Thoughts for this Weekend

Well, it is two days before my first fitness test of the new year. On Saturday at 7:30 AM the Hall of Fame to Notre Dame 1/2 Marathon will start and I will be at the starting line. So what will go through my mind prior to the race on Saturday?

A few days before I am starting to think about the goal I set and it is scary thinking about how I will get there. My first goal is always to glorify God with every step. The second goal is to finish the race. Lastly, I have a time goal which is to maintain 8:00/mile pace for all 13.1 miles. This will have me finishing in 1:44:52.

The first two goals seem easy enough, however, the first goal will help me obtain the last 2 goals. As I have gone on my final training runs the last few days, I have been truly humbled and I hope that is because God is trying to show me how much I need Him to finish this race.

Sunday I did a 5 Mile run, but I had to stop about 3 miles into it to get a drink and cool off. On Tuesday, I did my last 6 miler at race pace and I must say when I was done I was spent! It took everything I had to run 6 miles at 8:00/mile pace! This morning I ran 5.6 miles at slightly over race pace as my final tune up.

So for a guy who leading up to this ran 10 mile runs like they were easy, you can only imagine that this week has been a bit worrying and humbling. This is not the first time I have felt this way and I can truly say that I feel good about this feeling. You know the feeling...like you are going to fall short or, better yet, like you are not going to finish at all.

Why do I feel good about that you may ask? My answer may trouble some ,but I can only speak from my heart here. I am not a true runner. I have never been much into running in the past, for that matter I have always been average in my athletic endeavors. I can hold my own in sports but when the going gets tough or the competition gets better, I am separated quickly as it is obvious I do not belong.

With this all in mind, I have set my sights on running a marathon. According to one source, last year 464,923 people in the USA finished marathons. This does not mean 464,923 different people but finishers. For instance, one of my friends ran and finished 2 last year. The US population as of 2009 was approximately 305 million, so less than 1% of Americans have finished a marathon. So, either I am a great athlete or I am accomplishing this with someone else's power.

If I were a great athlete I sure would be making more money than I am today and I would be playing a game everyday. Obviously you can see that is not true because I am not an athlete but a regular, everyday business man. That only leaves one way I can accomplish this goal. It is with the power of Jesus Christ in me. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" as you read this, note that it says His power is at work within us! That is pretty cool!

So for me to be humbled shows me that 'I' cannot do anything, but if I let God's power work through me He can accomplish far more than I can ask or imagine!

In the end, what will be my thoughts on race morning? I will begin the day in prayer on my knees asking for His help, His power, and His presence in my run. I will begin focusing on God and will try to lessen my aniexty by putting all my goals on His shoulders. This way I cannot lose! I will be able to run free with a clear mind and a joyful heart. Please say a prayer for me!