How many times do we hear that phrase? It starts at the beginning and continues to be a mantra for life. If we are parents, we find ourselves passing that mantra down to our next generation. Oh, and it is so satisfying when we complete the task set before us! Big or small there is a sigh of accomplishment when we finish!
This past weekend my amazing friend Krista and I finished what we started. We ran in the Niagara Falls International Marathon and completed the race of 26.2 miles. Or, should I say 42.2 Kilometer, since we were in Canada for most of the race.
Undoubtedly, the most important part of the marathon experience isn’t even the marathon itself. The most important and beneficial part is the training that leads us to the end goal of completing the marathon.
Krista and I have had so much fun, in the hard work and discipline that it takes, to prepare our bodies for the endeavor. We have been committed to getting up and running together in the early morning, when most would think we should be committed for doing so. We followed a plan to take us to our goal. We were disciplined to treat our bodies well, while pushing ourselves to the limit.
This was Krista’s fifth marathon and my second. My first was many years ago. The half marathon is much more comfortable for me. I did train to run my second marathon with Matthew a few years back, but I ended up with broken metatarsals, or bones in the toes. I didn’t listen to my body and went from fractures to full blown breaks. It was frustrating because I felt like my endurance was probably at it’s best, but that was another lesson learned.
On the subject of lessons, preparing for any challenging task can teach us so much. I just love the life lessons. Not necessarily while in the midst of one, but I do try to embrace the teachable moments.
I think that I can speak for both Krista and I, that even though we had some brutal moments to conquer through, it was an amazing experience. Each race is different. Even with months of preparation, you never know how your body is going to react on race day. We were in it together and to complete it together and we finished what we started.
Running for me is a spiritual thing. My God teaches me each and every time my foot hits the ground. On those long runs, where there are struggles, and concerns that maybe I won’t finish well, is where He meets me and challenges me to trust and rely on His strength that lives inside of me.
Those accomplishments of finishing what we’ve started are the life lessons that will carry us through the tough challenges, that we all will face. None of us will go through life without trials, hurts and disappointments.
So I challenge you to push yourselves through whatever is placed on your heart. It doesn’t have to be a marathon. Or maybe you are already going through a different type of marathon. One that you didn’t sign up for. How do you get through? Maybe you didn’t have time to prepare yourself for what life threw at you. If so, finish the race set before you and finish well.
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