30til30: day 15, white rock marathon

i have 30 days until i celebrate my 30th year of life. i thought i would share with you 30 people, events and situations that have shaped my life and who i want to be. it has been very challenging to come up with 30…i hope it inspires you as it has me. this part of the list is in no particular order.

day 15: white rock marathon

in december, i ran the white rock marathon, something i’d never had ambitions to do. it kind of fell into my lap, and though i would have been happy passing it on, i kept at it.

and i learned a lot.

physically, i learned that i am capable of pushing my body, of setting goals and achieving them. every time i had a good run, i’d grow in confidence and my ability to complete the full marathon. training for and running the marathon was one of the most difficult things i’ve done in a very long time. and i’m glad i did it (though i had to be pushed to start it).

but i learned a lot spiritually, too. you see, training for a marathon is a lot like running the spiritual race.

as i trained for the marathon, i did most all of my long runs with my friend kiley. running with her literally kept me going on mornings i would have preferred to stay in bed. most of time, i’d sleep poorly the night before we’d meet for an early morning (read: 5am) long run. if i’d been training alone, i wouldn’t have finished the training – i’d have stayed in bed.

sometimes, our spiritual life is like that. if i’m not surrounded by friends who are running at my pace, or even pushing me to go just a little faster, i’m likely to quit. life gets hard and, when there is no accountability, it doesn’t feel worth it to put in the long hours of “training” when you wake up tired.

also, i learned the value of new shoes and “running to win.” i knew from the beginning that i’d never be close to winning a 26.2 mile race. in fact, i’d be thrilled to not be last to cross the finish line. there are things in running that would slow me down or even take me out – old shoes, for example. i started training with a pair of shoes that weren’t well-suited for my feet. after a few weeks, my knees started to hurt. it was vital that i buy new (and expensive…*sigh*) shoes that fit me well so that didn’t injure myself. i also needed to run with a plan. if i didn’t have a plan in mind, i never would have been able to finish the race. i wouldn’t have been conditioned to run what was required.

spiritually, life is like that as well. i have to make sacrifices, throw aside encumbrances, if i want to be in it for the long haul. if i’m not willing to make the investment, i won’t go very far. i also have to have a plan for how i’m going to get across the finish line. God will certainly use things i never imagined to grow me in Christ-likeness, but if i don’t have a plan, i’m selling myself short. and i won’t be conditioned to finish the race.

and lastly, i had to keep the goal in mind. when i forgot why i was training, i got easily discouraged. at the end of one training run, while kiley was tacking on another mile, i met two men who were training for their second marathon. they had passed us while we were finishing up and encouraged me to keep training, to keep running, to keep my eyes on the prize. they knew what it felt like to finish a marathon and challenged me to continue to go the distance because i could.

as we walk with Christ, it’s vital that we, too, remember the goal. it’s not happiness or comfort or prosperity. it’s to be changed into his image. we focus on Christ, our goal, so that we won’t grow weary and lose heart.

therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God. for consider him who endured much hostility by sinners against himself so that you would not grow weary and lose heart.

hebrews 12:1-3

i run for cari. and for tina.

i discovered over the last few weeks that when you take an unexpected blogging hiatus, it’s difficult to get back into a rhythm. what to say? i have a lot to write about. and i guess i’ll just take it once step at a time and catch you up on our life over the next several days. or weeks, as the case may be.

the marathon was pretty amazing. yes, i finished it. yes, it was one of the most difficult things i’ve ever done. but, it was somehow fun, too. weird, i know.

my running buddy, kiley, and her husband chad picked me up early sunday morning so that michael and luke didn’t have to fight the crowds at the starting line. it was a really warm day for december. i think the temperature at the start was around 50 degrees. when i finished, it was probably around 70. that’s hot for such a long run. and, it was insanely windy. which is never fun for long runs.

we hydrated. and used the port-o-lets. we prayed together as a staff. and then we were off.

it was a really fun run through downtown dallas – and the weather was beautiful at the beginning, even with the wind. the first half of the half-marathon is run along the marathon course, so we saw several of our co-workers. we cheered for steve as he pushed tina along in her special chair. i also noticed that our first several splits were much slower than i anticipated (maybe 30 seconds). probably all due to the wind. seriously, it was brutal.

michael, luke, my sister and her roommate were planning to see us at miles 4, 8, 12 and 22. we planned to walk every 5 miles. and, at first, we did really well that way. we made it all the way to the lake (10 miles) only walking once. but around the lake the wind really picked up – though i didn’t know it was possible. and, it got much hotter and kiley doesn’t do well running in the heat. so after walking at mile 10, we also walked at mile 12. and 14. i have no doubt that the wind was gusting at 40 mph. it was wicked, almost blowing me sideways at times. around mile 13, i quit tracking our pace.

we saw chad at mile 14. the heat and wind were really beating kiley at that point. we ran together for two more miles. and then, when she had to walk again, she told me to keep going. with a bit of disappointment that we wouldn’t finish together, i kept going.

