Feb 11

FIT:
It was warm today, like full-blown Spring. I went down for a track workout, but I had had too much pre-run white cheddar popcorn (plain would've been fine, but there was lots of sunflower oil in the seasoning), so my chest hurt even as I was going down to the track. I ended up doing a half-BM pyramid, stopping before the 400's and after the 400's. I did 19:48 of sprints/recovery jogs, for a total of 2.75 mi. Just wasn't feeling it today. Sad.

To justify cutting short the sprints, I broke out the agility hurdles and did 10 minutes of a combo of 6-inch and 12-inch hurdles (6 of them, adjustable height). The 15s activities were one-footed hops on the 6ers. 30s for two-footed hops and lateral steps that had either half or all 12ers, as well as 12er two-footed steps. 60s activities were anything involving all 6ers. I did 10 minutes of activities total, and then back in the room, I did about 10 minutes of strength. I guess it worked out in the end.

Cumulative Mileage: 83.4+7.5+2.8 = 93.7

FAITH:
John 2:24-25: "But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man."

Not only does Jesus know us in a "I saw you under the fig tree," way, which was compelling enough for Nathaniel to believe in Chapter 1, but Jesus knew what it was to be man. Nobody had to tell him about how evil man's heart could be, the kinds of suffering man endures, and the temptations. He knows what we're going through because he's been there and triumphed over it all, not that he didn't go through suffering, for who knows the bitter cup more intimately than one who was "scorned by the ones he came to save" (In Christ Alone, Keith Getty & Stuart Townend, 2001), who went from being at the right hand of the Father, worshiped by the heavenly hosts, to being born in a humble, stinky manger? He triumphed over sin and death.

On the other side of the coin, he knows joy - human joy from family, communion with God, interacting with others. But he also knows and wants to give us super-human joy. As C.S. Lewis writes, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased" (Weight of Glory, 1949). Lord, lead me away from the mud pies, the dirt of my heart, and to the beautiful places beyond.

~~~

On another note, earlier this evening I thought, "every day is a struggle for hope and significance" - take that how you will. A little while ago, I thought of the quote from Gladiator: "Brothers… what we do in life… echoes in eternity." Unseen things go on, like in Job. Every struggle you endure, internal or external, is at least noted by God, and if fought well, bringing him glory. There's significance and hope right there.