Today marks the final day of my participation in a 28-day February fitness challenge.

The challenge—put on by my friend Jen–was to devote time every day to the practice of physical, faith, and dietary fitness. Participants could choose one, two, or all of these areas to work on.

I chose to work on my physical and faith fitness, as my dietary fitness is in no need of improvement.

OK, just kidding. While I do a pretty good job of eating my fruits and vegetables, I am sure that there is plenty of room for improvement with my diet.

Maybe next time I’ll focus more on my diet. This time I decided that tracking my daily faith and physical fitness practices was enough.

Some of the things that I learned/was reminded of in the process are:

*The value of doing a faith and/or fitness practice in community.

 I first met Jen through a local running club. Her friendship has been a huge help in growing both my faith and running fitness.

*The value of having a workout partner.

On my morning and nightly walks, I am lucky to be joined by my buddy Caleb the corgi.

Not only does Caleb get me out the door for a walk every morning and evening, he provides me with great company and oftentimes entertainment while doing so.

 *The value of regular Bible reading.

 The more deeply ingrained God’s word becomes in me, the more readily available it is to help get me through the day.

I have found that inspirational Bible verses have a way of coming to the rescue just when we need them, much like the “wind” we develop through regular aerobic exercise comes to the rescue when the going gets tough during a run.

*The value of getting out for exercise in all kinds of weather.

During this February challenge, I ran and walked through snow, ice, and 20-below-zero freezing cold conditions.

I am convinced that braving the elements like this helps build both physical and mental fitness. Pushing through nasty weather in our physical training builds grit and fitness that empowers us to better push through tough circumstances in our everyday life.

Thank you, Jen, for inviting me to be a part of the February fitness challenge. It was a nice extra motivator to keep me moving during a time of year when cabin fever can easily set in.

Now it’s on to spring!