My 10K and Wylie's Lane

I guess it's fair to say I enjoy sport metaphors.

I have been training to run my first 10k this Sunday (before church!) In preparation, I have been running distances averaging 4 miles or so 4 days out of 7 the last four weeks.

Yesterday, in spite of a poor night's sleep, I decided to run a full 6.6 miles. I thought about the course on the way to the boys' school, I mentally rehearsed the run in my mind and imagined myself finishing the run in good stride and at my goal pace.

No surprise, the run happened as I "saw it". This was incredibly empowering and makes me really look forward to the actual race on Sunday!

Later that night at swim practice, Wylie's coach comes up to me and says "Guess who was leading the lane tonight?"

Now, Wylie has been swimming for three years..essentially doing his own thing without bothering other swimmers. His coach loves him and the team, to its credit, accepts him as he is. In this time, however, Wylie has never led the lane. Until Monday night.

We were getting ready for practice this afternoon and I casually said to Wylie: "You going to lead your lane again?" And, he didn't reply--that I heard. But, as I watched in awe, there he was again leading.

What clicked?

I asked him after he got out of the pool this evening. You know what he said?

"You said I could lead again".

Let that one marinate for a while.

Our words and thoughts are truly containers for power. We can run a strong 6.6 miles and we can swim our bodies faster than we ever have before--simply because we think and imagine we can.

Who knows what else Wylie, and I, and you can do???