Qualifying

LISA:

The Boston marathon is a qualifying race.  That means the majority of entrants must qualify by running at, or faster than, a specific time goal for their age and gender at a Boston sanctioned qualifying marathon.  I did not qualify for Boston when Niki, Taylor and I ran the 2010 Dallas White Rock Marathon.  I missed it by 10 seconds.  Yep, you read that right…. 10 seconds.   Now, you’re probably saying, “Lisa, what happened?  Couldn’t you just run a LITTLE faster at the end?  How could you let that happen?”   I’ve thought about that ALOT and the answer is complicated: 

1)  I never thought I could run that fast.  My speed trainer John had extrapolated the numbers and, according to them, on my BEST day I would be 3 to 4 minutes off the needed qualifying time. Best days are rare.  Lesson #1 – Don’t believe the numbers.

 

2)  I tore my hamstring at mile 17.  I felt the pain, knew something was wrong and immediately sent a prayer… “God, if you will keep my hamstring strong, I will keep my mind strong.”  Lesson #2 – Believe in the power of prayer.  I finished the remaining 9 miles.  A week later I couldn’t run 1 mile and had to rehab my hamstring for months following.  I’m thankful God kept me in the race that day.

3)  I didn’t know my qualifying time.  Since I didn’t think it was possible to run fast enough to qualify I didn’t really know my qualifying time.  I wore a wristband I picked up at the race expo that was clearly marked 3:50.  I thought that meant my qualifying time was 3 hours and 50 minutes and 0 seconds.  Well, what I learned AFTER THE FACT was that it meant any time with a 3:50 qualifies you… a 3:50:01 or a 3:50:59.  When I crossed the finish line at 3:51:09 I was 10 seconds too late.  Lesson #3 – Know your qualifying time!  

So how am I running Boston if I didn’t qualify?    The thanks go to God and a special little boy named Dalton Lawyer.  Dalton’s birthday was last week.  He would have been 11.   We love you and miss you Dalton! 

Many of you know this story but I think it’s worth repeating.  Below is the email I sent to friends and family in November, after learning I was accepted to run Boston on a fundraising bib.   

In July 2009 my dear friend Jeri lost her 8-year-old son, Dalton, when he was struck by a truck while riding his bike.  Almost to the day a year later, my friend Holly's son, Logan, suffered a severe brain injury while wakeboarding at church camp.  A few months after Logan's release from the hospital (he was blessed with a miraculous recovery) our sweet friend Taylor Pratt was diagnosed with non-smokers lung cancer and passed away last month.  To be honest, I'm really ready for a new start in 2012!

Well, God has provided an awesome reason to look forward to 2012... the Boston Marathon!  Now this story gets complicated, so hang on:  

As you know, my running partner is Niki Pratt, wife of Taylor.  Last year we trained for the Dallas Marathon and Niki qualified for the Boston Marathon, the marathon of all marathons!  While going thru Taylor's cancer, one of the things we talked about and held on to was going to Boston in April of 2012.  We were all going... Niki running and me, Taylor and Les cheering her on.  What a fun trip it would be!   Well, as you know, Taylor didn't make it.  Enter God.  :)  

One day I was driving down the road with my friend Jeri, Dalton's Mom.  I got a phone call from a friend who had heard about Niki running Boston.  Jeri asked, "What was that all about?"  I told her about Niki running Boston and that I sure wish there was a way I could run it with her.   I couldn’t imagine her doing it by herself, not now.  Jeri said, "Just a minute."  She picks up her cell phone and calls Cheryl Toole.  Cheryl is the mother of Avery, the little girl who received Dalton's donated heart.  Cheryl works for Boston's Children's Hospital which is one of the designated fundraising charities for the Boston marathon and where Avery had her heart transplant.  The competition to be accepted to run for one of the Boston charities is fierce but a week or so later I found out I was accepted to run as a fundraiser for Boston Children's!  So Niki and I are going to BOSTON!  I know both Dalton and Taylor are smiling in Heaven.  :)

That was the email I sent and here is the rest of the story....   

