Lessons Learned During A Long Run

March 10 was a watershed day for me, for I ran the farthest distance ever in my life. I ran to support Mission Mid-Atlantic, the association of churches I serve. I was pleased to raise money and awareness to benefit Mission Mid-Atlantic. However, I believe I received the greater benefit because of lessons I learned along the way.

Set Goals

When I first thought of running to benefit Mission Mid-Atlantic, I thought of a longer distance such as twenty miles or even a marathon. Those close to me suggested a shorter distance, such as 20K (12.4), to be more reachable and realistic. The same is true in all of life. Whether your goal is increasing your Sunday morning attendance or writing a book, setting a realistic goal points you in the right direction.

Running Partner

I usually run early in the morning. Even though Lou Ann, my wife, also exercises at the same time, a different running pace makes it difficult for us to run together. I was thrilled when my good friend Trent Booth offered to run with me. He is an experienced ultra-marathoner and has run some huge distances. His partnership made the long run much easier. We laughed and talked and laughed some more and that took my mind off the pain that signaled through my body.

Small Steps

I didn’t just go out and run fourteen miles. I set up a training program that included slowly increasing the miles I ran. One day I ran four miles and I varied the distance the following days. One day a week I added a long run, but even the long runs increased at a slow rate. This incremental approach to running longer distances was what I needed to reach my goal. The first day I ran ten miles was really painful, and I had to visit my Chiropractor to put me back together again. But the small steps were important so that I could reach my ultimate goal.

Confront Pain

When I set out to run longer distances, I experienced pain like never before. If I didn’t confront the pain I would never reach my goal. There is a difference between pain that simply results from running longer distances and pain that is damaging the body. You experience a lot of discomfort when you set new goals. You must confront the discomfort if you are going to reach those goals.

Find Encouragement

I was a little nervous when I started the longest run of my life, but it was made a whole lot easier because Trent ran with me. He provided the encouragement I needed to reach my goal. Leadership is lonely, and as a leader, you often need to create your own encouragement. That sounds odd, but it is also true. You may also know of someone trying to run a long distance who needs encouragement. You may be the one to run with them and whisper encouragement.