Lessons From The Chicago Marathon

This weekend is marathon weekend and dozens of our church members are running. My wife and I ran the last two years and our daughter, Erica, is running this year. We are looking forward to heading downtown to cheer her and other friends on.Linda and I both learned some very valuable lessons the last two years when we ran. I’d like to share them with you here.•  Most of us can do more than what we think. There was a time when conventional wisdom said that very few people on earth are capable of running a full marathon. Today, we know that is bogus. I was passed by people both older than me and heavier than me. I ran behind a man who had a leg injury from Iraq and he had a painful looking gate to his stride, but he was in front of me for many miles. I used to think a marathon was so far beyond my reach that I never considered it. I even thought that way for the first month into my training the first year, especially that first day when I was huffing and puffing less than a block into that run. But you and I can do far more than we’ve convinced ourselves, if we just go after it and stick to it.•  Doing more than you think you can is good for you. I should probably blog some day on this point alone, because I have so much to say about it. But when you actually go beyond what you thought were your limits, there are multiple emotional, psychological and physical benefits that are enjoyed in every facet of life.•  Comfort is the enemy of growth. I’ve said this so often that people are now quoting me on it. But I heard it myself somewhere years ago and I know it is not original with me. You are welcome, however, to quote me on it anyway :-). It is so true! If you want to grow, you’ve got to make yourself uncomfortable! And heading out for a 16 mile training run when it is 30 degrees and windy (or 85 degrees and sunny) is very uncomfortable. But it will make you grow in mental, emotional and physical health. Sitting on the couch and giving way to your laziness will do the opposite!•  There is no greater feeling than being totally exhausted after accomplishing a major goal. Vince Lombardi said it far better than me, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.”  I experienced that feeling while easing into the hot tub the evening after both marathons. And I now adorn both my vehicles with that 26.2 sticker, with pride.•  It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. This is also something that I’ve said often. But I didn’t practice it myself last year in the marathon, and I’m still paying for it. In one of our long training runs, Junanne Clauson (a woman about my age) ran right by me. Later in that run, I ran right by her and finished well ahead of her. I made a statement to that affect and I said something to her about how it really helps me to keep track of my pace early in a run to be able to finish as fast as I start. She took my advice for the marathon, and I didn’t. I passed right by her somewhere around mile 5. But she passed me at mile 15 and never looked back. I’ve had to hear the friendly jeering from my friend, Karl (Junanne’s husband) ever since.•  Encouragement makes a difference.  The longest training run our Bridge Team did was 20 miles. I kept saying, “That’s not long enough when the marathon is 26.2 miles. I can’t imagine doing another 6.2.” But I kept hearing, “Just wait. Once you are surrounded by the cheering crowds, hearing strangers call your name and encouraging you, you’ll get extra energy you didn’t know you had.” And that was very true. There is something about the atmosphere, music, celebration, and encouragement from friends and family that enables you to pull vigor from inside you that you thought was depleted. And partly because of this, I’ve learned the life lesson that it’s best for me to hang around with encouraging people, and to do my best to encourage others. It’s amazing the difference it makes for everything in life.You might not be running a marathon any time soon. But these lessons will serve you in any endeavor or season of life. Go after something big and see it through!