Thoughts Before My First Midnight Run

Tomorrow night is my next race, the Midnight Run.  Yes, I’ll really be running at midnight.  That’ll be something new!  The 5K starts at 11:25 p.m. and ends at 12:10 a.m. so they can start the 10K.  They allot only 45 minutes for the 5K, and I ran 41:48 this morning.  I’ll really be racing the clock this time!  I’ll try to take a nap in the late afternoon and have a little bit of caffeine so I won’t be tired.  I’ve been trying to go to bed early the last month or so and was asleep by 7:00 last night (!) so my late nights are a thing of the past. 

I'd love to see you at the race.  Festivities begin at 9:30 p.m.  My race starts and ends in the Causeway Plaza Shopping Center parking lot in Dunedin.  2602 Bayshore Blvd.  That's at the corner of Bayshore Blvd and Causeway Blvd. 

Now, for two new things.  It has happened.  I put a piece of Dove dark chocolate in my mouth and let it melt and was not transported to my happy place.  It tasted fine, but it didn’t do for me what it used to.  I haven’t had any Dove dark chocolate in a week or two, so it’s not like I’m chocolated out or anything.  I guess God is changing my tastes again.  He did it with Dr Pepper; now I can hardly take more than one drink of Dr Pepper because it’s just too sweet.  Looks like he’s doing it with Dove dark chocolate too.  And you know what?  That’s okay.  God’s in control of my life, including my taste buds, and He can add or take away whatever He wants to.  J

I wrote this June 24, a little more than a week ago:

The scale isn’t moving but clothes are getting looser.  I want the scale to go down AND clothes to get looser.  Why won’t the scale go down? 

Why am I so concerned about a number no one will ever know?  Why not be happier about what people can see?  Why can’t I just be happy about looser clothes? 

People may not know the actual number, but I can report weight loss when the scale goes down.  That’s the reason - so I can have good news to share.  But I already have good news to share, and it’s not about me.  It’s about Jesus, and what He did doesn’t necessarily show in people’s physical bodies.  Many times it does, but that’s not the point.  Jesus paid the penalty for my sin by dying on the cross and then defeated death and hell forever by rising from the dead.  His victory for me was primarily for my spirit, not my body.  If it results in me shedding pounds because I’m not nearly as selfish, greedy, and indulgent as before, then great.  If it doesn’t result in that, am I still thankful and will I keep showing my thankfulness by being obedient even when the results of my obedience aren’t visible?

Day 20 - Friday and Saturday

Up 0.8 pounds from yesterday, down 15.2 pounds from the beginning, and down 91.2 pounds from my heaviest weight.  The gain from yesterday is to be expected since I’ve started eating solid food again.  Your digestive tract can hold 5-7 pounds of food, so a little gain is normal. 

I just did 1.2 miles, walking for 3-4 minutes and jogging for 1-1/2. 

I like the salad I made! 

Saturday

First day off the fast.  I met with my trainer this morning at www.fitnessinfusiononline.com We came up with a weekly schedule for me that incorporates more stretching and strength training than I’ve been doing.  I’ve been running 5 days a week and doing boot camp one day a week.  I’m on my church’s running team and we had a clinic this morning to learn some pre and post run exercises, proper technique, nutrition, etc.  We all went to lunch at Panera afterward and I got You Pick Two.  I ordered a small bowl of Sonoma Chicken Stew and half of a Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich.  I had eaten all the stew and a little more than half the sandwich when I realized I was full.  Boom!  Just like that!  It wasn’t enough to take home for later.  I knew that if I kept it in front of me I’d nibble at it and there was no need to do that.  I got up and threw it away.  Yes, I threw away perfectly good food.  Better to have it go to waste than have it go to waist.  J

Since a few days after I started this fast I’ve known that I wanted BBQ when I was done.  I got it for supper today! 

Mmmmmmmm!!!  I ate half the ribs and less than half of the pulled pork and brisket.  I picked at the roll but it was made from white flour and offered me nothing.  My meal came with 4 mini sides.  Brisket chili - L.  Potato salad - K.  Coleslaw - K.  Mac & cheese - K.  I gave them to my mom and dad.  Oh!  Instead of sweet tea, which I used to say I bled, I got half sweet and half unsweet.  Perfect! 

I love being in control of my taste buds instead of them being in control of me!

One of my purposes for doing this fast was to rein in my flesh.  Praise God!  With His help I'm doing that! 

My flesh is a spoiled brat that needs to be told "NO" more often!

Earlier this evening (after 7) I fixed spinach salad for supper.  Spinach leaves, chicken, and hard-boiled egg.  I had two small bowls of it even though today was one of my half-portion days.  Around 8:45 or 9:00 I started getting hungry and wanting more.  I almost got some, rationalizing that it was salad, and very simple salad at that, not my usual salad with about 10 ingredients.  It was GOOD for me, doncha know?  Then I remembered my guideline of waiting 1-1/2 hours after feeling hunger before eating.  This helps me keep my flesh under control and be sure the hunger I'm feeling is really my body calling for fuel.  So I wrote 10:30 on a piece of paper next to where I'm working.  That's when I'll have some more salad.  It's 10:10 now - 20 minutes to go.  I'm not ravenously counting down the minutes, but I do look at the clock occasionally. 

I hope this encourages you that (1) I still battle with my flesh.  I haven't arrived at perfection. (2)  Flesh CAN be brought into submission.  Galatians 5:16 (NLT) - ¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

10:25 - My eyes see the clock and tell my stomach, "Only 5 more minutes!"  My bratty stomach says, "If I can make her feel exhausted (really, a feeling of complete exhaustion came over me), maybe she'll cut it short by a few minutes!"    HA!  But I'm too smart for them now!  I said 10:30 and 10:30 it shall be! 

10:34  - Been working but getting up now to get a small bowl of salad. 

10:50 - I fixed a bowl of salad.  I measured another one in the set and the bowl holds 16 ounces.  I ate about 2/3 of it,then realized that was plenty.  I'm done.  I'm in charge.  Me and the Holy Spirit in me.  Not my flesh.  Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!  This feels good!  : )