a duathlon together in St. Augustine on Sunday. It is a 5k run, 20k bike, 5k run.

I am honestly scared out of my mind for it. Tim and Ben are both in much better shape than me and more used to the weather down here. I had a terrible training run yesterday morning. I am taking today off to try and recover so I can come back strong tomorrow.

As I train for this duathlon (and for soccer this fall) I am constantly reminded how mental running can be. If I go into a run unsure of how I will perform or how it will turn out, I normally don't run as well. However, if I go in and have a positive attitude and keep telling myself, "nothing less than my best" I am generally much more satisfied with my results.

I love running and would love to continue to get into it more. I don't want to lose it this soccer season either. My goal is to get my 5k time to under 22 minutes. This will take a lot of motivation, determination, and commitment, but I believe it can happen.

This duathlon is my start to running more and I cannot wait for it. For the anticipation of the start. The nerves as I begin the first 5k. The speed I can go while being on a bike. The sweat I will feel through it all. The pain during the last 5k. And the joy when crossing the finish line.

I.Can't.Wait.

summertime :)

As I sit and think about the summer I have in front of me, I am very excited about what God has in store.

One of my main focuses this summer is to get in shape and prepare for this coming soccer season. Not only do I need to prepare physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. Ever since surgery on my right ankle, I have been pushing myself to my limits. I have never enjoyed the pain and joy that running brings as much as I do now.

I keep asking myself why? Why do I enjoy running SO much more now than I did before surgery? I think I have two answers. 1) my right ankle is not in any pain anymore, like it was before surgery 2) after having running taken away from me for 3 months, I have never been more thankful and appreciative of God giving me the ability to run - I don't want this gift he has given me to go to waste. Now, I know I am not a phenomenal runner by any means, but the ability to run in and of itself is a gift form God.

Move in day for Cornerstone is August 7 this year. This will quickly approach. My goal is to enter preseason more in shape than I ever have before. I am not sure why I have so much drive this year compared to the previous years (you would think I would have been scared enough my freshmen year to work my butt off, but I wasn't). I have the opportunity this fall to step up my game and I do not want this opportunity to pass by without me taking it.

Other than training for soccer, I am going to Florida for a week this summer to hang out with my brothers. We are all doing a duathlon together when I am down there which I am thrilled for (and a little nervous). I have multiple weddings to attend, a week of VBS of which I am leading games for, and a week of camping up at Young State Park with my WHOLE family (Ben and Anna, Daryl, Sara, Samuel, Hope, and Aliyah, Tim, my parents, and I). I. Cannot. Wait. It is rare that we get the whole family together and oh so much fun when it does happen.

I would like to be able to find time for friends and beach days and all that excitement, which I am sure I will. This summer will be fabulous :)