“Are you a runner?” she asked, as we lined up at the
starting line.It’s a question I’ve been
asking myself ever since starting the Couch to 5K training program in
July.I began running to increase the
intensity of my exercise, improve my health, and lose a few stubborn
pounds.Every run had been a mental
struggle to begin and complete.Sending
in the race application for the 5K had merely been a tactic to provide
motivation to continue running once I finished the last week of C25K.I definitely didn’t feel like a runner, and
even joked that I had yet to experience the “runner’s high.”Now here I was, ready to begin my first
official 5K run.Six months ago I could
never have imagined this.Am I a
runner?“No, not really,” I
replied.
“Well, you look like a runner,” she countered.I had invested in a pair of running shoes a
few years ago, and definitely gotten more than the suggested 300 miles wear out
of them.My gym clothes had been dug out
of the bottom dresser drawer, and I had bib number 422 pinned to them.I had warmed up and stretched, learning early
on that my calf muscles didn’t complain so much if I did.So, maybe I did look the part.If I had been spotted in the airport a few
weeks ago reading a copy of Runner’s
World, one would certainly have thought I was a runner.
“Well, we’ll see,” I
smiled.Recently I had asked a long-time
marathon runner at what point does one become
a runner.His response was when the gun
goes off and you take the first step.But in my heart I knew it had to be more than that.I can start, but can I finish?
Half-way through the run, my mind is racing faster than my
feet.The spiritual lessons I had learned
over the past few months of training replayed in my thoughts.The discipline of running provides a
beautiful analogy for the life of faith.Paul used the metaphor of running and racing numerous times:Do you
not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1
Corinthians 9:24); I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race (2
Timothy 4:7).The context is often
about finishing well.
My legs are getting tired, and I wonder how smart it was to
use the 1-mile fun run as a warm-up.The
air is cool, and my throat burns from the dry air I gasp in.I want to stop at the water table, but know
that I’d never start back running again.Two sloppy swallows while running will have to do.A couple of runners pass me, and I question
whether I will be able to make it to the end.I am physically spent and mentally battling defeat as I face each new hill
of the course.Oh, Lord, please help me finish! I pray.
Instantly, He whispered Isaiah 40:31, But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they
will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. How often I have meditated on those words
while running, focusing on the outcome.Fresh
strength.Soaring.Running and not growing weary.But the operative word is wait.There’s an element of expectation and anticipation rather than overwhelm.Of continuing rather than giving up.Of focus instead of distraction.My eyes catch the runner in front of me, and
I set my pace to match his.As I approached
another hill, I trained my eyes to the horizon.If I am to complete the race, if I am to finish well, I must remind
myself constantly of my goal and not let the mid-run doubts distract me.
And then it hits me—that’s what it takes to be a runner, both in a 5K and in the
Christian walk.It’s about attitude and
dedication and mental discipline.About
knowing my limits and then exceeding them, convincing myself that I can do this in God’s strength, and pushing
myself to keep running when I really feel like quitting.Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). Finishing the race is impossible without this
mid-run mental victory.
As I round the last bend and see the finish line ahead, I
pick up my pace in a spurt of renewed energy.“Way to kick it in,” someone cheers.Amazed, I note my finish time. 28:50—two-and-a-half minutes quicker than my best practice run so far.But inside I’ve achieved something else.
I’m a runner.
Coaching Questions:
Take a moment to pause, reflect, and embrace
what you have learned about mid-run mental victories this week.
1. What has been your experience with “mid-run”
challenges in the “race” you are running?
2. What is your internal dialogue associated
with these challenges and the goals you are striving to achieve?
3. What scripture verses come to mind that
would bring your courage?
4. How might you be able to apply these
thoughts to finishing your race?
“Are you a runner?” she asked, as we lined up at the
starting line.
Subscribe to this comment's feed