running to obtain the prize

A random event happened almost two weeks ago at a Tuesday night track workout that I haven't yet been able to let escape my memory. There is a precious British couple, Ted and Margaret, that run consistently with my running group. I love running with sweet Margaret, she runs at a pace that is just a bit faster than I, just enough to be a good challenge. While her husband Ted is just as great, he is FAST, a lot faster than I. At the end of our speed workout (yes, it is brutal to put this part at the end) we are to do three 300's around the track as fast as you can. I was not particularly excited about this portion of the workout but knowing that it is easier to run it with a faster partner, accepted Ted's offer to run the 300's with him.

Now Ted already had one 300 in the bag by the time we started therefore, we decided to run the two 300's together and I would have to run the last 300 solo. Immediately after taking off with Ted I started to reconsider... Ted was running insanely fast, much faster than I am accustomed to. Each time Ted felt me backing off the pace he would look over his shoulder and verbally pull me along. He would say, "See the girl in the white shirt ahead? Just run to her." and when we zoomed past her he'd say, "See the man in the black shorts ahead? Just catch up with him." And though I felt like I was going to throw up, I did make it to the end, in record speed, two times! Though Ted was setting the bar high for me with quite a challenging pace, he was there, running the "race" with me the entire way.

However, I felt an even more challenging test arose as I realized that though I was ready to quit (after all, Ted had now finished his workout) I still had one 300 left to run. The following thoughts crossed my mind, "Ted's done. I can run the last one by myself and slow the pace down. There will be no one beside me to challenge my pace! Nice! I can ease up a bit, not have to run quite as hard." That was the furthest thing from the truth. Not while Ted was still on the track! Ted sent me off for my third 300, admonishing me to break it up into manageable pieces by just trying to catch (and beat) the girl in the white shirt front of me until I got to the end. Through that entire last 300, I could hear Ted from the other side of the track yelling with his British accent, "Catch her! You can do it! You've almost got her! Keep going!" Every time I thought I wasn't going to be able to keep that same pace until the end and I would back off ever so slightly I'd hear Ted's British yell come from across the track.In the end, I did catch the girl in the white shirt in front of me just as I was crossing the 'finish line.'

So, why has this random event been seared into my memory over the last couple of weeks? For two reasons: (1) I am grateful for those in my life who have run along side me, setting the pace just a bit quicker than what is comfortable for me, challenging me to live outside the comfort area. I'm thankful for specific men and women in my life that are running towards Christ as hard and as fast as they can. I'm thankful that they encourage me to mirror their pace in pursuit of Christ as well. (2) I'm grateful for those that, though our course might be different for the moment, they yell their challenges for me to keep running towards Christ from the other side of the track. I'm thankful for those that when I start to back off the pace ever so slightly, yell their admonitions from the other side of the track to keep running as hard as I can and not to stop until I've reached the finish line and obtained the prize.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. -1 Corinthians 9:24