I have written many times about consistency in the past, but I thought I would have another go and maybe convince someone who is ready to give up to keep on going. I often hear of people who gave running a try but had to stop because of their knees or their back or whatever. While I recognize that some people really should not be running because of a persistent medical problem, I also think many give up far too soon. Usually, I think it is because they are afraid of doing permanent damage, but in most cases, that simply isn’t the truth.

Take, for instance, knee problems. Everyone who runs develops these from time to time. In the past, I used to have problems with my knees more often, but if I had given up then, I would have missed so much. I assumed that it is a problem like any other that has to be solved and, sure enough, with SMR (self-massage, to make it easy), stretching, strength exercises, rest, or physiotherapy, the pain went away.

I am currently in the middle of an extended problem with my piriformis—or a pain in the butt, if you will. Every Friday at soccer I hurt it again, so I think I will stay away from the pitch for a bit. I’ve had to become a student of my own body to get through it. I got my tennis ball back into action to sit on, I do my stretching, and I keep running. I also looked into the chemistry of it all, researching deficiencies that may cause it. I started supplementing Vitamin D and found recipes to enhance my intake of potassium, magnesium, and iron. Running can deplete these minerals through sweat, and iron can even be depleted by “foot-strike hemolysis” (the high-impact destruction of red blood cells). I even replaced my shoes with ones that offer more support.

What I am trying to say is that we should look for solutions and not assume too quickly that a problem cannot be overcome. The benefits of running are so great that we should fight for our ability to do it. I think we could extend this to other areas of our lives as well, and most importantly, to our spirituality.

If we cannot overcome a particular sin in our lives, are we giving up and just letting it be? As with an injury, this will hold us back in our relationship with God. We know that God is there to help us, but we are the ones who have to apply the “rehab.” We have to resist. In Hebrews 12:4 it says, “…you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin.” Just as I wouldn’t let a sore muscle stop me from the joy of the trail, we shouldn’t let a recurring struggle stop our walk with God. We have to be willing to put in the work to “put to death the misdeeds of the body.” This is a struggle of life and death.