Run the race

13.1

A half marathon is 13.1 miles and it's hard to believe I am about run to one.

I have always ran. Love to run but never at this distance. I was never even interested in going beyond a 5K which is 3.1 miles. A 5k was comfortable and didn't require too much time and training.

It all started as a challenge, disguised as a dare. It was definitely a challenge, and I thought "why not."
So, I've been in training since late November and learning a lot about running and me specifically.

Run with patience

I had only ran 3.1 miles in the past and I was not used to running at slower paces. I would use up most of my energy when I didn't use the correct pace. I had to slow down in order to finish my race. Steady.  Step after step. Mile after mile. This is true in life as well.  We put so much on our "to do" list. We burn ourselves out way to early by trying to make everything as important. The journey is just beginning and we are getting too tired to finish. We have to prioritize what the important things are and let go of what isn't. Remember- pace yourself. Steady. Don't burn any extra energy when its not needed.

Lay aside extra weight

When you start the run you can't have extra weight around.  It will impede your performance and generally slow you down. You need only what's required.  Don't worry about the extras. Only what is needed for YOUR RUN.
Remember this is your race and no one else's. They can't run your race and you can't run theirs. You need not be concerned about any other person during it.  You are competing only with yourself. Yes, there are other runners.  But when your attention gets more on them then you are trying in essence to run two races and not just your own.  Run YOUR race.

The spectators

We have all sorts of people that are around us.  Some of them are directly encouraging you to run your race, while others are just cheering you along.  While I was running a 5k recently, a little gray haired woman was cheering me on and clapping for me on the last leg of the race.  I didn't know her but what she did really helped me to dig down and pull up more reserve and empower my run even more.
There are people like this lady in our lives.  We may not know them at all but they are certainly encouraging us along the way.  Take it! Take all you can! Sometimes encouragement can get rather slim.
For some people, you don't have much encouragement in your corner but you still have MUCH to gain.
You could be setting the bar for generations to come.  You could be serving as inspiration for the next person who is just waiting to be inspired and you could be it for them.  The story is always bigger than you can see. Whether or not you have encouragement, you have your own voice. Make it count. Encourage yourself.

Regardless where you are at in life, don't lose sight of the finish line. It's the goal that your eyes will need to be fixed upon. Remember its YOUR finish line.