If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I'm a runner. True confession: in high school, I despised running. My longest run back then was only 2 miles, and that was right after a breakup. Now, I'm a running addict, and I have my sister to blame. She asked if I wanted to join her for a 5k. I've always enjoyed a good challenge, and I couldn't let my little sister accomplish something I hadn't. That 5k led to a half marathon five months later and a full marathon two years after that. The longer the run, the higher the miles, the deeper my love for running grew. Through racing, I've discovered three key motivators that consistently propel me to my best, whether I'm on the course or in life.
1. My Relationship with God
My faith in God is my number one motivator. He fuels not only my runs but also my days. When I'm out running, I can connect with Him without any distractions. Listening to Christian music, I find that it connects with what's happening in my life or in the lives of people I care about. On tough days, I quote: Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight." “Trust in the Lord" Is the line I say on repeat when I am stressed and have no other words.
2. My People
My second motivator is my people. This isn't about living up to others' expectations or fearing disappointment. It's about praying for their needs. Grandma's Marathon 2021, my best friend from elementary school, Kristie, was in the hospital battling complications from cancer. I knew she wasn't doing well, so I decided to write her name on my arm as a reminder to pray for her during the race. On race morning, not knowing whether she had made it through the night, I ran praying for her. It was a hard race, just like her hard battle with cancer. She had made it through the night and I was able to visit her in the hospital to rehash my challenging race. Praying for others motivates me to press on.
3. Living with Heart
At the school where I teach, the gym teacher has a phase to motivate students. He says, “Show Grit” they say “Never Quit”. When students “Show Grit, Never Quit” they earn a footie. The most desired footie is in the shape of a heart. Because when you earn the heartie it means that not only have you shown grit and never quit but you did it with passion, with heart.
Last May, I set my sights on running the Fargo Marathon with a Boston Qualifier (BQ) attempt. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the pace, but I had to go for it. I lined up with the pacer at the start and then he bolted, faster than his designated pace. I decided to chase him, praying for strength. Unfortunately, by mile 8, my legs felt like lead, and I faced a difficult decision – should I push through or back off? I opted to ease up, but even with that change of pace, my race declined. By mile 13, extreme nausea set in. That's when my sister showed up with water, anti-nausea medication and was just present with me.
I refer to that race as my best race, not because it was my fastest but because, when everything went wrong, I found the courage to endure and run those final miles with heart. Every day is an opportunity to live with heart and persevere to the finish. In my race, at mile 23, the medications finally kicked in, and I rallied to finish strong. My best was finishing with heart, refusing to quit when the race was tough and not going my way. When I returned to school that Monday, the gym teacher awarded me my very own heartie.
Some days everything will go right, but then there are those days when everything seems to go wrong: that's when you live with heart. Today, remember to trust God, pray for your people, and live with heart.