I live in the Northeast United States, but I am not a fan of the cold and snow. This winter, we have been getting pummeled with snow and extremely bitter cold. Some days in the last month, the wind chill was -20 Fahrenheit. That's wicked cold.
This past week, we had a bit of a warm-up. The temperatures made it into the 40s. This was a welcome event as I just started my new fitness routine. Three days a week, I do a bodyweight routine, and the other three days I slog (slow jog).
I have been on the slogging path before. When the weather started to get really bad, I stopped slogging outside. I tried to slog in my basement, but I wasn't consistent with it either. It felt awkward. This past Tuesday, when the temp hit 40°, I thought, "Great, I'll be able to pick up where I left off, slogging outside."
The issue was that Tuesday was a lifting day, so I did my body weight workout. I stagger workouts on purpose to let my body adjust without overdoing it. On Wednesday, the temperature in the morning was 34°, not great, but certainly doable. I slogged that morning outside, no problem.
Fast forward to today. It was 37°, raining, and not just a drizzle. I checked a couple of times, and it was the same. I have run in cold rain before. The last two times I tried, I ended up soaking wet and freezing. That wasn't happening this time.
I could have just blown off the slogging entirely. But I didn't want to do that again. I've done that with enough workouts. I could have waited until the afternoon when the rain was supposed to break. I wasn't going to take that chance.
So, I laced up my sneakers and decided, since no one was home but me and my niece, I'd do what my cousin Mark had done before and slog in the house! I ran loops through my downstairs for 20 minutes. Then I finished off with a 10-minute walk. Mission accomplished.
There is something to be said for finding a way rather than giving up. I have made a habit of giving up on things before. This time, I didn't want to. I've done enough of that. I am committed to sticking with this new training routine. I need it for my health.
Finding a way to slog despite the weather reminds me of Joshua and Caleb. They were 2 of the 12 spies sent in to survey the threats in the land God had promised the Israelites. Joshua and Caleb were the only 2 of the 12 that did not fear the giants in the land; they were determined to go to war and win.
Determination is how you conquer challenges, especially when following God's will. Taking care of our bodies is the will of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, the determination to do the work, despite obstacles, will yield results. I believe that about my workouts as much as Joshua and Caleb did about taking the land.
It felt good to overcome my first thought just to quit. It's a small win for me and a testament to God for giving me the strength to persevere. With God, nothing is impossible, even me getting in shape. He is helping with my keto diet and now with my workouts. God is amazing.
When was the last time you wanted to quit something? Did you? Why or why not? I'd love to hear your story. Stay tuned for more of mine.
—Daniel