When
I trained to participate in this first marathon, I didn't think about
the twelve weeks of tiered training or the multiple +15-mile progressive
runs I would have to take. I took the trainings one at a time and I
approached each mile of the marathon in the same fashion. It still amazes
me how much ground you can cover when you simply live in the here and
now.
The
human body isn't meant to complete such a distance... or so I thought.
In the 1980s I used to run quite a bit and the media was flooded
with articles of how distance running was detrimental to the human body
(i.e. impact on the knees, ankles, joints., etc.). Low-impact aerobics
and in-line skating came on the national scene, many of us got busy
and running took to the sidelines. Now research continues to prove that
the human body, as a biomechanical machine, has the ability to rebuild
itself and sustain itself over long distances. In Life, we often think
that we're not meant to "stay in it for the long haul." In
other words, there is always going to be some sort of irritation, pain
and sorrow in Life's travels, but we were built to sustain ourselves
through it. As author Max Lucado states, when he writes of our sometimes
uncomfortable Life journey, "...This language we speak, it's not
ours. This body we wear, it isn't us. And the world we live in, it isn't
home." Life's race lies ahead for each of us and rest assured we
can complete just such a distance.
Running
a marathon is a personal accomplishment... or so I thought.
This statement would seem true as there is no one else who is
going to run the distance for you. It's all up to you... well, in a
way. Except you have to take in account all those friends and family
members supporting and praying for you. As well, you have to add to
the list your family, who sacrificed with your absence while you were
on your training runs and put up with your exercise regime and mood
swings. As well, don't forget all the anonymous volunteers and well
wishers along the street throughout the marathon route. A friendly smile,
a cheer of "keep going" and "it'll be okay," and
a selfless offering of water, Gatorade or Gu gel can do wonders to a
weary body and soul along the race. For me, I was touched and motivated
by two specific moments in the marathon: an ongoing conversation with
a female runner from Minneapolis while we paced each other from Miles
6 through 14 and my brother-in-law Tim Jones who ran with me for 100
yards during Mile 25, encouraging me in those final steps. Could I have
finished the race in total isolation of others? Most likely, but what
a boring and uneventful journey it would have been. Life is so similar,
my friend, to a marathon's demands. We all need family, friends and
strangers cheering us on all along the way. And we need to be a cheerleader
for all we meet, for we have no idea how difficult Life's race has become
for each person we meet. We can boost the spirit by each smile, encouraging
word and selfless act.
These
are just a few of the lessons that I have dwelled on, long after crossing
the finish line and my muscles have loosened. And the entire experience
has touched me deeply.
Now
take a moment again to see if you can identify me in the above picture.
Never mind, you won't be able to find me and that's just the way it
should be. We are a diverse people, indistinguishable from one another,
in Life's race - simply running and cheering, cheering and running.
And the point of the overall race is simply to finish. It's a personal
and communal experience for those of us running and for those of us
cheering on those running. Timed paces won't matter three weeks from
now. Finish places won't be remembered a year from now. But those we've
cheered on and those who have cheered us on will be taken with us to
that final finish line. And at that point, we are all winners.