It's been 2-3 years since I had a regular running schedule, due mostly to the 5 or 6 major commitments in my life that squeeze out other things, but over this summer I've been able to hit the road on a semi regular basis. And guess what! No way a marathon is happening anytime soon; right now I'm looking at 3 miles as the next mark, but it's getting easier!
One thing that has become apparent to me is that I need to set small goals even within the larger goal of going my distance. The first mile or so I do pretty well, especially when I pace myself. But past that first mile, and especially as I turn around to head home, it's necessary to begin taking smaller bites, setting shorter distances. To do that, I look to the top of that hill, then I run to the hanger mailbox, then after I turn the corner I start running from utility pole to utility pole.
Don't be fooled - they are not as close together as they appear, especially after two and a half miles of jogging! But it's getting easier to get from pole to pole, and today I actually felt like my legs, rather than sluggishly plumping along, were into the effort, reaching forward and propelling my still-oversized body toward the front porch and a tall bottle of cool water.
I find that principle to be true in a lot of things that I do, and as I consider the OK Chorale's need and effort to reprogram our default, I'm struck with the importance of setting small goals for singing in the way we need to, with proper placement, vowels, alignment etc. There's a lot to think about, and for us to go the whole song at this point with all that intact is a daunting task.
If we think, however, in terms of creating the ideal sound one phrase at a time, linking the phrases together over the course of a few weeks, then eventually we will be able to run the entire song with great sound, placement and all the other factors that make barbershop singing so great.
And we can ring those chords!
Glory!
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