Columbus Half Marathon Recap
Heather and I completed the Columbus Half Marathon this morning. My wife ran a great race and had a personal best time of 1:48! I was so proud of her as she beat her previous best by over 5 minutes! Sadly I missed being by her side because I left her and our friend Amanda at the beginning of the race in pursuit of my personal goal. I battled a sinus/respiratory flu all week but it was still hanging around this morning. I ended up finishing at 1:50. If I am honest, I was disappointed crossing the finish line. I really was shooting to get a 1:47 (my personal best was a 1:48). I hate making excuses so I will go straight to the lesson learned.
I am sure there are some that would disagree with this philosophy, but I’ve been thinking about it all day. I will never set a goal before a half marathon again. Running 13.1 miles is an accomplishment all by itself. I honestly don’t run them for times or records, I run them for the atmosphere. As crazy as it sounds, I run them for the enjoyment, the setting, the people, the signs, the slogans and the stories. I run them to thank the people that pick up all of the plastic cups thrown on the ground. I run them to thank the police that stand in the intersections and give “5″ to the kids that line the course with signs for their parents. I run them to share the joy and the time with my partner in life and running, my beautiful wife. That is why I run. That is my joy and where I find the reason to do these things.
Setting a personal record robbed me of all of that today. I was so concerned about my pace and my overall time that by mile 9 (when it was becoming reality that the record wasn’t going to happen), I sensed the Holy Spirit remind me that I was not having fun. The song “Magnificent Obsession” was on and reminded me to get my priorities straight. I spent the last 4 miles battling and finishing as strong as I could on this day. When it was over and done, I felt a sadness that I missed an opportunity today. The missed opportunity was not the personal record, rather, the chance to do all of the things I listed above. We’ll have more opportunities and a 1:50 is nothing to be ashamed of, but at the end of the day, it’s not why I run.
Lord never let me forget that.
On a lighter note, the highlight of my day came somewhere in the middle of the race. As you can see I was “representing” my beloved Tar Heels today during the race. At one point, I noted a man in a Duke Sweatshirt. I took great pleasure and had a HUGE smile on my face as I ran past him. I might have even puffed out my chest a bit in case he missed what was written on my shirt. Rivalries never take a day off…not even in half marathons!
Hey that’s a great reminder, Aaron! I too was disappointed with my time and performance today…but it’s easy to get obsessed with that aspect of the challenge and miss out on all the joys you mentioned.
What a blessing to simply experience the joy of running with a few thousand like-minded individuals. The atmosphere of an event like that is really a good picture of our journey with Christ. We are running a race (according to Paul) and have the opportunity to experience community, joy, encouragement, and even suffering together! To finish the race and run well (not by the standards of a timing chip) is the point. Sorry I didn’t get to bump into you guys. I started about 15 minutes late and didn’t hit the half-way mark until you guys were already done. ha, ha!
Blessings!
Thanks Chris. Man, I thought for sure we would run into each other at some point. Actually I kept looking for you to pass me. It would have been fun to run the first leg of your journey with you. A 4:05 is nothing to be disappointed about. Like I said, I’m not one to make excuses, but the temps were challenging to start the race and the inclines on High Street around 11 and 13 were brutal (for me at least). They took a good majority of what I left in the tank. I don’t know how the rest of the course was, but there were a few steady inclines in this one. You have much to be proud of. Especially after just completing one a few weeks ago. Awesome.
We started right at the front of the pack so we wouldn’t get caught in the bottle neck. Not sure if you saw the John 3:16 clothing guy at the packet pick-up or during the race http://www.316athleticwear.com/catalog_c277414.html) but I almost bought the shirt he had that said:
“Endure Hardship as Discipline” – Hebrews 12:7
Loved that verse. It proved to be prophetic in many ways today. Thanks for your ministry and your endurance. Great job on the race. We’ll get one together one of these days. When we do, we’ll know we’re not seeking a time or pace
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Congrats to both you and Heather. I thought about all those running this morning. How good of God to give you a new perspective so quickly. Sometimes I tend to wallow in my disappointment rather then seek the lesson God put there. Hoping for a great recovery this week and have a blast on Friday night running on the OSU campus.
Thanks Erin. Overall, it was a nice day. I won’t lie…I wallowed in my disappointment. My sister once told me that she read that runners should give themselves 2 days to do that then they need to get over it. That sounds like good advice to me. I’m looking forward to Friday night just to enjoy the atmosphere and put this one behind me. It should be a blast…even for a Tar Heel fan
Thanks again!
Awesome Job Aaron. Such an accomplishment. Glad you could do this together. WOO HOO!
Hi Aaron! I did a search for a half marathon playlist and found your blog. I am training for my first half marathon to run in the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon. Your running blog is an inspiration to me. I have never been a runner before, so it’s been tough, but I feel God leading me to where I need to go and it’s in this moment running. Seeing people like you enjoy it makes it a more enjoyable for me.