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| As the sun came up just after arriving. |
Someone has to do it. All of the running blogs and articles tell you that you “most likely” will not finish last when you race. Well, this morning I went and ran a 3.59 mile trail run with only 45 other people. As soon as I saw how small the field was, how BIG the hills were, and the crazy people in shorts and pro running gear running up and down hills for a prerace warm-up I knew there was a very strong likelihood I could actually finish last.
My friend Jane and I started in the back of the pack. With every steep downhill I went back to elementary science and thought: What goes down must come back up. Man alive, the second half of the course was going to be BRUTAL! I kept pace with Jane for the first half of the run but then I needed to back off. My lungs were on fire and running up the hills was not going to happen. I ran on the flats and downhills (which were becoming fewer and farther between) and walked up the hills. But not once did I feel badly about my position. I knew I was pushing myself as hard as I could. The last thing I needed to do was go and have an asthma attack in the middle of the woods – and the whistling in my lungs warned that was a distinct possibility. There were 3 of us at the back of the pack. I could see Jane ahead of me and one other girl a little further ahead. I joked with the officials positioned around the course that “I was making sure everyone made it out of the woods safely.” I listened to my body and pushed it even when I thought I couldn’t but knew it was safe to try.
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| Starting line before we began. Notice the folks in shorts! |
There have been a lot of articles recently about back of the pack runners questioning if we are committed or even “real runners.” It feels a little like the questions I fielded when I was a transitional deacon. To be honest, while it is a little frustrating to know that these elite runners feel the need to comment about what may or may not be motivating runners like me, I really don’t care all that much. I will never be competing for a first place medal – and that’s okay. I am competing only with myself. I am competing to be better than I was yesterday. I am competing to use the body God gifted me with. That’s all – and that should be enough. I am no threat to the elites and I see no reason why it’s become so important for some people in that high bracket of runners to discourage a new crop of runners who might never run a 3 hour marathon (or run a marathon at all!), but who are getting off the couch, making their lives healthier, and inspiring others to do the same.
As I trudged up the hill to the finish line this morning I laughed at myself as I repeated over and over in my head: “and the last shall be first.” I felt like I finished first as I looked down the hill and realized that I had done it. (I know that’s not what Jesus meant when he said it, but he doesn’t mind that I took the scripture out of context – I checked with him.) I don’t know my split times because my running app froze during the race – but that’s okay because I completed my goal: I finished.
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Way to go!!! You did it!! Whoooo hoooo! It isn’t how fast but how far and you did finish! High five!
Love this blog Audrey – You have truly captured the spirit of that day and the beautiful photo memories tell the story so vividly for me. Ah, a few words for what that trail felt like – Imagine your right foot almost always making contact with the ground – like it would is you were running on flat ground – now imagine your left foot constantly tracking – because you are indeed running on a very frosty grass incline on a brisk and Gorgeous October Morning – Glad I finished – thanks to Audrey & Gods Beautiful day, I was duly inspired to do so. With calf muscles fired up for that finish line, I know I stretched my endurance and that is my take-away…Its not about how fast you run, its getting through the hills, the unexpected, jumping over tree limbs, and there were a lot of them to navigate! Thanks for the encouragement Audrey:-))
Really liked this blog entry, Audrey. Jane is my very good friend, and I look forward to entering my 1st 5K with her soon. I share your philosophy about it: not really interested in where I place in it, just interested in finishing 🙂 Thank you for further inspiring me. Maybe I will run alongside Jane AND you someday. Keep running!