Half-Marathon

My husband ran a half-marathon on Sunday. He has been training for months, and I was so proud of him.  A few things especially inspired me about his training and race.

1. Making a goal and sticking with it.  After his brother ran a marathon in February, he and my husband began tossing around the idea of running a half-marathon together. My husband ran track in college, but has always been a sprinter, not a distance runner. This would be a huge stretch for him. But once they committed, they stuck with it.

2. Enduring the training.  My husband began training in earnest at the beginning of the summer.  Where we live, that time of year is not exactly inspirational outdoor running weather.  He finally had to switch to running at the gym with only occasional outdoor runs. His brother helped him figure out how many miles he needed to work up to each month and week, and it was amazing to see how physically prepared he was by the time the race arrived.  He worked his way up week by week so it was never too overwhelming.  But it wasn't easy.  The training schedule had to be worked into his work schedule and our family life.  It took a lot of time and discipline to prepare.

3. Not waiting for the perfect time.  My husband, like most people, has a very busy work schedule, and with three little ones at home (and a wife that LOVES to spend time with her husband), this time in his life may not have been the easiest to start training. Where would he find the time to devote to the training?  But he decided this goal had many merits, and he dove in with my support. 

4. Having people in place to offer support and accountability.  I think one of the reasons he was successful in reaching this goal is that he had my support on the home front and his brother's support on the racing front.  Because I knew this was important to him, I could make sure our weeks allowed time for his training.  Because of his brother's accountability--checking in periodically and offering tips--my husband also had encouragement to keep pushing himself with the training.  The biggest part of this accountability was that his brother flew down to run the race alongside of him. What a huge gift and what a metaphor for brotherhood.

5. Overcoming fears and doubts to reach the goal.  The last weeks before the race, my husband was anxious about some physical issues in his legs that the running had exacerbated. He was worried that he would not be able to finish the race. We prayed about it, and it was truly an awesome gift because he finished the race!  Not only did he finish, but he and his brother had really impressive times. I was so proud of them.

What can I learn from this, standing as a cheerleader on the sidelines?  Don't wait for the "perfect time" to set a hard goal and stick with it; endure the training; establish support and accountability; and stay focused despite fears.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  ... Endure hardship as discipline; ... No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 'Make level paths for your feet'" (Hebrews 12: 1, 7, 11-12).