Anybody who knows me, knows I love to run. I’ve tried to get others involved in my love, to no avail. An incident with my wife and a very hot and humid morning inspired this endurance race cartoon.
My timing was horrible! she wanted to try running and I was excited to have her along as a running partner. Unfortunately, the heat index was well above ninety degrees on a hot and humid, July morning. It was not the best day to introduce someone to the love of distance running. We made it! but we have never run together again. And I can’t say I blame her!
Timing and Pacing are Everything
If you want to introduce someone to something you love to do, it’s best to start someone slow and in decent conditions. Otherwise, you are going to make someone feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed, and unmotivated.
Instead, start slow, don’t push, and be encouraging. Here are some tips if you want to introduce kids to running. And here are tips on how to start running. The bottom line is, don’t do what I did! Let the poor person start slow and at their own pace. We all have different fitness levels and goals. Let the person set their own program and don’t expect them to be at our level, especially when starting out.
Hebrews 12:1
This cartoon was also inspired by a verse out of the book of Hebrews:
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Whatever we do, let us run with perseverance. It’s okay to quit something if it isn’t for you or works with your schedule or lifestyle. But there are also many benefits to sticking to something.
I can’t tell you what those things are. But what I can tell you is that the benefits of exercise in some form have been a great help to me. I hope this endurance race cartoon inspires you to find a way to stick to the important things in your life.
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
