by: Topher Wiles
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| G&E enjoy my race swag after the St. Jude's Marathon in 2014. |
Sweat was
dripping everywhere from my aching body as my legs screamed at me. Then, the cheering erupted. High fives and hugs dominated the moment as
the gracious volunteer hung the heavy metal around my neck and wrapped me in a “space
blanket” on that cold December day. My
feet felt like weighty concrete but my heart was as light as a feather.
Perhaps it was
the five caffeine laced gelpacks I consumed in my four hour 26.2 mile marathon
run that kept my heart racing. Maybe my
heart was light because, unlike the first unfortunate marathoner who died after
his run, I knew had successfully survived the brutal assault on mind and
body. It’s possible that the light
feeling was the result of the St. Jude’s cancer patients and survivors showing
signs in the last mileage that read, “You’re doing this race for me!” Yet, I believe the biggest motivator was the
accolades and praises of my training coach that made my runner’s high continue
from the Memphis St. Jude’s Marathon all the way home.
After multiple
races totaling hundreds of miles since 2014, I’ve only been able to duplicate
that feeling one time, and it was last weekend.
Sure, Tough Mudders were a blast, half-marathons were fun, and sprinting
5k’s to a gold medal win was exciting, but they weren’t the same as that
Marathon with Don. My friend Don was at
least 10 years my senior and has run in the Boston marathon, which means he is
a high level runner. His wife was also a
cross country coach while he raised four cross country running kids. This guy knew how to train me to run a
marathon. Back in the day when I would
proclaim, “I’m not a runner and I don’t like to run,” Don took me under his
wing and educated me on all things running.
I still don’t like to run, but I’m a proud runner today because Don’s
patient training pulled me along to the prize.
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| Indy Half Marathon with Don and Chipper in 2016. |
Don’s secret training
methods weren’t about buying Eliud Kipchoge’s record breaking shoes or the
latest breakout training routine. Don simply
pulled me along and encouraged me every step of the way. For months he texted me frequently to
coordinate running schedules together. He
helped me rehab through injuries and gently corrected my form offering little
tips along our journey together. During
the long runs, when Don could tell my body was starting to give up, my training
partner would always run two steps ahead of me, shielding me from the headwind,
pacing me with his time, and constantly encouraging me with his words. Even during the race, Don would pull just a
couple steps ahead of me, challenging me to quicken my pace all until the last
half mile, when he shifted behind me encouraging me to take the lead and the
photo finish glory in the home stretch. I was ecstatic crossing the finish line
because I had reached not only my goals but I made my training coach proud.
This last
weekend, I was able to duplicate that lighthearted feeling that lasted all day
and well into the week, except this time, it was me who crossed the finish line
two steps behind a runner. My friend John
had never run more than a 5k before I convinced him to attempt the Cookeville
Haunted Half Marathon. He was so worried
about being able to survive his 3 hour run that he made sure his life insurance
policy was up to date. Like me, John
professed, “I’m not a runner and I don’t like to run.” Still, every week I checked on John and his
progress while sharing little tips that I have learned in my years of running. When we ran together, John was silently
conserving every breath for his lungs and legs while I chattered away about
life, running, and God to keep his mind from focusing on his aching feet.
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| I finished two steps behind John but still on a runner's high! Cookeville Haunted Half Oct 2019 |
On race day last
weekend, John was visibly nervous about his first ever 13.1 mile run, but our
prayer together at the starting line lowered his heart rate and helped set the
stage for one of his biggest achievements in pursuit of his health. Like my training partner had done for me
years ago, I stayed two steps ahead for the first 12.5 miles. Then, as we crossed the finish line, my smile
lengthened and my heart skipped a beat as I watched John two steps ahead of me,
accept the cheers, hugs, and high fives of family and friends. My achievement in the Cookeville Haunted Half
was not a personal record (I finished last in my age division) but that I
finally duplicated that amazing runner’s high of 2014. This time however, I wasn’t the one who
crossed the finish line first. Thanks
Don, for showing me how to coach.
Friends, we may
not all be called to run the road, but we are called in this life to be like
Don, patiently pulling other people to the prize. You may be called to focus on your family as
you help a child set and reach their goals in family, education, or their
career. Your calling may be toward a young person at
church as you pull, train, and cheer them to reaching spiritual milestones. A struggling family in the community may be
your aim as you patiently guide them through the trials of life. Whoever it is, remember that reaching those
same milestones you’ve already eclipsed takes patient time in training, helpful
and positive tips from your experience, and a lot of encouragement along the
way. There are few greater joys than helping
others succeed.
Now, who are you going to patiently pull to the prize?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so
closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” –
Hebrews 12:1
The word “forte” comes from the latin word “fortis” meaning strength. Our weekly Family Forte article in The Expositor is the effort of family at Central Church of Christ to give your family the love, care, and attention it needs to become a stronger version of itself. If we can help you in any way, please contact us at Central Church of Christ through email, topherwiles@spartacoc.com, or through our website, www.spartacoc.com.