The Marathon

      My five month marathon adventure ending yesterday after a 26.2 mile run through the streets of Oklahoma City.  I started training back in December, and logged over 425 training miles in three states.   I have lived and breathed marathon for the past five months.

     What is the point of doing something like this?  I have nothing to offer the athletic world.  I have no talent for running.  I’m not fast or graceful.  Back in November, a pastor in Houston suggested I try running a marathon.  I had run a few half marathons, and knew I could do it, but I was not sure if I wanted to do it.  She suggested the marathon and training for it was a metaphor for ministry-  if you can endure this, you can endure anything.    I have to say after completing my marathon this is true, not just for ministry, but for life. 

     Training for a marathon is a grueling experience, both physically and mentally.  Running is punishment in every other sport, and many mornings it felt like that to me.  So what special talents or abilities did I use to accomplish this?  The only thing I did was get out to the trail and put one foot in front of the other, whether I felt like it or not.  Whether it was raining or hot, or freezing cold, one foot in front of the other.   Like Forrest Gump, I ran and ran and ran, and when I got tired, I walked.  Then, one day, it got easier.  Over time, ten miles was a warm up, and my Saturday morning 10k barely made me break a sweat.  It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t happen over night, but eventually,  I was ready to run.

     The race day experience was a tremendous one.  I did not want to be in a hurry, so I chose the early start, 4:30 AM, for those of us who are slow.  It was two hours before anyone else was on the trail, and I past the half marathon before anyone even passed me. On that day, I put one foot in front of the other.  As the hours passed and miles amassed, I just put one foot in front of the other.  15 miles, and I started to feel good, my fastest miles actually being from 16 to 20.  Then, I crossed mile 20.  20 miles was the furthers I had ever run.  I realized every 10k I had run on Saturday mornings  was to prepare me for this last six miles.  I had heard horror story after horror story about the last six miles. When I got there, I just put one foot in front of the other.  I could not believe it, but I was to mile 24 before I suffered at all. A blister had developed on my left foot.  I gingerly walked mile 25, and then reached for everything I had to run the last 1.2 miles and cross the finish line with a smile on my face.

     Everyone has asked me, will you do it again?  After the race, after I had cooled down, I could not even move.  I went to get a massage, and asked a child to take my shoes off for me.  Pain.  This morning, I woke up, and I was sore.  Now, I feel great.    So, will I do it again?  The answer is, of course.