263

A few weeks ago on a Saturday night I was sitting in my living room with my wife and three other couples from church. We were going around the room sharing our lives with each other. When it was my turn I talked about how low I was feeling from the accumulation of travel and absence from the family. Concerned for my well-being, they not only prayed for me but encouraged me to do something about it: Take up distance running.

If you know anything about me, distance running would be the last thing I would choose to do in any athletic contest. I remember doing a cross-country run back in 8th grade - I placed 155th out of 157 runners. Yet somehow, I found myself not only accepting Karen's challenge to run a 5K road race in three weeks, but also welcoming Marty's offer to come by the next morning, Sunday at 7am, to "get me moving for 20-30 minutes."

Sure enough, Marty showed up the next morning and we ran/walked a 1-mile loop by my house. It was tough going for me. I couldn't breathe right and my lower back started to throb. But thanks to Marty's encouragement by my side I made it around. Over the next few weeks I continued to run treadmills at the different hotels I stayed at, slowly expanding my range. At this point I set myself a goal of finishing the 5K run in under 39 minutes. The next Sunday Marty took me on a 3-mile loop by his house. Again, I managed to run/walk the whole thing with his constant encouragement.

And so last Saturday, December 4, I showed up at Northville Downs in Northville, MI for the Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis. Getting there early, I signed in and received my bib number: 263. In addition to the safety pins they gave me a couple of "jingle bells" to hang as well. A few minutes later Chris and Karen showed up with their son Nick, who would join Karen and me on the run. Chris' job was "Technical Support" which involved driving, cheering and making sure Karen got a warm cup of coffee at the finish. (The temperature at the start of the race was 24 degrees Fahrenheit.)

We lined up for the bunch start and waited for the signal. One air horn later and we were underway. As the mob began to stretch out, there was room for the runners to navigate around the walkers. And by the 1/2 mile mark we were clear enough to keep running at a pace. The three of us managed to stick together for the first 1.25 miles, with Karen able to keep a conversation. I was breathing way too heavily to try to talk, but I appreciated the encouragement nonetheless. As we came around a turn there was a significant downhill drop in the trail. I had decided before the race that if I came across a downhill drop that I would not burn any energy trying to slow myself down. And so I zoomed ahead and soon found myself running alone.

That's when it got harder.

Not only was I running at a slightly faster rate but I didn't have anyone next to me to encourage me. Realizing that at this point the battle was more mental than physical, I began to give myself a series of challenges to keep my legs going: "Push for the next mile marker", "Catch that runner with the silly striped outfit". Before long I saw the 2.5 mile marker - I had run 2.5 miles nonstop! Problem was, at the higher pace my lungs were working super hard. I kept pushing as hard as I could before I mentally hit a wall and bounced off. I broke stride and started to walk, disappointed that I couldn't finish the race without breaking stride. Still, I kept walking briskly toward the finish because I knew that's where I parked the car.

Suddenly, Karen and Nick caught up with me. The first words I heard her say was, "Great job!" As I awkwardly tried to restart my running legs I noticed that they had stopped running to walk with me. I don't remember much of the rest of what was said, but I remember that they were very encouraging. When I asked, "Shall we get running again?" the response was, "If you're ready." And so we were running again, and this time I was back on the original pace. A few strides later and Nick took off for the finish line. Karen and I continued to run toward the line at our pace. When the finish line came in sight I asked Karen, "Are you up for a sprint finish?" She responded, "Not really." I quickly said, "Me neither!" and we crossed the finish line together. Our time: 33 minutes, 15 seconds, which includes how long it took us to cross the start line. True to form, Chris was there with a cup of coffee, a blanket and much encouragement for the three of us.

As I drove from the race to Benjamin's chamber music recital (which showcased the finest tuba playing I've ever heard from an 8th grader), I pondered the total experience and was amazed by the life lessons it contained:

1. God surrounds us with His Love through His people: That night in our living room, people cared for me not just by praying but also by action. Encouragement from Marty and Karen were practical steps taken to show this kind of care. (John 13:34-35)

2. Regular training is important: If I wanted any chance of making my 39-minute goal, I had to try running ahead of time. I had to condition my body and prepare for the event. In a similar way, God expects us to prepare for the work that he has in store for us. (2 Timothy 2:15)

3. Slow and steady wins the race: Had I not broke stride during that downhill part I may have completed the 5K run without stopping. Instead, I ended up taking a breather at the 2.6 mile mark. Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and our abilities. But God doesn't expect us to do more than He has prepared us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

4. When a brother falls, pick him up: I'm sure it would not have been difficult for Karen and Nick to blow past me and yell, "See you at the finish line!" But they stopped for me, waited until I had caught some of my breath back, and then ran with me the rest of the way. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

I'm going to keep up with running. Shortly after the race Marty texted me to say that the Detroit Marathon/Half-Marathon is in 10 months (probably not). The next day Basma bought me a pair of running shoes ("Early Christmas present") which will be lighter to pack for travel than the basketball shoes I used that day.

I still don't like distance running. But I'll do it anyways.