Thursday, March 6, 2008

Running Goals (Pat)

Hi, LIFER's:

I normally don't publicize my goals :). For example, Joe Hourigan and my Mom were the only people who knew I was going to attempt a sub 3 hr Pikes Peak Ascent in 2006. I hadn't even committed a goal with Angi or Rich (my running partner). God granted me the perfect day (cool with overcast) and ultimately the "desire of my heart", as I finished with a 2:59:51 (#50/1639)...thanks in part to Padre Pio (a mystical story for another day). I was unaware that Joe Hourigan volunteered to hand out finishers medals at the top. As I crossed the finish line, Joe yelled out, "brother, you did it!" I did it...through our savior Jesus Christ who strengthened me (Phil 4:13)! As the last person to break 3 hrs that day, my finish was described in the newspaper under the subtitle "10 seconds to spare." I was quoted in the article: "When I was about one minute from the finish line, I told myself to let the Holy Spirit carry me forth. After that, I don't remember feeling the ground. I was walking on a cloud."

To be a good teammate and accept my Brother Steve's challenge to post our goals (great idea for accountability), I will gladly publicize my goals for the 2008 Chicago Marathon :).

1. Run closer to Christ through our team fellowship and service to neighbor by defending the unborn, etc (faith).
2. Defend the unborn through education and courage (sacrifice).
3. Celebrate God's gift of life through the training process (joy).
4. Arrive at the starting line prepared spiritually and physically (peace).
5. Courageously reach for my best (break 2:53:51), praising God for the opportunity and honoring Him by striving to maximize my potential.
* Chad sent me a message today with this question, "Can you really not run just 5 miles in 30 mins?" I took this as a challenge :) and will attempt this as a secondary goal...as the Turks say, "Inshallah" (God willing).

For Christian runners, training for a marathon is a faith growing experience because the training sacrifices give us a greater awareness of our total dependence on God (humility) and the training time allows for more (and deeper) prayer time (greater connection with God's will for us). In short, a marathon training experience is like being on an extended retreat. If we surrender the marathon training to God, we will be excited at the starting line but not nervous (faith perspective). Also, with a faith perspective, the marathon is not the ultimate goal...Jesus is the ultimate goal! Therefore, if we were to get injured just a few days before the race (heaven forbid), we would feel some loss (goals 4 and 5 above), but we would have already accomplished the main goals (1 to 3 above)!

Run for Life!,
Pat
Phil 4:13

1 comment:

Steven S. Castle said...

Thanks for the perspective, brother, and the need for a higher purpose and power. As always you keep me grounded - It's all about the little innocents. I think Padre Pio can get behind that!