14 weeks ago, a group of us met to run a 1 mile run together. We were all there for a united purpose: to train for and run a Half Marathon. Several in the group had never even run in a road race before... and for others, the longest distance they had run was a 5k (3.1 mile). Over the weeks, we have run together, prayed for one another, encouraged each other, suffered through injuries and pain together... and this morning, we all toed the starting line of the Murfreesboro "Middle Half" Half Marathon together. Of course, we were all at different paces through out the race... but we all ran it. As much as I love running, and love crossing the finish line of a challenging race - few things compare to the joy I experienced as I watched friends that I had helped coach over the past few months, cross the finish line victorious. Did they win the race? No. But did they win today? Yes! They stared 13.1 miles in the face and won.
I love seeing people new to running, catch a passion for the sport. And for many people that run their first race, that first race is not their last. Finish lines are not always finish lines. Many times they are the launching point into something completely new. When we graduate from High School or College, the ceremony is called a commencement. Commencement means beginning, not ending. When we come to the end of our schooling, it is just the beginning to another phase or season of life.
Today, I came across this short article by Terrence Mahon and thought it to be fitting for today. Terrence Mahon (a 2:13 marathoner in his own right) is the coach for Team Running USA in Mammoth Lakes, California and has coach many of our nations best runners, including Olympians Deena Kastor, Ryan Hall, Anna Pierce and Jen Rhines; and American 50k (31 miles) record holder Josh Cox.
There is No Finish Line By Terrence MahonThe scripture above was written by the Apostle Paul as he was sitting on death row awaiting his execution. Although he knew that his race of life was soon coming to an end, he also knew that the end of his life was just the beginning. Paul was the person that wrote "to live is Christ and to die is gain."
October 15, 2010
I first started running road races when I was 12 years old. My first 10k was a totally new experience for me as I had never run that far before – at least not as fast as I could. After that race I was totally hooked. I wanted to run a race every weekend. I became a big fan of my local running store and pretty much all things running. One of my favorite running gear purchases was this poster that I bought at the running store. I had it up on the wall in my room right above my bed. It showed the picture of a runner with a seemingly endless array of hills in front of him. The caption on the poster said… “There is no finish line.”
I came to understand over the years of running what that caption truly meant. It was apparent that although there would be many races ahead with both starting and finishing lines – none of them would be the final finish line. The hills that rose and peaked in successive greater heights from one to the next were metaphors for this runner and his goals.
When most of us step on the starting line for a race we have goals in our mind. For newcomers it is to see if they can make it all the way to the end. As we get more experienced we chase time goals, then place goals and for the best of the best maybe it is for a chance at winning the race. All of these goals seem monumental to us at the time. It is as if this one event will be the greatest athletic challenge we will have ever tried to accomplish. It is quite possible that it will be. However, the pressure that we often place on ourselves and the greatness that such a task appears can easily be exaggerated in our minds.
In retrospect, once we reach these goals, we often comment that it was not as hard as we thought it would be. It seems that there is a disconnect between what our bodies can handle and what our minds believe to be true. With proper and adequate mental training we can change this mind-body dynamic to be in greater harmony.
If we can create the mindset of victory prior to the race then it will allow our bodies to reach their full potential. By understanding that “There is No Finish Line” we can open ourselves up to the fact that this goal is only one of many. There will be more and greater goals to come. Each one will still be as challenging as the last one, but the peak will be higher.
Like the hills facing the runner in my poster, it is not how difficult these tasks may appear it is the perspective that we have along the way. Understanding that each run, each hill, each race that lies ahead is part of one great process that makes up an entire running career. By realizing that there is no finish line we are free to truly experience the challenge in front of us and take it on with everything that we have to offer on the day.
No matter how we live our life, the end or our life is not the end... but the choices we make in our life definitely determine what comes next. The most important choice we can make is to choose to accept God's gift of eternal life that He gives us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The awesome thing about that gift is, if we accept it, we don't have to wait until the end of our life to begin enjoying it. The eternal life of God begins now... and allows us to live a winning life.
So let's run the race well... and keep on running.
Best blog yet. :)
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