The Second Book The 54th Chapter - Run Your Race

Sept 13/17

Have you found yourself on a journey or task and then you start having thoughts of wanting to quit?  Perhaps people around you are doing the same type of task and their pace is maintained or is increasing?  What did you do in these moments?  How far did you dig deep into the core of who you are to access more energy?

Over the last three years I have been working hard at increasing my level of physical activity.  During this three year period I signed up for three different running races and the first two I was not able to start due to an ankle injury.  With a sense of huge frustration of not being able to run the races but also each day of not running, due to the injury, my physical ability slipped that I had worked so hard on achieving. 

It seemed like one lost day of running equated to ten days of training.  So in this case my stubbornness drove my determination that had a positive effect on me.  Usually my stubbornness in my past would have the result of taking away from my life, when my energy was directed incorrectly. 

Once again I am ready to start training for my first official 10 km run to be held on Sept 10/17.  I trained hard all the month of Aug and the beginning of Sept.  I then took two full days off before the race and finally the moment arrived, the moment of standing with hundreds of other runners with the same goal as mine, to complete the race. 

I knew my pacing was important as I didn't want to burn myself out, yet I did want to not only finish but to beat my personal best time on a 10 km run.  The gun shot rang out and the race started and along came the 5 km marker.  At this time I could feel my pace was faster than my normal and then at the 6 and 7 km mark my pace started to slow.

As I was running my race at that moment, as other runners started to pass me, I quickly went from the thought of just wanting to finish the race to digging deeper and increasing my speed.  As that thought grew in me, I quickly dismissed all thoughts of discomfort and reached into my core.  I pushed myself harder and my speed increased and from the 8 km mark to the finish, I continued to pass other runners.

With my finish I accomplished my two main goals, one was the actual finish of the race and the other was I did beat my personal best time on a 10 km run.  The third thing I realized after the race is that I can do better in my next race based on this experience.

When your struggling in your race or task push yourself harder and you will accomplish what you set out to do.  The return for you on this effort is the incredible sense of satisfaction of your job well done.  This sense of satisfaction you feel can be replicated by no one or anything.  You will realized it is you that creates your enjoyment of life.  Of you efforts that all came together to finish your race.  This is your moment to dig deeper and run your race from the energy inside of you.  When you faced with the thought of quitting, quickly disregard that thought and think of what you can achieve.