The Marathon Journey

I ran my first marathon in Memphis last Saturday and it was an experience that I will never forget. 

I had a friend tell me that it’s about the journey not the finish, which is very true.  The journey included 4 months of training, which was difficult.  A little more than a month before the race, I had decided I was just going to run the half marathon instead.  Then, I drove to Oklahoma with some buddies to help pace Jimmy Brown as he ran 100 miles in 25 hours and 11 minutes.  After witnessing this incredible feat, I decided that if he could run 100…I could run 26.2.  I ramped up my training to be able to finish the marathon.  Along my journey of 26.2 miles I saw some interesting & inspirational things. 

Mile 3 - I saw the back of a girl’s shirt that said “Life is short…Running makes it seem longer” Not long after I spotted it she pulled over to the side and began walking.  As I ran past, I noticed that she was about 6 months pregnant.

St Jude Campus – Running through the campus of St. Jude Children’s Hospital was a humbling experience as patients & their families cheered us on.  This was, without comparison, the most inspiring section of the race.    

Mile 12 – This was the mile in which the half marathoners split off from us.  It seemed about 75% of the runners left us.  I had a moment of weakness about 200 yards past the turn. I considered taking the easy way out and running back to the turn and finishing the half only.  I’m really glad that I didn’t.   

Mile 18 – A couple of things happened in mile 18 that messed with my mind a little bit.  I caught up with a girl who was limping along on the side of the road like a zombie.  She was really having trouble with her left knee.  She would limp along for a little and then work up into a run and would go for a while before she had to walk again.  I don’t know if she finished or not, but it was painful to watch.

The next thing that happened is a little painful to admit.  I had been using a 70-something year old woman as my pacer up ahead.  She was running at the pace I had pre-determined for my first half and was a really steady runner.  In mile 18, grandma left me like I was standing still.  There.  I said it.  At this point in the race a lot of runners were sitting on the curbs and stopping to stretch and stopping period.  The herd was thinning.    

Mile 21 - I was passed by a one legged man.  I ended up passing him again, but needed to stretch.  I was stretching near a light pole and he ran by and called out “come on man, you can do it!”  Pretty inspiring that he was calling me out, but at the same time, pretty depressing that he was calling me out.

Mile 23 – some guy was holding a sign that said “Remember 4 months ago when this seemed like a good idea?”  It took everything I had to not punch him in the face.

Mile 24 – Oscar the Grouch was passing out water, standing there in his trash can.  I asked him “Am I hallucinating Oscar?”  he replied “I’m real man!”

Mile 25- One mile to go to the finish line inside of AutoZone Stadium and every time I looked up at the stadium lights, they seemed farther away. 

Mile 26 – DOWNHILL entrance to AutoZone Stadium.  Ran along the warning track & saw my beautiful wife Krystal on the front row yelling for me.  I was more happy to see her face than I was the finish line.  Thank you Krys for cheering me on and being my soul mate!

I am now a marathoner.  Crazy to think that a little more than 2 years ago I had not run more than 1.5 miles at a time.  I thank God for the ability to run and I enjoy spending time with Him while I run.  As Eric Liddell says in Chariots of Fire, “when I run I feel His pleasure.”