Day 13 ~ The next level

Distance: 3.28 miles

Time: 52:41

Pace: 16'01"

Calories 420

I meandered down Mom and Dad's driveway on my way home this morning, paused my workout and visited for a bit, un-paused the workout and headed home. Doing so gave me a little more distance, a few more calories burned and I got to drink a glass of the best iced-tea in Arkansas.

Every workout day, I log in my data to Nike+ .com...I'm not sure why this is necessary because I still haven't figured out how to post my stats to facebook or here or anything, but it does keep me motivated as my miles walked keep moving up and up. I'm also very excited to announce that I need only 8.1 more miles logged in to move to the next level. I have no idea what the next level is, but I'm pretty excited about it.

The next level, what about that? I did a bible study (well, I started a bible study and didn't finish) this past spring called Stepping Up. It was a journey through the Psalms of the ascent ~ Psalm 120 - 134. These were written as songs to be sung by the children of Israel as they journeyed three times a year to Jerusalem and ascended to the top of Mount Zion where they would hold a feast before the Lord. The overall theme of the study was about our own pilgrimage as we journey through our lives here on earth and these psalms were applied to give encouragement to "step up" or move on to the next level with God. I dug my workbook back out and plan to start over again since this is so fitting to what I am trying to accomplish.

As far as the next level in my physical fitness journey, there is coming a point where I will have to begin strength training as well as cardio. My body is responding well to walking even though my knees are a bit angry right now. I've even had to start re-training myself to sit differently. I have a habit, always have, of tucking my right leg underneath me and sitting on it. Age and time have taken their toll and now, when I stand up from this awkward position, my legs revolt and I suddenly feel like a decrepit old woman. I don't want to be a decrepit old woman. So, along with all the walking, I will have to begin strengthening my muscles again. This scares me a little because I know the pain that will accompany it. But, as they say, no pain - no gain. I really hate that saying. I've planned on beginning on day 20 which is next Monday. That gives me a week. A week to plan, to prepare and to pray.

I look forward, even if it is with hesitance, to the next level. Sometimes I feel so uncertain about where God is leading me but I trust Him enough to simply close my eyes, hold out my hand and let Him drag me. Then, when I look back on the journey, I'll know it was not of my own doing, but His.