Hey Blog - after all these months there is probably no one reading this anymore. No problem. Since most of my posts last year dealt with God's blessing on the best tri season I've ever had and all that I learned along the way, I thought I pick up there with a little update.
I had planned on building on last year's season, racing faster and doing even better this year. From Oct. - Dec. I had the VO2max test done to dial in my HR training zones, and did a few other things to get ready to start serious training for this year. When that time came, I felt a strange emptiness. Like I was training alone. Though God never leaves His children, it almost felt that way after a year of sensing His presence in almost every workout and race. It was strange.
I had planned on racing once a month and then racing with Team USA again at the World Championships in June and the Nationals in Sept. to qualify for Worlds '09 in Australia. I had my goals, my plans, etc. But...something was wrong. I began to wonder if God didn't want me to focus this year like I did last year. I got a phone call telling me that one of the major ministries I work with was having their annual reporting/fund raising banquet on Sept. 20th - the very day of Nationals so, out the window that went, along with a chance to qualify for Worlds in Australia.
As I tried to find the drive and desire I had last season...it just wasn't there. I really began to wrestle with God about this. (NOT a good idea to wrestle with God - He always wins!) Dec. 31st, middle of the night - so, actually Jan. 1st - I woke up at 3am...wrestling...Why might He not want me to go for it again this year?
No knowing for sure, but still knowing, I gave it up. The whole season. If he didn't want to race at all, I wouldn't. A peace came over my heart. Yes, I was really disappointed. Yes, it took me time to get over it. But, peace with God is worth anything. It's my highest value in life.
God did give me the peace to do some small local races and to train some. My swim and run are way behind where I was last year. My bike however is faster than last year. Credit that to another year of base training I guess. I'm 5 min. faster in my 40 time trial course out at Lake Pleasant than I was last year, when, I was riding faster than I had in my life.
As we headed into January, then Feb. and March it became clear to me. My schedule was so massively full, pastoring All Nations Church Phoenix, and, planting All Nations Church Omaha, plus speaking opportunities and a bunch of other stuff...well...it would have been crazy to think I could have trained like I did the year before.
So, I'm having fun this year. No pressure to low pressure races. Not quite the results of last year but still doing OK. I was the Senior Olympics State Champ in the cycling 5K time trials (that's embarrassing to say..."Sr. Olympics" ouch) and second in the 10K. God is good.
Will try to put a post up on this more regularly just in case anyone comes to my blog by mistake.
Blessings!
Linc
