The why behind being strong

After posting my last post, and spending another two weeks continuing to struggle with consistency and mental toughness in workouts, I find myself with the serious question of why I want to work so hard and be so strong...because frankly, it would be far easier and far less frustrating to opt to sit on the couch every night of the week than convincing my body to try hard things with the soreness and sweating that accompany it. What exactly is my motivation? Especially when it comes to racing and endurance sports. Some days I seem to come up against a pity party so strong and so illogical, that it almost makes me want to give up. After all, I have lots of friends who never work out, and they have so much free time to do, well, anything else. Whine, complain, boo hoo...enough. Let's get the facts straight right now in order to refocus energy in a useful direction. 

1. I really actually, truly do want to be healthy in every way. 

We only get one body and one life. And although some may be able to get by just fine (or perhaps convince themselves they're fine) without a day of working out in their lives, I can't. I want to live to a ripe old age and not end up in a state of decrepitude at any point on my way there. I want to be mentally sharp and physically able all the days of my life. If I really want that, I have to work hard for it. 

2. I need the space and time.

If given the opportunity, I think I would work myself to death. I would sit at my computer for hours, endlessly plugging away at all there may be to do. And when I run out of things to do, I make more things to do. Physically working hard, as counter intuitive as it may sound, gives me space in my life to do something else, something that is fulfilling and good and good for me. Workouts give me time to wrestle, think, pray, fight, laugh... I need these things in my life to keep me sane and happy. Some days workouts are hard. Some days they don't feel like an increase of time or space, but more like a constriction of both. But I have never once come to the end of a workout and looked back at it with regret. Not once. 

3. It's mine. It's God's.

Sometimes I think that I need something that is just for me. Just mine. I used to think that running was that thing. But then I discovered that run time and prayer time together. And suddenly, this workout thing wasn't mine at all. It was clearly God's. It was God's gift to me, a multipurpose time designed for me and Him to spend some time together and for me to get stronger, get this, for His glory. Though it can be hard to remember in the tougher, more frustrating workouts, every time I spend time working out and praying, dwelling on scripture, or even just clearing some of the frustration from the day, I am honoring the gifts God has given me, the gifts of my body, my strength, my joy. This is, perhaps the most motivating thing I need to remember. I work hard for me AND God.

Sometimes I just need a good solid press of a reset button. Today's workout reminded me that I needed to seek out the why of choosing to be strong and work hard. No more pity parties, just good hard work from here on out.