pushing through

Lacrosse Conditioning ended.

Whew!

Every school day in January for a couple hours.

They worked us HARD!!
But it's good.

It's helped me a ton.

Not just physically, 

but mentally 

and emotionally.

First they give us the challenge.

Your eye sockets kinda fall out of your head for a second 

just thinking about how many you have to do.

But a spirit of optimism kicks in,

and you try to fake confidence 

as you wrap your head around the crazy obstacle.

It starts off not too bad,

but quickly you realize how much farther you have to go.

And you keep pushing through

as fatigue kicks in.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going. 

Don't think about the numbers.

Just do it.

And then you get to this point 

where the tension and pain and rapid heart rate 

is just too much.

You can't do it.

There's no way.

GIVE UP.

GIVE UP.

GIVE UP.

GIVE UP. 

GIVE UP.

your body cries in pain.

And your mind quickly agrees.

Every muscles is longing for just a minute

-just a second-

of release.
To walk.

To give up.
It's all too much.

There's not a chance in the world 

that  y o u  can do it.

You're not an athlete.

Stop trying.

You've done good enough.

This just wasn't made for you. 

 And I believe it.
Why shouldn't I?
I'm not an athlete.
Never have been,
but I want to be.
 I'm just not cut out for this.

Just stop running.

[And...

It's usually about this time 

when my medallion flings up from around my neck

and hits me in the face.

Just enough to remind me.]

And my racing heart 

gasping for air

whispers

Hey, you can do it.

You know you who are.

You know who you can turn to for help.

And so,

I trust it.

I trust Him.

And I talk to Him

to distract my sore muscles

and I tell my aching legs to keep going.

And the intensity grows

 and grows and grows and grows and grows and grows...

The Lord is my strength,
The Lord is my shield.

The Lord is my strength,

The Lord is my shield. 

I tend to repeat to myself over and over again.

Keep going.
Keep going.
Keep going.
Keep going.

Last lap.

The finish line is not too far out of sight.

My pace quickens,

and the adrenaline is thriving.

He's helping me.
There's a new surge of strength,
and the goal isn't too far out of sight.

GO
GO 
GO
GO 
GO
GO
GO!!!!

And soon the world around me is only vibrations.
The track becomes a blur,

And I am a bullet.

Unstoppable.


.Haily.