That's my schedule and I'm sticking to it!

Guess what guys! I started running...I've been twice so far. And it was suprisingly not too bad.

I think I always secretly wanted to be a runner. I always envied those super fit people who could run for hours and make it look so easy, while I was trying to make it around the field once without stopping to breathe.

So does running twice make me a runner? I'm sure I have terrible form, don't breathe properly, have no clue what I'm doing, can only run for two minutes at a time...and probably look like this...

But I ran, and I have plans to run again...so that makes me a runner (in my own eyes at least)!

Now I just have to become a better runner. That means being able to run a little bit long than just two minutes. So I made myself a plan.

Week 1 Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.
Week 2 Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.
Week 3 Run three mins, walk one min. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.
Week 4 Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times. Do three times a week.
Week 5 Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 6 Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 7 Run 15 mins, walk one min, run 15 mins. Do three times a week.
Week 8 Run 30 mins continuously.

Following this plan, I should be able to run a full 30 minutes by the end of November. I'm going to try to run four days a week, that way if I miss a day (like last night) I can still get in my three days of running. And hopefully, it will make the transition between weeks a teensy bit easier. Just thinking about running for five minutes scares me to death!

I will run outside as much as possible. But when it rains, like its been doing for about three days straight, I will go to the gym, which I hate.

The good thing is I'll be finishing right before Christmas, which means I can combine rewarding myself with Christmas presents. Hmmm, what should I reward myself with? Something to encourage me to keep running.

What do you guys think? Is my plan doable? And what should I reward myself with?

A Day of Turning

I just read something from the Desiring God blog I want to share with you guys.

Here’s the challenge John Piper issues as he closes his chapter on prayer (chapter 6) in Desiring God:

[O]ne of the main reasons so many of God’s children don’t have a significant life of prayer is not so much that we don’t want to, but that we don’t plan to. If you want to take a four-week vacation, you don’t just get up one summer morning and say, “Hey, let’s go today!” You won’t have anything ready. You won’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned.

But that is how many of us treat prayer. We get up day after day and realize that significant times of prayer should be a part of our life, but nothing’s ever ready. We don’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned. No time. No place. No procedure. And we all know that the opposite of planning is not a wonderful flow of deep, spontaneous experiences in prayer. The opposite of planning is the rut. If you don’t plan a vacation, you will probably stay home and watch TV. The natural, unplanned flow of spiritual life sinks to the lowest ebb of vitality. There is a race to be run and a fight to be fought. If you want renewal in your life of prayer, you must plan to see it.

Therefore, my simple exhortation is this: Let us take time this very day to rethink our priorities and how prayer fits in. Make some new resolve. Try some new venture with God. Set a time. Set a place. Choose a portion of Scripture to guide you. Don’t be tyrannized by the press of busy days. We all need midcourse corrections. Make this a day of turning to prayer—for the glory of God and for the fullness of your joy. (Desiring God, 2003 edition, pages 182–183)

Wow...you can't get where you want to go without a plan. I definitely want a significant prayer life! Like I said yesterday, my goal for the next year is to get fit, spiritually and physically. And so I need a plan...

I'm going to spend the weekend thinking about it and let you guys know my plan next week.

P.S. My birthday update is coming soon too!