Motivation at Mile 17

Mile 17 of the Country Music Marathon was my best mile. Please allow me to work through my run in order to explain.

I use the first few miles of a marathon to get into my rhythm. To get into my rhythm I mentally break down the run into two segments. The first segment of my marathon includes 4 five-mile runs. While the second segment of my race includes 3 two-mile runs.

In my mind, it is easier to run 4 five-milers and 3 two-milers than it is to run one 26.2-miler. When you train with 40 and 50 miles a week, a five mile run is a no-brainer. A two mile run takes even less effort. So psychologically, I break the first part of the race into some manageable numbers, and I make the last part of my race even more acceptable.

I used the first five-miler to weave through the crowd. There were 30,000 runners in Saturday’s race. So, it took three or four miles for the crowd to thin out. As a result, the first five miles passed quickly. My body was starting to warm up. I had a good sweat going, and I felt strong.

I used the second five-miler to get into my stride. Instead of running mile six of 26.2, I looked at the next five-miler as if I were running a new run. For example, mile six is now the first mile of another five-mile run. The second five-mile segment passed without delay because I was enjoying all the sights and sounds of the city. It also helped to hear a band playing music about every mile or two. Thousands of people lining the streets motivated me as well.

The third five-miler was the most relaxing because it was the most scenic. Once again, instead of looking at mile eleven, I counted it as the first mile of another five-mile run. My simple mind forces me to keep things simple. So it is much more manageable for me to run the first mile of another five mile run than it is for me to run mile eleven of a 26.2 mile run.

The fourth five-miler was a seminal turning point for me. What happened in this part of the race gave me great incentive to finish strong.

First, my body was responding so positively to my run/walk strategy that I did not even notice passing mile marker #16. As a result I was pleasantly surprised to see mile marker #17 which I thought was going to be mile marker #16. Gaining that “extra mile” was great fuel for my mental fatigue.

What occurs next is even better.

Parts of the Nashville Marathon are set up as an out and back course, which means you retrace your steps of a previous part of the course. To state it another way, mile 17 was on the other side of the street from mile 11. What caught my eye at mile 17 was another runner coming toward me from mile 11.

When I first recognized her I thought she was a bystander on the course running just a few steps to encourage another runner. Yet upon closer examination I noticed a racing bib attached to her shirt. She was not a bystander. She was a runner.

And what was it that made her stand out?

This runner was not like any other runner I had seen that day. She was an extraordinary runner. She had some form of muscle and coordination disability related to cerebral palsy or a stroke…and she was running!

Wow. I could not believe my eyes. She ran with one arm curled up against her chest. She was dragging her left leg, all the while stomping with her right foot, and she was running.

How was she able to run? Was she really trying to complete the marathon? There is no way she is able to do this.

It was a powerful picture of willpower. She was a living illustration of fortitude. I raised my arms in her direction as if I were cheering for her. After that, I turned my hands higher toward heaven as an expression of praise for God using her so meaningfully in my life. Whether or not she realized it, this runner was a shining example to me. She was a living testimony to will power, effort, and determination. My heart pumped with adrenalin. My legs increased their pace. My mind was no longer tired, it was alert.

Wait, there is more!

As mile 17 came to an end, I looked forward to mile 18 because I remembered it being down hill when I passed it earlier on my way out of town. I knew I could use mile 18 to make up some time. For a fat boy like me, running down hill is always good.

I topped the hill and recognized the mile marker just ahead of me. But there was something between me and the mile marker the demanded more of my attention. It was another runner. She was wearing an orange and black Virginia Tech racing shirt. On the back of her shirt were the words: “In memory of my sister and the other students who were killed at Virginia Tech.” Then it listed the 32 students massacred two weeks ago in Blacksburg.

Wow, that was another shot of adrenalin.

As I moved past her I said, “Go Hokies!” She responded with a thank you. Seeing the names of those students listed on her shirt certainly gave me the perspective I needed.

Now do you see why mile 17 was such a keeper? The motivation came at just the right time. It was what I needed to finish strong. It was exactly what I needed to make it to the finish line.

Tomorrow, if you do not mind, I want to share with you the similarities I find in marathon running and Christian living.