One Step At A Time
It was early. Before the sun was up or the dogs were out, we piled into the car and headed off to Lower Base. My excitement was mixed with a little bit of nervousness - making me a slightly edgy. I just wanted to get there and start the race. I wasn't quite sure what I was up against and didn't want to give myself any room for second thoughts. I'd been dreaming of this moment for a long time and I was determined to reach my goal - I didn't plan on finishing first or even before my friends - it wasn't about any of that. This was about me - I didn't care what place I came in, I just needed to finish. A year ago, I would not have even had a chance of making it up that hill, but a lot has changed since then, and I needed to challenge myself - I needed to finish this run. The morning of the "Turkey Trot" had finally arrived. Ahead of me lay 4.2 miles up-hill, but I was ready.
"On your mark. Get set. Go!" As the words rung out through the megaphone, I set off with an easy, relaxed pace. Most of the other runners quickly blazed past me, tempting me to run a little faster to keep up, but my common sense cautioned me against it. If I was gonna run to the top without stopping, I needed to keep a slow and even pace. I didn't want to jump the gun on this one.
The first challenge was making it up Capitol Hill. It was a long, slow incline that lead to Mt. Tapochau. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be and I enjoyed running on the pavement - I knew this luxury would soon come to an end. I focused on enjoying the beauty, the scenery, the great views of the ocean below, the breeze - anything to keep my mind off the task at hand.
Once the pavement ran out, it began to get a little more difficult for me. I had to dodge potholes and try to find secure footing on the unreliable gravel as I made my way upward. As the incline steepened and the road became even more jagged, I realized that I couldn't look up ahead, I needed to keep my eyes on my feet and watch where I was placing each step. Besides, when I focused on how much further I had to go, the task seemed impossible, but if I just focused on each step I was taking, it made the goal seem attainable.
Since it was just me, my thoughts, and the mountain, this threw me into a well of deep thoughts. I felt like the run was teaching me one of life's great truths: if you try to look too far ahead and see where you're supposed to end up, it's overwhelming and discouraging. But, if you take it one step at a time, focusing on each step as it happens, making sure that each one is well-placed and deliberate, you pass the discouraging hills and obstacles before you even realize it. I think that's why God doesn't reveal the future to us - it'd be too much for us to handle, we'd focus on that rather than each moment as it happens.
About the time I got all of that sorted out in my head, I found myself about halfway up the steepest incline of the run. It was pretty intense. As I continued to push forward, one step at a time, I could hear a truck approaching behind me. It's tires were spinning, struggling to continue the upward climb on the loose gravel and jagged trail. I felt like it was saying to me, "If I can't make it, how do you think you will?" But I was determined to block out any discouraging thoughts. Long after the truck had passed me by, I found myself still fighting my way up that same incline, one step at a time. It had become so steep and difficult that I had to physically concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other - determined not to stop. But eventually, I just couldn't anymore. Not far from the top, I had to stop and walk. At first, I was a little disappointed with myself, but as I finished walking that insane incline, I realized that this is part of life too. Sometimes, you have to stop and walk - it's not bad, and it doesn't mean that you've failed, you're simply recognizing your limitations but you're choosing to continue on despite that, just with a different pace.
As I summited that incline, I was met with the finial water station before the end of the race. After downing some Gatorade, I started running again, determined to finish the race running. And I did. At 1 hour 5 minutes, I crossed the finish line. True, I did have to stop and walk on that one crazy hill, but I was still satisfied. I had finished the run doing the best that I could, and that was all that I had hoped for! I had challenged myself, and found what it took to meet the challenge. Although not every moment had been pleasant, it was close to one of the most satisfying and fulfilling moments of my life!
A quick photo before the race started.
"On your mark. Get set. Go!" As the words rung out through the megaphone, I set off with an easy, relaxed pace. Most of the other runners quickly blazed past me, tempting me to run a little faster to keep up, but my common sense cautioned me against it. If I was gonna run to the top without stopping, I needed to keep a slow and even pace. I didn't want to jump the gun on this one.
The first challenge was making it up Capitol Hill. It was a long, slow incline that lead to Mt. Tapochau. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be and I enjoyed running on the pavement - I knew this luxury would soon come to an end. I focused on enjoying the beauty, the scenery, the great views of the ocean below, the breeze - anything to keep my mind off the task at hand.
Once the pavement ran out, it began to get a little more difficult for me. I had to dodge potholes and try to find secure footing on the unreliable gravel as I made my way upward. As the incline steepened and the road became even more jagged, I realized that I couldn't look up ahead, I needed to keep my eyes on my feet and watch where I was placing each step. Besides, when I focused on how much further I had to go, the task seemed impossible, but if I just focused on each step I was taking, it made the goal seem attainable.
Since it was just me, my thoughts, and the mountain, this threw me into a well of deep thoughts. I felt like the run was teaching me one of life's great truths: if you try to look too far ahead and see where you're supposed to end up, it's overwhelming and discouraging. But, if you take it one step at a time, focusing on each step as it happens, making sure that each one is well-placed and deliberate, you pass the discouraging hills and obstacles before you even realize it. I think that's why God doesn't reveal the future to us - it'd be too much for us to handle, we'd focus on that rather than each moment as it happens.
About the time I got all of that sorted out in my head, I found myself about halfway up the steepest incline of the run. It was pretty intense. As I continued to push forward, one step at a time, I could hear a truck approaching behind me. It's tires were spinning, struggling to continue the upward climb on the loose gravel and jagged trail. I felt like it was saying to me, "If I can't make it, how do you think you will?" But I was determined to block out any discouraging thoughts. Long after the truck had passed me by, I found myself still fighting my way up that same incline, one step at a time. It had become so steep and difficult that I had to physically concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other - determined not to stop. But eventually, I just couldn't anymore. Not far from the top, I had to stop and walk. At first, I was a little disappointed with myself, but as I finished walking that insane incline, I realized that this is part of life too. Sometimes, you have to stop and walk - it's not bad, and it doesn't mean that you've failed, you're simply recognizing your limitations but you're choosing to continue on despite that, just with a different pace.
As I summited that incline, I was met with the finial water station before the end of the race. After downing some Gatorade, I started running again, determined to finish the race running. And I did. At 1 hour 5 minutes, I crossed the finish line. True, I did have to stop and walk on that one crazy hill, but I was still satisfied. I had finished the run doing the best that I could, and that was all that I had hoped for! I had challenged myself, and found what it took to meet the challenge. Although not every moment had been pleasant, it was close to one of the most satisfying and fulfilling moments of my life!
Comments
I wish I would've done that while I was there.
I finished my first race last weekend. 6.2 in under 1 hour :)
I reached the goal!
thanks for being there!
I think the Turkey Trot taught us each something unique and special, and for me it was unexpected. It makes running that much sweeter doesn't it?