Race to the Finish Line

Today, April 16th, is one of the most famous marathons in the U.S.--the annual Boston Marathon. But many cities around the world sponsor 5K running events and they are all celebrations of what the human body can actually accomplish. Boston began their event way back in 1897. Last year, there were 27,222 brave souls who started in the marathon and 26,400 actually finished. Congratulations to all and maybe some will even return for another round this year!

The BM prize purse this year totals $830,500. Whoa! Not everyone gets a prize though. The money in the purse is divided between the top 15 runners, plus two other divisions. First Place, both men and women, receive $150,000 each. The 15th Place runner claims $1,500.       

I Think I Can, I Think I Can!

It's a nice goal to set for ourselves but, maybe not yet this year because it does take a bit of training and a lot of commitment and determination. Running is something nearly everyone can do. It all starts with just getting out there and moving. Like walking those legs. Then advancing to a walk/jog, and then light jogging, and full-on running. Sure, many of us will never get to the running part (depending on our age and ability). But even consistent walking can be our own special kind of marathon!

Just think, in the Boston Marathon the youngest competitor is 18 years old, but there are always a dozen or so entrants that are 80+ years young! So, that age thing going on in our brains holding us back from even trying can’t be used as the perfect excuse anymore (big smile here).

Just for some perspective, a good goal for a 5K beginner is under 40 minutes. In no time, with practice and consistency, one should be able to reduce that time to around 28 minutes. Keep in mind, the record for a 5K female runner is 14.11 minutes (if you're comparing--and who is?--the men's record is 12.37). We are not saying any of us non-competitive women should try this at all! We are just throwing out a challenge to get our bodies moving. Got it? Got it!

Where Is The Finish Line?

There are so many "finish lines" or ideals we can challenge ourselves with in our life journey. We all recognize that we've already been through grueling days and years of being run over by other people. Often, we didn’t have the energy to stand up to them. It was just too much. And, it was even scary and dangerous.

Make HEALTHY your next challenge!

Now, we have reached our own finish line and can raise our arms in victory! It feels good and we are ready for more challenges. Small ones, medium ones, and large ones that we know can bring us to the forefront of our own personal "marathon." Challenges give us the practice and confidence needed to sustain a good life. We all have different lives and now know better what we need.    

Our "Coach" in All Things

We may never have done much running in our pasts. But we have a reason now to take care of our bodies, so they don’t fail us when we need them most. God calls it, taking care of his temple. That’s what we are, his temple; his place where the Holy Spirit permanently lives in our hearts. Where he can reside and assist us with all those challenges. Among other things, his purpose is to give us encouragement, comfort, strength, direction, guidance, and focus. Aren't we glad we can count on someone?

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!" 1 Corinthians 9:24 NLT.