This was the first race I had registered for in the “Elite Runner” category increasing the expectation for high performance. Prior to that morning, that expectation had caused quite a bit of unwanted pressure and anxiousness. When I woke up on race day, those nerves had been channeled into a heap of adrenaline. 

You’d think that’s a good thing, right? It is! But I also know that in my own personal experiences, the best results are often achieved when I bring a humble approach. 

Experiencing a runner’s high upon stepping out of bed that morning and feeling anything but humble, before I left home, I wrote down a quick prayer acknowledging this strength and power I was feeling, but also praying that morning for a reason to have my mind drawn towards Jesus while I was racing. I prayed I would not rely merely on my own strength; I prayed I would be able to run free, to run in worship, to run with a joy, peace, and strength that could only come from God. 

Fast forward an hour. 

The race begins and I am cruising out of the gates with the front of the pack. Mile one flies by fast and with ease. 6:03 split. Still cruising along and seeing  friends along the route, I am in the lead and feeling so good. Amidst mile 3, I can feel the lactic acid and fatigue in my body already starting to build up. I never expected 13 miles to feel easy, but I definitely didn’t expect the fight to kick in at mile 3. I slowed down a bit to try to conserve a little energy – only to be passed shortly thereafter.  My initial reaction was to flex control and gut out the strength to pace ahead to stay in the lead. The more I tried, the more I hurt. & I was quickly reminded –  the current outcome of this painful race I am running is an answered prayer. At that moment I found myself asking: why did I pray for this?  

I had 10 more miles to run. I had the desire and motive to run them well,  but I surely did not feel like I had the strength. I slowed down and reflected a bit on how I wanted to run the rest of the race. The opportunity to win was getting further and further ahead of me and seemed well out of reach. 

My focus was on the competition ahead of me, trying to close the gap around mile 5 of the race, I realized that wasn’t going to work for me. I needed to shift my focus back to running my own race rather than chasing down someone else, so that’s what I did. 

A few key reminders carried me through the next 4 miles:

1. The training I had done prior to this race was sufficient enough to carry me well beyond 13.1 miles. Trust the training and fall into cadence. Mind over matter. 
2. A win or a loss in this race will not re-define my identity 
3. This pain I was feeling was a privilege and an invitation; God had just opened the door for me to partner with Him to finish this race well; time to tap into a different source of strength

Shifting my focus didn’t cure the discomfort, but it enabled me to channel what was true instead. While the pain was still present, the prayers and a refreshed perspective are what seemed to have carried me through the toughest miles. (8-12). 

As I was closing in on the last mile of the race, I was shuffling along and received a cheer of encouragement off to the side, ensuring I was almost done. I didn’t feel like I had much of anything left to give at that point; I remember putting my head down and muffinling a half-smiled response: “yeah…final push!”. 

I might have said ‘final push’, but I don’t think my actions followed suit with my words. 

That was until I saw an official on a bicycle approaching me… He circled around and began riding beside me. My first thought was “it must be obvious – this man must know I am hurting; he must be taking extra precaution to make sure I make it across the finish line.’ 

In actuality, he rode alongside me and hollered to other officials nearby: “First female?”

I kept my head down and said ‘no sir – there are two other girls up ahead’, knowing I had been passed long ago.

 “Yep, she’s in the lead!’ I heard them holler back. 

He looked back at me and said: “Alright ma’am – you’re in the lead, what do you say we finish this race?!” 

Confused and overwhelmed, it felt as though an electric surge of energy had just rushed through me. With only a quarter of a mile until the finish, I remember praying for the Lord to prepare my heart for what might be waiting up ahead if I were to win the race. When I heard victory was up ahead, a new gear was unlocked; tears began to swell up in my eyes and fall down my cheeks. Overflowing with gratitude I nearly sprinted to the finish line. I turned the corner and see the officials holding the banner I was about to break through. The rush of emotion came again, and the race was won.

After crossing the finish line, not a trace of pain was felt. The adrenaline was back along with an immense rush of joy.

It goes without saying, experiencing victory is a sweet feeling and I was overly grateful for the opportunity to allow the winning feeling to sink in after the race. Celebrating with friends, family, other runners, etc. was a delight. 

But I would be remiss if I didn’t include the most notable realization from the win: 

I am not the fastest female distance runner in Nashville. Out of all the females who signed up for the race that day, I ended up being the fastest female to run the course. Many variables come into play when winning a race, and because of that, there’s so much room to give credit where credit is due. 

When reflecting on the race the next morning, the “final push” moment is what stuck out to me the most. 

When I was informed that victory was right around the corner, how much more was I willing to give to finish the race? When I was assured I was about to be crowned as a winner, how much more did I find within me to finish well? The answer to that was obvious for me: I felt unstoppable. 

The comparisons to draw here between what I felt upon the conclusion of this race, and walking through life as a believer and follower of Jesus presented a very convicting – yet teachable moment for me. 

How much more was I willing to give when I realized victory was just around the bend?

If I believe that what Jesus says is true; that in 1 John 5:4 “for everyone born of God overcomes the world, This is the VICTORY that has overcome the world.” — If I believe that is true, then I acknowledge there is a standing promise between me and God that eternal VICTORY is in fact up ahead. How then does it impact the way I run through this life?

Better yet – how often do I forget this is true? 

I know what a difference it made for me in my last half mile to be reminded that victory is right around the bend. While the pain I was feeling might have still been present, it was overpowered by the realization that victory was awaiting me up ahead which ultimately fanned the flame to finish well.  

I write these words to not only remind myself that this concept applies to much more than just a simple half marathon; I write to encourage anyone who has made it this far in the blog post that when it comes to life with Jesus, HIS VICTORY is YOURS to claim, and it’s always just around the bend. 

If you were to live today like you know that’s true, what more might you find within your heart to give? 

Thanks, y’all – for taking the time to read. It’s an honor and pleasure to get to share my heart right here. Please stay tuned for more coming up soon!