Know Your Pace, Know Your Route
I have been to NYC a number of times, but I have never run a race there. Suffice it to say, I was more than mildly amused by the facial expressions I saw as a group of about twenty of us went barreling down 42nd street. I kept waiting for some unsuspecting citizen to scream out loud as they turned and saw us approaching and then were quickly engulfed in a sea of runners , leaving no where to go.
What I didn't realize when I signed up for this race, was that the course wasn't marked. I was wondering how they would mark it because I knew it would be difficult, but it never occurred to me that they just wouldn't do it at all. On race day, I was handed a map of the course with printed directions on the opposite side. For me, this spelled: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. I can't read maps! Or follow directions! I resolved to stay with the group so I wouldn't get lost....and then we started running.
We had a group leader who was supposed to keep us at 9 minute per mile pace. We started a little fast, but after about a mile and a half, I knew we were going way faster than 9 minutes per mile. After checking my Nike Run, I realized we were running 7:45 pace. I thought, "I am going to die!" Then I realized, "I can't stop- I'll get lost!" Sure I could find my way to the finish line, but not on the race route. We were running through Central Park on unmarked trails and taking turns that weren't clearly marked either. I decided not to think about it and just keep running. I had to stay with the group.
Our group leaders ended up slowing down because they had started too fast, and I passed them, along with a few other people. Between the 10 of us, we could figure it out. As we continued, our numbers dwindled, and at one point we ran past one of the turns, and were called back by another member of the group who just happened to see us wandering. I ended up in a group of three others. "Did you tell Brandon?" one guy asked. "Nope. He'll be all the way to SoHo before he realizes." They laughed. It may have been funny for them, but I knew it would have been the truth for me if I couldn't keep up.
I ran from group to group as I recognized people I had started with, and ended with a group of three ladies.
As we approached the finish line, my ankles ached from the constant pounding on the pavement, and my calves throbbed, but my insides were bursting with excitement! I confided to the girl next to me, "I never run this fast!"
"Me either!" She agreed.
"No sense in slowing down now- we're almost done" I pointed out. She agreed and we hauled our buns to the finish. It felt wonderful to finish strong. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
As a Christian, I can't help but apply what I learned that day to my relationship and walk with God. A lot of times, I set out on a course, but I have no idea where I am going, and I look for direction- whether it be through reading my Bible or seeking wisdom from others I trust, but I attempt to run the race alone. The result: I get lost, go too far, eventually turn around, and find my way back- all the while wasting precious time.
Hebrews 12:1-3 talks about the "Race of Faith." It says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."
Did you catch that first part? Let me repeat:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."
We were never meant to run alone.
Isn't it obvious? We're better together.
I have gone on multiple runs since that race, but I have not even come close to achieving the pace I kept that day. (And I have tried!) By running with others, who were like-minded in both purpose and direction, I was able to run farther than I ever have (thanks to getting lost) and faster than I ever have at that distance. (8:19 min/mile)
As Christians, when we run with others who are like minded in both purpose and direction, we can go farther and faster than we ever could have imagined! It is your responsibility to know your course, ("run with endurance the race that is set before us...") but you aren't expected to run it alone. Others may quit, and your numbers may dwindle, but you will finish strong if you run the race set before YOU.
The rest of that verse instructs us to "run with ENDURANCE the race..."
It doesn't say "run casually" or "run comfortably"...it says,
"RUN WITH ENDURANCE" people!
Endurance isn't slovenly or undisciplined.
Endurance doesn't quit.
Endurance hurts, but it's hurt with a purpose.
I was hurting when I hit the finish line, but I felt good.
The next day, I was sore, but I could take pride in my accomplishment because I had given my all- I had given more than I knew I could because I was with others who supported and helped me.
In Jeremiah 29:13 the Lord says, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
He wants our all. Running with endurance gives Him that. In turn, we are rewarded with HIM! How great is that!!!!
We were never meant to run alone.
We're better together, and we were meant to give our all.
So, what are you waiting for?
get a buddy and get out there!
What I didn't realize when I signed up for this race, was that the course wasn't marked. I was wondering how they would mark it because I knew it would be difficult, but it never occurred to me that they just wouldn't do it at all. On race day, I was handed a map of the course with printed directions on the opposite side. For me, this spelled: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. I can't read maps! Or follow directions! I resolved to stay with the group so I wouldn't get lost....and then we started running.
We had a group leader who was supposed to keep us at 9 minute per mile pace. We started a little fast, but after about a mile and a half, I knew we were going way faster than 9 minutes per mile. After checking my Nike Run, I realized we were running 7:45 pace. I thought, "I am going to die!" Then I realized, "I can't stop- I'll get lost!" Sure I could find my way to the finish line, but not on the race route. We were running through Central Park on unmarked trails and taking turns that weren't clearly marked either. I decided not to think about it and just keep running. I had to stay with the group.
Our group leaders ended up slowing down because they had started too fast, and I passed them, along with a few other people. Between the 10 of us, we could figure it out. As we continued, our numbers dwindled, and at one point we ran past one of the turns, and were called back by another member of the group who just happened to see us wandering. I ended up in a group of three others. "Did you tell Brandon?" one guy asked. "Nope. He'll be all the way to SoHo before he realizes." They laughed. It may have been funny for them, but I knew it would have been the truth for me if I couldn't keep up.
I ran from group to group as I recognized people I had started with, and ended with a group of three ladies.
As we approached the finish line, my ankles ached from the constant pounding on the pavement, and my calves throbbed, but my insides were bursting with excitement! I confided to the girl next to me, "I never run this fast!"
"Me either!" She agreed.
"No sense in slowing down now- we're almost done" I pointed out. She agreed and we hauled our buns to the finish. It felt wonderful to finish strong. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
As a Christian, I can't help but apply what I learned that day to my relationship and walk with God. A lot of times, I set out on a course, but I have no idea where I am going, and I look for direction- whether it be through reading my Bible or seeking wisdom from others I trust, but I attempt to run the race alone. The result: I get lost, go too far, eventually turn around, and find my way back- all the while wasting precious time.
Hebrews 12:1-3 talks about the "Race of Faith." It says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."
Did you catch that first part? Let me repeat:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."
We were never meant to run alone.
Isn't it obvious? We're better together.
I have gone on multiple runs since that race, but I have not even come close to achieving the pace I kept that day. (And I have tried!) By running with others, who were like-minded in both purpose and direction, I was able to run farther than I ever have (thanks to getting lost) and faster than I ever have at that distance. (8:19 min/mile)
As Christians, when we run with others who are like minded in both purpose and direction, we can go farther and faster than we ever could have imagined! It is your responsibility to know your course, ("run with endurance the race that is set before us...") but you aren't expected to run it alone. Others may quit, and your numbers may dwindle, but you will finish strong if you run the race set before YOU.
The rest of that verse instructs us to "run with ENDURANCE the race..."
It doesn't say "run casually" or "run comfortably"...it says,
"RUN WITH ENDURANCE" people!
Endurance isn't slovenly or undisciplined.
Endurance doesn't quit.
Endurance hurts, but it's hurt with a purpose.
I was hurting when I hit the finish line, but I felt good.
The next day, I was sore, but I could take pride in my accomplishment because I had given my all- I had given more than I knew I could because I was with others who supported and helped me.
In Jeremiah 29:13 the Lord says, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
He wants our all. Running with endurance gives Him that. In turn, we are rewarded with HIM! How great is that!!!!
We were never meant to run alone.
We're better together, and we were meant to give our all.
So, what are you waiting for?
get a buddy and get out there!