Halfway Through

“Run the mile you are in.” ~ Runner’s World magazine editor-in-chief David Willey

It happens to me in every race.  It does not matter what the distance.  If the race is a 5k or a half marathon, it happens at the same place in every race.  Halfway through.  Halfway through the distance I have to cover, my brain interrupts my focus and poses the thought, “You could quit right now.”  Halfway through anything in life is a vulnerable place to be.  It’s when the enemy tries to get in my head.  I’m set up for his attack.  I’ve experienced the sweat and the agony of my race.  I’ve felt the energy it takes to keep my pace and it takes a lot out of me physically and mentally.  I’m tired.  And now I have to do it all over again.  Now.  No breaks.  This is it.  Halfway through. 

“You could quit right now.”  Slow down.  Ease up.  Tempting.  The thing about running is that relief is literally one second away all of the time.  At any point I can just quit.  Instant relief.  That’s when I have to decide who I am.  Who will I choose to be.  I ask that question with a period at the end instead of a question mark because I’ve already decided who I will be before the race ever began.  I decided in the hours of training I put in leading up to the race.  I will be someone who gives my personal best.  I don’t let the enemy’s questions consume too much time between my ears.  He only gets enough time to ask the question so that I can shut him down with my response.  “I have done this, I can do this, and I will do this.”  It is my answer.

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
~ Muhammad Ali

I have done this.  I show up prepared.  I know what I can do because I put the work in during my training.  I can do this.  I’ve done it in training so I can do it now.  I will do this.  I’m not going to quit now.  I am motivated to put my best into my training because it indicates how I will do in a race, not only physically but psychologically.  I must have the confidence that I can do it.  For me, the confidence comes from knowing that I have been able to deliver what I am getting ready to ask my body to do hundreds of times in training.  I recite this quote by Juma Ikangaa often, “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”  I’ve got to put in the effort it takes to find out what my personal best is.  If I’ve done my personal best, no matter where I finish in the race, I’ve won.

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”  ~ Oprah Winfrey

God has me in training for much more important things in life than running.  But He is preparing me for them with where He takes me out on the trail.  He is teaching me about consistency.  About perseverance.  About determination.  About preparation.  About winning.  And when I fall short, about grace.  He is teaching me about who He is and about who He made me to be.  He’s building me up in the small things, giving me a chance to be faithful, to be victorious, to be brave.  All of this, so that when the important moments come, when He asks me to race, I will be ready.  “I have done this, I can do this, and I will do this.”  It will be my answer. 

He is a good coach, setting us up for success.  We just have to show up for training, trust Him, and do what He asks of us.  That is how we achieve our personal best.     

That’s my take on the halfway mark.  Here’s the take of one of my favorite athletes, Ryan Hall.  “Focus on just that step that you’re on.  If you focus on what is left to run, it can easily become daunting and too overwhelming to finish.  Just focus on that moment and that step that you’re currently on.  Enjoy every single step you take.  Don’t think about the miles down the road and how hard it’s going to be.”  Great words for runners and great wisdom for life. 

I read recently in Runner’s World about the importance of having a mental plan for race day.  “Keep your mind actively engaged in the race and think your way through the course.  Review the course map now and break it up into smaller, more digestible pieces.  It’s easier to stay focused and engaged for shorter periods of time than for several hours.  Plus, 26.2 miles is less daunting if you think in two to three mile increments.  Like life, you’ll roll through a series of emotional highs and lows on race day.  Enjoy the highs, prepare for the lows.  Pack a few ‘power words’ in your pocet to keep you focused and your mind actively engaged in the positive.  ‘Strong and Steady’ is one of my favorites.”  I like that.

I also really love Saucony’s Find Your Strong campaign.  Check out this two minute inspirational video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRIiWWBhMFI

Until next time, live life on the run!  =)