Comparisons

Over the past few months, fitness has become more of a priority in my life, which is why I've written about it so often. I just signed up for an entire YEAR of fitness boot camp; while I'm excited to be saving a significant amount of money versus the month-to-month option that I'd been doing, I'm also a bit apprehensive about committing to it for a full year. Especially when I think about the prospect of dragging myself out of bed when it's not only dark outside but also freezing cold. I have a feeling that pre-paying for camp will motivate me to get my booty moving on those icy pre-dawn mornings.

It's funny how there are some days when I'm working out (either at boot camp or with my co-workers or on my own) and I feel great and have tons of energy, while there are some other days when I'm just sucking wind. This morning I was really struggling at boot camp (not surprising given that some of our exercises included burpees, mountain climbers and suicides). Tonight my co-workers and I worked out to a Jillian Michaels DVD which last week really kicked my butt, but I'm proud to say that tonight it was not so bad. I even had enough energy left when I got home to take my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Go figure.

One of the most difficult challenges for me is to not compare my performance to anyone else's. There are a lot of people at boot camp who have been running and working out for years and who are in far better shape than I am. I'll be honest, when we're running around the park (as we did today) it's sometimes tough to not beat myself up mentally for not being as fast as they are.

I'm trying to focus on the fact that I've cut my mile time by more than a minute since I first came to boot camp three months ago. I can do more push-ups and sit-ups than I used to. I'm seeing more muscle definition. The only comparison that I really need to make is between the Me that was a few months ago and the Me that I am today.

Likewise, it's sometimes hard to keep from beating myself up over sins that I commit, particularly in the areas that I consider to be my stumbling blocks. And it's all too easy to look at someone else and assume (wrongly, of course) that they have their act all together and that they can't possibly struggle with sin to the extent that I do. I really need to focus on doing the best that I can, and to let God's Spirit work within me to transform me into the woman He wants me to be.

One final thought--I saw this today and loved the message:

It's not about how fast or how slow I'm going--what's important is that I'm running. I'm in the race. And whether it's 21.3 miles or .21, it's still farther than never getting into the race at all. (Can you see how this applies to more than just running here? :) )