even though i wasn’t running with kiley, there were a lot of people still cheering me on. i passed chad again around mile 19. five of our coworkers were running a relay that went a long the marathon course so every five miles or so, the group of them would be waiting for their next runner and cheering like crazy for us. seeing ginny and emily’s wide eyes and huge grins definitely boosted me each time i saw them.

the next three miles around the lake weren’t too tough. mostly flat, or down hill. but the wind never let up, so it wasn’t easy. after the lake come the dolly parton hills, where guys with huge balloons in their t-shirts cheered us on. and then the next couple miles through a residential area, until at least mile 22, were up hill. at that point, i thought my quads, which had never hurt before when running, might give out. but, many of the residents came out to cheer on runners and it encouraged me to keep going.

i kept looking for michael, telling myself that when i saw him i could walk a minute. i passed the place i thought he’d be and ran a little farther without seeing him, so i walked. a mile later, the course went passed the seminary where several of our friends, and my cheerleading crew were waiting for me – with a glass of starbucks water, my favorite.

michael had changed his clothes and was running the last three miles with me. at that point, i could talk just fine, but my legs would barely move. i think michael was amused that my mouth was running so much faster than my body.

we ran passed the birth center where luke was born. michael asked which was harder. without a doubt, unmedicated childbirth is more difficult than running a marathon. if i had wanted to quit running, i could have. in childbirth, you can’t quit.

throughout the entire marathon, everytime i wanted to walk, i prayed for cari. and for tina. the first 13 miles honestly weren’t horrible. but the last six, i prayed a lot. i thought a lot about how life is a marathon. we’re urged to run with endurance the race marked out for us. we don’t get to chart the course, to choose the flattest land or the easiest weather. and, my friends can’t quit. they have to keep going despite the challenges and the grief. and, honestly, that kept me going. if my friends can’t quit, i won’t quit. with tears brimming in my eyes, i told michael, i run for cari. and for tina.

mile 25 goes right by our church, again downtown. several of our friends had stayed after church to wait for me and cheer me on. i loved seeing them! michael kept trying to encourage me to pick up the pace for the end, but i just couldn’t much. i ran the last three miles at about 11 minutes per mile.

and as the finish line came into sight, something magical happened to my legs. it was as if new life was put into them. i was able to finish at an amazing pace. at least, it felt amazing. there weren’t a lot of people finishing with me and it was so awesome to hear the announcer call my name as i crossed the line.

and then, it was over. yes, there were lots of hugs and congratulations and pats on the back. but really, it was kind of anticlimactic for me.

granted, running a marathon is an amazing accomplishment. one that i might not ever do again, though i still enjoy running. i ran several times over christmas, but have only laced up my shoes once since arriving back in dallas. but that, my bloggy friends, is for the next post . . .

so, maybe i am a runner

i have a confession: unless you live near us, or are related to michael or me, you might not realize that i'm running marathon on sunday. a real-live 26.2-mile marathon.

yes, i realize i'm insane.

two years ago, i started running again, after retiring from my running career at the end of seventh grade. i've never really been a runner but i wanted to be intentional to work-out and running is something michael and i can do together. by together, i mean that we run at the same time, not next to each other. apparently, i run too slow for michael to run with me.

but don't worry, i'm not bitter. anymore.

so, two years ago, we bought each other running shoes for an early christmas present and began running. we set the goal to run a half-marathon in late spring and began training. i learned that i really like running if i'm not concerned about my speed (see above comment about being "slow").

and then, i went and got pregnant. according to our ob, it wasn't a problem for me to run the half-marathon. just don't get your heart-rate too high, she said. as long as i felt well, i could complete the half.

but then, i went and got morning sickness. which apparently can sometimes act like all-day sickness. and so, with six weeks left to train, my half-marathon goal went out the window. it's hard to get motivated to run when you feel like leaving your stomach on the sidewalk.

but, i wanted to run a half-marathon before we move from dallas. i wanted to get back into my new-ish sport. there is a popular marathon here in december which includes a half. so, i decided that's what i'd run.

i hadn't yet started my training when in may, my company took us on a staff retreat. part of the retreat was focused on helping us to grow as individuals in several areas of our lives, including our physical health. ceo stan challenged us to run the marathon i already was thinking about. i figured it'd be fun to run the half with my co-workers.

but, several weeks later, stan stopped me. the half doesn't sound like a katherine thing to do, he said. you need to do the full thing. i still think he's crazy.

here i am, though, less than a week from the starting line, having trained for about five months. throughout all this time, i've wanted to write here about it. training for something this difficult and time-consuming has really given me a lot to think about and process. thoughts i've wanted to share with you.

but, when it comes down to it, training for this marathon has also been intensely personal, in a way i didn't expect. my real-life friends know i'm running and often ask about my long runs (how much did you run this week?), but aside from that, it's been tough to talk about this feat with anyone but my running partner, kiley (who, thanks to this challenge, is running her second marathon this year). it feels like bragging to just announce, i spent my morning training for something that only 1% of americans ever accomplish. what did you do today?

and so, i've been mostly quiet about this big deal. but there you have it. with only five days before the gun goes off, i've broken the silence.

wish me luck.