Post-Race Reflection

Last weekend, I ran the St. Jude Half-Marathon in Memphis. I've been running pretty consistently since May, and in August, I decided to begin training for the 13.1. It's always easy for me to run over the summer - our schedule is more relaxed and I'm less busy - but in the semester is when I really need to run because it provides a great form of stress relief.

And I did it.

I ran the half-marathon, all 13.1 miles of it, with no walking, in 2 hours and 9 seconds (2:00:09). In case you're wondering, that averages out to running a mile every 9 minutes and 11 seconds.

I mostly enjoyed the experience, but one thing made it harder than I was expecting. There were a lot of people. My Uncle Eddie and I used to run 5Ks together and be amazed at all the people who would put themselves through that. Well, about 8000 people ran the half-marathon!! (That's no typo.) I expected to have a little bit more space while I was running in order to really settle in to my pace, but throughout most of the race, I was right beside other people.

This togetherness really had a mental effect on me because I kept thinking about trying to stay with them rather than focusing on my own pace. This resulted in me running a little too fast at the beginning and then falling a bit behind at the end. (My goal was 2 hours....but I only missed it by 9 seconds.)

Most of us go through life in the same way. We have our eyes so set on what others are doing or expect of us that we fail to find our true selves. This results in disappointment, heartache, dashed dreams, and empty promises. But we're not meant to live like that. God gave Adam a partner not to compete with or be compared with, but to live with in mutual submission and perfect love. Read the story again in Genesis 2, and see if you know what I mean.

Running

I've been running for 10 years.

OK, not continuously. But my main form of exercise in the last 10 years has been running (some call it jogging, but I like running better). I mostly do shorter runs and occasionally I'll run a 5K race. My best being the ATS 5K a few years ago when I finished 3rd is my age group.

This year I've been running quite a bit more. I've really committed myself to staying healthy, and it is also a great form of stress relief. I ran consistently all summer, but I knew I would slack off in the semester if I didn't have some kind of goal. So, I decided I would train for the St. Jude Half-Marathon in Memphis on Dec. 6.

Today, I ran the following route: 10.15 miles. My pace is just under a 9:00 minute mile, and I burned about 1200 calories.

Running in the Restricted Area

I went running yesterday morning and my regular route takes my right by the Ford Center where the debate will be held on Friday night. For several weeks, the building has been off limits and security guards have been present on 24/7. Yesterday, the street in front of the Ford Center became barricaded to all traffic, so about 3/10 of a mile of street is closed. I wasn't really thinking about it as I ran, so I just kept going through the barricade. I made it through OK and my route brings me back the same way, so I did it again. I probably have an FBI file now...but who doesn't?

Something I did think about was, "If my dad were here, he would not have done this." I am like my dad in many ways, and though I'm not much of a risk taker either, I do like the push the envelope sometimes. But will I be OK if my sons do the same? Even though Isaiah is only 20 months old, I can't make him do everything I want him to do. That's a hard lesson to learn and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be learning for a very long time.