To run Boston I have to raise a minimum of $4000 for Boston's Children's.  I’m not a fundraiser.  It’s not my personality.  All my life I've AVOIDED any type of fundraising events because it's just not me.  But a wise friend told me that if God got me a bib for Boston He would surely take care of the cash.  So,  I decided to give it to God and He answered through so many of you!   In just over a month, more than $4000 was donated.  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  You are a very special part of God’s plan and a blessing to me. 

So no, I didn’t qualify for Boston but I’m pretty sure I am meant to be there!   

To learn more about Dalton and Avery and their amazing story, go to  

http://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/bostonmarathon/page/Lisa-Williams.htm

Payoffs and Pedicures

1/4 of the training completed as of last Friday...4 out of 16 weeks done!  After our long run, Lisa and I treated ourselves to a pedicure.  Although a small thing, it makes me smile and my feet happy...a payoff.  


There are actually a few other payoffs that I have experienced from running.  Staying in physical shape, having a healthy heart and getting better sleep to name a few.  But what God has shown me through my running is a bigger payoff.  Paul told the Corinthians, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.  Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1 Cor 9:24-27)  


I never paid much attention to this message God sent through Paul until I started running long distances.  God gave me the ability to run and through it He opened my eyes spiritually.  Let me attempt to explain.  As these verses state, you run (or work or play) to win.  For me, along with many other runners, I want to finish the races I run and occasionally I like to set a personal record...I am pretty competitive and it gives me a goal in my training.  So I discipline my body and spend lots of time (see Lisa's previous post) doing just that.  And NO, I don't like running everyday I go for a run...in fact, some days I very much dislike it.  I count down every tenth of a mile.  But I know that the prize, the "perishable wreath" or PR or t-shirt I get for completing the race, is worth it.  God has challenged me to use that same discipline in my spiritual life.  I believe two of Satan's greatest tools he uses against me are my feelings and lack of self-control.  I used to think if I didn't "feel" like studying God's Word then it would be insincere if I tried.  Or if I didn't have the time to pray or serve or give...my list goes on and on.  So on the days I didn't feel like studying the Bible or loving my neighbor or I didn't have time to pray I wouldn't.  But since I started this long run training stuff, the Spirit has reminded me of  this verse and I ask God to give me the desire to be in His Word, the love I need for my neighbor, and to show me time to pray.  


This doesn't mean it all fits nicely and conveniently in my life, remember Paul says he makes his body his slave.  Therefore I have to practice self-control by saying "no" to some things to make time for others, both in my physical and spiritual training.  For example, the Lord has blessed me over and over again for the time I have spent studying the Bible.  Last year during the most painful time of my life, I would recall His promises that I had learned over the years in Bible study.  I truly believe that the foundation I have in His Word, coupled with prayer, is what got me through last year without losing my mind.  It was that tangible training in running that helped me see the meaning of Paul's message in my spiritual training...definitely a big payoff.  

But please allow me to clarify... these are spiritual disciplines (or ways to compete well in life and experience some payoffs here on earth) they are NOT a list of things that put you on God's good side or save you...you get there by FAITH in Jesus Christ...and THAT is the imperishable crown or eternal life...the ultimate payoff! 

It's Our Job

LISA: 

When Niki and I marathon train we call it  “our job”.  We approach it that way.  We “work/train” five days a week just like a regular job.  Besides church activities, everything else pretty much comes second to our training.  Of course we have to balance family and all their activities too.  We both have two kids.  Niki has Chalon (10) and Rosalyn (11).  I have Abigayle (10) and Olivia (10).   Our families totally support our training and do plenty of sacrificing and pitching in.  We couldn’t make this happen without their encouragement and help.   But because we are both stay-at-home Moms we can fit most of our training in during the day when the kids are at school….  what Niki’s husband, Taylor, called the SWEET NECTAR!   So here’s a glimpse of our weekly “work” schedule:

Sundays – Early morning tempo run

We’re running 5 milers right now.  I looked up the definition of a tempo run and it is described as a  “comfortably hard” run.  Hmmmm.  I’m not sure how something can be comfortably hard.    I guess it’s just not as hard as the “UNcomfortably hard” speedwork we do on Tuesdays.  So, on a tempo run we run faster than normal but not as fast as a full-out sprint.  It’s that in-between speed.  Make sense?  Tempo runs train our bodies to sustain speed over distance.  More importantly, tempo runs train our MINDS to know that we can push harder for a longer period of time than we think we can.  Running is physical but it’s a HUGE mental game. Right now because our mileage is pretty short we can fit these runs in before church. But I can see that as our mileage increases, I’m going to have to show up at church in my running clothes.  Oh well, Jesus doesn’t care what I wear.  J  

Mondays – Weight workouts at B/CS Fitness

This is an hour long, small group session.  Have you ever watched the TV show The Biggest Loser?   These workouts are like the “Last Chance Workouts” they do.  It’s a mix of weight work and cardio.

