Biking in the Heat

I've been pretty faithful about keeping up with my biking and swimming schedule though I haven't been logging my training. But I am feeling lots stronger and that feels really great!

Today was probably my toughest day on my bike route due to the heat. I actually had to use part of my water bottle on my head. I poured it right on my helmit and it went right through the air holes onto my head and boy did it feel awesome!

I recently looked up my race results from the last time I did this particular triathlon that I will be doing again in a couple of weeks. I now have a specific time to shoot for during the 18 mile bike ride as we'll as a goal swim time. I'm really looking forward to this triathlon!

I am reminded that the Lord would have me either "hot or cold," not "lukewarm" in my love and devotion to Him! So, I want to be seeking the Lord with all that is within me for that is sure to bring an intensity of heat to my soul. The saying of "being on fire for the Lord" is what I want for my life. Compromise in Christianity it seems is becoming more and more prevalent and so I need to train my soul not to give in to it. There's too many Christians being overcome by compromise. For the sake of my Jesus, I don't want to be one of them. I am so thankful for good friends in Christ that are not only godly examples but who also hold you accountable to stay on the straight and narrow!  Friends like these help you stay on fire for Jesus!  So bring on the spiritual heat, Lord; bring godly friends my way, and by Your grace I will continue to walk in Your Ways!

Logging Update and Thoughts on Prayer

So far I'm pretty pleased with the hours I'm getting in to prepare for the August triathlon. To quickly update I swam 1800 yards yesterday, equivalent to about 1 mile. I even snuck in two lengths of butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke. On 7/5 and 7/6 I was able to ride my bike for 50 minutes each time. I'm feeling more comfortable on both the bike and in the water after being on the side lines for sometime. Last week I swam 1800 yards on 6/29 and 7/1. I rode my bike on 6/30 for 50 minutes.

After all the July 4th feasting and celebrating I am now trying to be more selective about my diet. We're going to try to stay off sugar as well as try to drink more water.

As I begin to feel more comfortable with physical exercise again, I'm going to try to discipline myself to use my mind to pray as I swim or ride. I recently read some great stuff about prayer by Charles Haddon Spurgeon in His Morning and Evening devotional book, one of my faves! He writes:

It is interesting to remark how large a portion of the Scriptures is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it. So deep are our needs that we must not cease to pray until we are in heaven. A prayerless soul is a Christless soul.

Since we must not cease to pray, I might as well redeem my time and pray while I swim and while I bike! It's actually nice to let the mind have a break. To just think on nothing. It's so easy to do that. It takes much more effort to concentrate on prayer. But I want to try to get my mind to the place where my swimming and my biking can be another place I can call a sanctuary. Then its doubly beneficial! Good for the body and good for the soul!