A few years ago, my husband signed up to run the Kansas City Marathon. He’d run a few half marathons by that time, but taking on a full marathon was a new challenge. Recently, my friend and neighbor completed her first marathon, the same KC Marathon, and it’s kind of a big deal. It’s an investment of time and disciplined work that has me reflecting a lot about running and life.
I did some running in my youth; I tried my hand at cross country but always felt sick afterward, often had to take a break mid-race, and decided distance running wasn’t my thing. Instead, I labeled myself a short distance runner, a sprinter. I gravitated towards the 100 and 200-meter races and, on occasion, the relay. I loved to run hard and fast for very short distances.
It seems I took that sprinters mindset and applied it to how I have lived my entire life. I run hard and fast for a short period. But a sprinters mindset has created this vicious cycle of doing all the things and then burning out, recovering, and then back to doing all the things.
What I have learned from my husband about running forces me to admit that I struggled to run longer distances because I struggled to pace myself. Imagine that? It sounds a lot like how I’ve lived life, struggling to pace myself.
So I am considering,
what it might look like to live more like a long-distance runner?
If you know anything about running long distances, you know that there is a plan, a training process that runners go through to prepare themselves to go the distance. It looks something like several short runs, with one long run and rest days. The short runs stay relatively consistent, but the distance for the long runs increases over time until they get close to the distance of their race.
But training isn’t just about the run. There is a lot of time considering how best to fuel their body for the run, what they need to eat to give them endurance for the race and sustain their body. How much water to carry on the run to stay hydrated? There is consideration to recovery after the longer distances, and also pace. What is the runner’s pace to allow them to go the distance and complete the race within their targeted time?
All this thinking about runners and long-distance races has me asking if there is something to learn and apply to how I run through life. If I want to live life well for the long haul and not just the immediate now, perhaps I need to change my mindset from a sprinter to a distance runner.
So, how might we plan for living less like a sprinter and more like a distance runner?
Let’s start with the “why?” Understanding the “why” helps us stay motivated to change, do something different, or continue doing what might be hard but we know to be good. What is the goal, the finish line, what is the why?
What’s my capacity? In other words, what is a pace that I can comfortably sustain for the distance? Reflecting on our season of life, especially our limitations, will help us determine what we have to give and where to give our time.
How do I need to fuel myself to spend my energy well? In other words, I can’t give and give without regularly refueling. So what are the routines, rhythms, or habits I need to create to sustain the pace I desire to keep and finish my race well?
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
The Book of Hebrews
As we consider learning how to find a pace that will allow us to go the distance, here are a few books you might enjoy.
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa Terkeurst
Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons
A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits by Ashley Hales
