Beth Frilingos: ING Half, March 21st, 2010

Tim and I ran the ING Half Marathon together this morning. He promised to run with WITH me and he did. He was by my side the whole time, except once, for a bathroom break. And due to my slower pace, we were very fortunate to finish at the exact same time as the top marathon finisher from Ethiopia (his first Peachtree and first time to Atlanta). It was very cool. It was inspiring. And it's why I not only love running, but I love to do the races.

I used to not love races. It was always about the competition, the speed, who was first, who was last (me). I'm not competitive and I'm not particularly fast. I just wanted to run, because while it hurts a lot much of the time, there are times when it feels really good.

During the race, I kept catching words, on signs, on the backs of runners' shirts, out of the mouths of spectators, and even once, I passed a glove on the ground. On the top of the glove, it read "Run fast". There were a few Bible verse signs that were about perseverance and "doing all things through Christ who strengthens me". Those signs did help to make me feel stronger, to make me feel like I could keep going when it began to hurt. But, a lot of the cheering, and a lot of the signs, were about running fast.

I don't think this is a bad thing. Running fast can be really fun. And hearing adults or especially children cheering you on, saying "run faster, run faster" can boost your spirit and keep you going. But, is being fast the goal?

It made me think of Paul. He loves all things "fast". The world of racing cars has turned him on even more, to fast cars as well as fast people. While I was running, I could hear him saying to me "Mommy, you were so FAST". And I thought, you're right Paul, there were times when I was fast. But then, there were also times where I was not and being fast was not my goal. My goal was to keep going. "Don't stop", I'd tell myself. You can finish. You can do it. Just think, if you finish, think about how much further you went, even after it stopped feeling good and began to hurt.

Endurance. I want to find ways to teach my boys about endurance. To value that endurance within themselves, more than the speed. Speed is fun, but endurance is the prize to be won.

And showing up and participating. You were there. You saw the mass of people flowing throughout downtown Atlanta, weaving in and out of neighborhoods. There were probably some today who didn't finish for whatever reason. But, they came and they ran, and they endured to the best of their ability.

It is a gift to be able to run. I am thankful that my legs to still work and I can do this. If not this, something else, but I am grateful for this.

I am happy with today's race. Not because I was fast and not even because I finished (though that is a great feeling), but because I ran. Congratulations runners! You did it. You all did.