Completing My Goal:

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new goal I was attempting to conquer which was running my first marathon. Well, this goal was achieved last weekend. On Sunday, October 18th, I ran the marathon in Des Moines, Iowa with thousands of others. Some of them were like me and this was their first marathon or maybe even their first race in general. Others were seasoned marathoners. Then there were a lot of others who ran the half, 10k, or were a part of relay.

We were all blessed with the weather. It was absolutely beautiful. It started a bit on the chilly side in the low 40s, especially chilly while the sun was down. However, then as the sun came up, so did the temps and I was able to comfortably run in capris leggings and my tank top. I wasn’t too cold, nor too warm. After many runs in the heat and high humidity to downpour, this was a very nice surprise. I prepared for the worst, but that made this weather even better.

This was overall a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it for the most part. I will not deny there were definitely parts of the race where I was tired and my legs really started to hurt.  I had the chance to stretch them out and eat a banana which really helped me with finishing ten miles. As far as the route goes, there were a lot of cool spots to look at along the way. One of the highlights was getting to go around the track at Drake University. This is where the state track is held every year, so that was a unique race experience. I also really enjoyed going by the river and through some of the parks.

I will say the hardest part of doing the marathon was the mental part. There were many times during the race where I was having a moment of starting to panic. I was very grateful for the Lord to be there to remind me not to be so distraught or to be anxious. He would remind me to stay in a good headspace throughout the whole thing. I was very blessed to have His presence with me. He was with me to help keep me centered. This was even during the time when my headphones died. I was able to run a few miles in the park without any distractions, and I could focus just on the course and the steps taken in front of me.

The Bible brings up many different verses about running and its similarity with living a strong Christian life. They are similar because both of these things take stamina. It is something not easily done or is very short. To run a race, especially one like a marathon, is not a sprint and it takes a lot of time. This is even for those who are incredibly good runners or those who break records. This still takes them a few hours of consistent running.

One of those verses highlighting the similarities is Hebrews 12:1-2 which says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”. I enjoyed this verse because it reminds us all we all have a different path. We all were given a new and different journey than those who are around us. This doesn’t mean one is more important than another.

The challenge for the week is to spend time thinking about any goals you may have which haven’t been accomplished yet. Has there been something you have wanted to do for a long time, but you haven’t? Has there been a dream or a goal you are afraid of attempting to achieve? And if there is a goal you want to accomplish, how can you make the first step today? What are ways you could make this goal become a success or a completion? What is a way you could talk to the Lord about finishing this goal and making a new achievement.

The biggest thing I learned through accomplishing this scary goal, where I really truly did not believe I could achieve it, was I can achieve all things through Christ who strengthens me. This doesn’t mean I won’t ever face failures or I will never face hardships, but the idea is then I can also accomplish or get through those things too because God is strengthening me.