My daughter-in-law and I ran the Music City marathon twice. (Not on the same day 😊). We ran hundreds of miles literally to prepare, but I was surprised at how long it took to recover from running 26.2 miles. I was talking to someone about that recently, and they said, “You need to strengthen your core.” Now, first of all, I didn’t know I had a core. And secondly, if I do, I am pretty sure I don’t run on it. So, what does “strengthening my core” have to do with being able to run long distances?

Well, come to find out, we all have a core. It is just the trunk of the body, abdomen (believe me, I’ve got one of those), chest, and the torso. While our legs may be fit and ready to run, long distances put a strain on the whole system, and having a good, fit body is crucial to keep the legs pumping and the mind positive.

The same thing is true emotionally. We can have a pretty positive attitude, visit our therapist regularly (hint, hint), and stay connected to our people, but still be flabby in the core of our emotional being and fall short in our desire to flourish. Here are three great emotional core exercises.

• It is more than a therapeutic gimmick or a pop-psychology catch phrase. Learning to stay aware of my senses, my system, and my feelings is a great practice to keep me strong emotionally.
• Practice a few times each day, 10-15 minutes of dedicated focus. Pick up a project, or a book, turn off the phone and the TV, and focus on the thing at hand. No multi-tasking. No To Do list on the side. Train your brain to shut everything else off and focus for 15 minutes at a time.
• Nothing builds an emotional six-pack more than practicing gratitude. Lay aside the frustrations and the disappointments. Let go of the hurts and the rejections. And be thankful for the people that love you, the opportunities you have, even the breath you breathe.

After a lap or two around the rat race, these key core building habits will help you recover quickly.

One more place we need core work, spiritually. We can love Jesus. We can know scripture and be a witnessing machine, but to run the long race we need a strong core. The ancient ones called it being “centered.” It is about having exercised the heart and gut, the soul of us, in such a way that when the miles get long and the way rough, the spiritual core is in good shape and keeps us moving forward.

So how do I strengthen my SPIRITUAL core? Three things stand out to me: silence, simplicity, and humility.

• I get remarkably stronger when I learn to keep still before the Lord. A quiet time each morning that really is a quiet time prepares me for the run ahead. I pray. I read. I even sing. But my best work comes when I discipline myself to just wait, quietly in God’s presence.
• Man, I can complicate things really fast, even my walk with God. I’ve got books to read, Bible studies to do, CD’s to listen to. I am in a small group and a big ministry. I am working on the inner man and the outward life. What I really need to do is just simplify. God and me, His grace, my dependence, that’s about all I can handle, and that’s enough.
• This leads to the last core exercise, Humility. When I accept that I don’t have all of the answers, I don’t have everything figured out, God begins to strengthen me for the test ahead. So when the storm comes, I don’t have to know what the plan is. I just trust the planner.

I’m pretty sure that if you practice these core exercises, you will find yourself surprisingly ready to run the race He has set before us. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2