Running The Race

     When I was in high school, I had the joy of running cross country (or XC) all 4 years. XC provided a lot of wonderful times, memories, and of course exercise, but it wasn't always as fun as carbo-loading at team dinners the night before races. In fact, sometimes the races and courses presented their own challenges. 

     As far as races go, the most memorable "challenge" was freshman year when people saran wrapped two trees in the woods on the course as a prank. The weather had its way of presenting new challenges week in and week out, be it heat, rain, or freezing temps. For me, the most consistent challenge that I had week in and week out wasn't weather, saran wrap, or mud: it was the second mile. High school XC races are 5 kilometers, or just over 3 miles. If I were to go back and look at all my splits from running 5Ks, my guess is my slowest mile would be the 2nd one.The first mile was when I had the most energy and excitement, the last mile and change was when I gave everything I had left, and the second mile was...well, just there. I didn't have as much energy as I did at the start, and it wasn't time to start pushing for the finish yet, either. It was the hardest mile for me to manage. 

     As far as XC courses go, there's one that stands out due to the countless number of times that I've run on it. Heck, in 2008 it hosted the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country race that a certain guy competed in, finishing 268th. I'll leave out out the part that there were 269 runners This course, is Pole Green Park. Pole Green Park was always a bit of a nemesis for me, particularly...the 2nd mile. Just about the entire 2nd mile at Pole Green Park runs through the woods and features a few hills. Looking back, I think part of why the second mile was always so hard for me was because it was often run in places like the woods where it's just you and fellow runners. Save for a few coaches, there's no one cheering you on. Spectators see the runners at the start and finish, the middle is where you're not as visible and that need perseverance to keep pushing on. 

     Although it's been a few years since running an official race, there are still times in my life I find myself in the woods running that second mile. The excitement from the start has tapered off, and now the work really begins, when most people aren't around or looking. This is also the stretch that can feel like forever. Heck, Taylor Swift even agrees with her one song "Out Of The Woods," repeatedly asking if she's out of the woods yet and in the clear. It's a tough feeling when you just enter into the woods but already want to get out. There's not a lot that can really be done. The fastest way out is to keep running and fight through it. Granted, that's easier said that done.

     One struggle I've had when I've found myself "in the woods" is feeling like I finally got of them and am in clear...only to discover that I'm still in them with no clear out in the sight. It's deflating to think that you're in the clear only to find you're not -- and that things are worse than expected. I found myself going through that cycle a lot last year. There were times when I found myself asking why I was doing what I was doing and if it was all actually worth it. I would find myself regretting that I got myself in that situation to begin with, wishing that I could have a "redo" button. Sadly, there was no redo button, nor was there a proverbial "easy way out" to take. The only way out was to keep on keeping on and take solace in the belief that it will all work out, both of which are easier said than done. 

     An added dimension of being "in the woods" that can be deflating is the belief that everything that's being done is being done in vain because no one's watching. There's this feeling that you're working hard but feel like no one's noticing. That of course, can lead to going down a whole different trail of thoughts, such as believing that it's because you're not doing a good job, doing it the wrong way, and so on. The best to combat those thoughts and feelings is by doing this: remembering who your audience is, something that a good friend recently reminded me of. At the end of the day, our audience isn't the people whose attention and approval we seek, nor is it the people we find ourselves "in the woods" with. Our only audience is God. And He sees us when we're in and out of the woods. He sees the work that we do, good and bad. He's our only audience because He's the one that we ultimately answer to. And as He sees us in the woods fighting the good fight, He's proud of us and wants us to persevere. 

     With today's post talking about running, it's only fitting to mention Hebrews 12:1-2, which challenges us to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles" so that we can "run with perseverance marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith". Running the race set before us means running through places like the woods. It also means putting aside those distractions and beliefs that make us want to quit and get us distracted from what we're truly doing and, more importantly, why we're doing it. 

     When Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was imprisoned in Rome and knew the end was near for him. As Paul writes to Timothy knowing that the end is near for him, he's able to look back and reflect on his work in his ministry. Paul was able to look back on it and be proud of the way that he served, writing "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul finished the race that Hebrews 12 tells us to run with endurance. 

     Today, I find myself in Timothy's shoes, embarking on a new race and listening to advice of those that have fought the good fight and finished the race. As I find myself in the woods running that same race (this time figuratively), I know that I want to look back on it all years from now and be able to say that I fought the good fight and finished the race just as Paul did. I know that I've got a lot more to learn and many more challenges ahead, but I know that it will all be worth it for God's Kingdom and glory. 

     For as much of a thorn in the side as Pole Green Park was to me in high school, it was only fitting that my final XC race in high school was there. I didn't run by personal best, but I did run my personal best for the course, just under 20 minutes. I was able to close out XC by looking back and being proud of how I finished that race. Likewise, I can only imagine how much more wonderful it will be to look back on my days of running this new race God has set before me. My days of running races at Pole Green Park may be over, but my days of running the race for God are only just beginning.