I
just finished my first 15k run yesterday, the Hot Chocolate 15k, which officially marks the furthest I
have ever run. For those of you not
familiar with running (or the metric system), that is 9.3 miles of grueling
pounding on the concreted streets of downtown Dallas, TX. There was a point in the race when I hit “the
wall,” and I didn’t think I was going to make it. In training, I had not been able to run more
than 6.25 miles, and on that day I got a nosebleed and lost feeling in one of
my feet. So, I was pretty sure I was
going to have to take a break for this race.
But
what was unexpected is that I hit “the wall” when we passed the Mile 1
marker. I knew instantly that that could
not be a good sign. But I just kept
putting one foot in front of the other, watching as the pacer’s sign moved
further and further ahead of me. As long
as I could still see it, I had hope, no matter how far it seemed in front of
me. I didn’t look around. I didn’t notice my surroundings. I just tried to focus on the music coming
through my headphones, and not on the burning in my legs and my lungs.
The music
helped to distract me, but I think I might have brought along the wrong
playlist. Since I was trying to
concentrate on the music, I was more focused on the actual words in the lyrics
than ever before. Song after song seemed
to be reminding me that there was no way I was going to finish this race.
The
Man Who Can’t be Moved
by The Script
“There
are no holes in his shoes but a big hole in his world / Maybe I’ll get famous
as the man who can’t be moved / Maybe you won’t mean to but you’ll see me on
the new / And you’ll come running to the corner / ‘Cause you’ll know it’s just
for you / I’m the man who can’t be moved”
Hope
and Prayer
by Savannah Outen
“I
die just a little / Each day I see the pain that they must live / I cry just a
little / And I wonder if there’s more that I can give”
God
of Our Salvation
by Phil Wickham
“Come
you tired and weary / Come just as you are / Come and let His mercy heal your
heart”
Just
Like a Pill
by Pink
“Run
just as fast as I can / To the middle of nowhere / To the middle of my
frustrated fears”
The
Distance by
Hot Chelle Rae
“And
just so you know / The distance is what’s killing me / Time and space have become
the enemy / And what I need is so far away / And so it goes / The distance
makes it hard to breathe / My heart won’t let go easily / I don’t want to be
this far away”
But
I did finish and with a pace of 10 minutes and 39 seconds per mile, which was
well ahead of the 11 minute pace the pacer was supposed to be setting. In fact, at around Mile 8, I actually passed
the pacer, and I crossed the finish line before her. I went from barely able to see the pacer’s
sign to leaving her in the dust!
It
was by far one of the most intensive physical activities I have ever done. Not because the activity was hard, but
because it spanned such a long time of continuous effort. Which I found gives you a lot of time to
think about what you’re doing, how your body feels, and whether you’re going to
make it. It’s too much time for evaluation
and doubt. I may never do it again, but
I’m extremely proud of myself for making it the entire way. However, I have a feeling that once the
euphoric high wears off, that I probably won’t be able to walk for the next
week.