Tuesdays – Speedwork with Trainer John

I wrote about speedwork last week.  You’ve heard that expression “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.  Well, I thought on Tuesday I might die during our speed workout.  And you know, I was completely OK with that.  In fact, I was sort of hoping for it so I could be done with the workout.  John assured me I was going to be OK.  DARN!  We worked on sprinting up long hills.  It didn’t help that the temps were in the 70s and the humidity was off the charts.   Close to the end of the workout – when I was really physically and mentally hurting - the song “Jesus Loves Me” popped into my head.  I don’t know why.  It’s a children’s song and one I haven’t sung since my kids were babies.  But I figured Jesus wanted me to focus on it, so I sang it – in my head – all the way up the last, LONG hill.   One part of the song goes “they are weak but he is strong.”  I was weak and He was strong for me… getting me up that last hill!  Thank You Jesus! 

Wednesdays – Another weight workout at B/CS Fitness

Thursdays – Rest Day

YEAH!!!!  Recoup for the long run. 

Fridays – Long Run

These runs can take us a good half day.  Remember Niki’s blog about tan lines?  Last Friday the temps were in the 30s when we started.  Niki had her cold weather gear on (see photo).   We ran from my house in Pebble Creek to TAMU (about 10 miles) then ran around campus and out to Research Park until we hit 15 miles.  My husband, Les, works on campus so we finished at his office (photo below) and he drove us back home.   Thanks honey! 

Saturdays - Recovery Day

No workout! 

There you go, a glance at our weekly work schedule.  So, the next time you see Niki or me out and about (or at church) in our running clothes, know that we just got off of work.  J  

Why I Run

NIKI:

Last week marked the beginning of losses I experienced in 2011.  My mom's mom passed away quite suddenly, followed by my dad's dad in March, next was my beloved husband, Taylor, in October, then my mom's dad just weeks following, and last my dad's mom in December.  It was a sad year (and a hard last week) for me and my family.  Something that helped me so much, something that remained constant through all the tragedy was my running.  I've been asked many times and in many ways, why do you run, do you like to run, how do you run that far, etc...my answer is always, "Because I have running partners!"  Let me explain.

I lost one of my running partners last year.  Taylor and I ran together weekly before he was diagnosed with (non-smokers) lung cancer.  We ran 5k's, 10k's, triathlons, 1/2 marathons, and marathons together...well, maybe not "together" he was always ahead of me!  T was always up for whatever race Lisa, Janet and I were signed up for.  And I always thought it was a blessing that Taylor liked running as much as I did...it's not always the case that a husband and wife share the same hobby!  Taylor's last marathon was White Rock in December of 2010, I qualified for Boston and T ran it with lung cancer...not knowing he had it.  He was so proud of me and was planning on watching me run in Boston...I know he will be watching me and L!!!

Another running partner moved out of town...I miss you, Janet!  J always brought great perspective to our runs.  Lisa and I have children between 10-11 years old but J has 1 in college, 1 that just finished college, and 1 that has been out of college for a few years that lives out of state.  She would laugh when L and I would start in on our typical adolescent stories/worries...reminding us not to sweat the small stuff.  Her wise advice was priceless.  She is also planning on coming to Boston to watch us run.

And that left me with Lisa :) And so we run, and talk, and run out of breath so we put on ipods on and run some more.  Our time running together has provided us with many sweet conversations.  I have grown in my walk with the Lord as Lisa has challenged me, encouraged me, cried and laughed with me.  Lisa is the planner...she tells me what races we should run and maps out our long runs...I couldn't do this without her.   

So that's why I run.  God has given me able legs and amazing running partners!

(picture of James, Taylor, me, Janet, Katy and Lisa at 2010 TriWaco)