The Runner’s Chastisement

Let me get one thing straight: Running is hard. It’s not your average exercise where you can take moments to rest. It’s not your average sport where you have other people to depend upon. You’re either running or you’re not.

Running with longevity in mind is even worse. Not only are you using your whole body to cover a distance and to apply it as exercise, but you’re planning on running miles. And, depending on the terrain, these miles may not even be on a level surface. You may be huffing it up a mountainside in sweltering heat, or you may even decide to go after it has just rained through a forest where the mud will suck the shoe and sometimes the sock right off your foot (I’ve seen it happen!).

Nevertheless, you plan on going out to run. You’ve got your playlist queued up, shoes tied (double knot of course), sports drink stashed away as a succulent reward, and the determination that this will be a great run.

You get your pre-stretch routine down and next thing you know, you’re on the trail to glory. The sun is out, there’s a cool breeze to act as your personal air conditioner, and the sound of a stream close by to provide Track #4 of Nature’s soundtrack (I bet you didn’t know nature had a soundtrack, did you? You should probably get out more if that’s the case…)

You’ve steadily been running for about 6-7 minutes and feel alright; not exquisite, but alright. Oh, what’s this up ahead? Great…that’s one steep hill that I’m coming up on.  As you begin to talk to yourself, you have the option to either encourage or discourage what’s about to happen. You can either say, “I’m gonna bust this hill in the face until it’s bleeding and running home to momma,” or “This hill is gonna bust a cap of exhaustion and fatigue into my already sore buttocks.”  The choice is yours to make at this point.

(It should be noted that I have a history of running. I ran track my high school years and ran cross country in my high school and college years. So, even though I’m no pro at running, I do know a thing or two about it.)

In my case (especially true of today’s run), I endured what I like to call the runner’s chastisement. What this is to me is where I begin to talk myself out of tackling the obstacle that’s in front of me. I’ll focus more on my pain rather than the destination (the end result).  Given my record of running as of late, I’ve not been training so well. My schedule with it has been very sporadic. So, that goes without saying that my body is not physically prepared to tackle what I think will be alright for me to do. My mind may tell me I can, but unless I take steps to prepare, I’m going to endure a lot of pain and suffering that could be lessened or even avoided if I’d only taken the time to prepare for it.  In about 48% of my cases, I’ll say something like this if I end up walking…

“If I can just make it to that branch that’s hanging over the trail on the right, I’ll start running again.”

And then I get to the branch, still not feeling like I’m ready to run again, and say…“If I can just make it to that white-looking tree, I’ll pick it back up again.”

And then I make it to the tree and maybe, just maybe, I start running again.

The more I think on it, the more I correlate this to my personal walk with God. In order for me to be “trained and prepared” for going with Him where He may lead me, I first have to put in the work for it.

How am I supposed to know the stories of people that God brought through times of trial and distress if I’m not opening my Bible–even if it’s just to read one chapter a day?

How am I supposed to listen to His voice if I’m not even letting Him hear mine through times of prayer and just talking with Him?

How am I supposed to get past the hurt that I’ve been dealt in my past if I’m not willing to let Him apply His loving kindness to my pains?

Sometimes, we let Him in and we talk with Him and we learn more of who He is, but sometimes we don’t…

“If I can just make it to where that white sign is waaaaaaayyyyy down there, I’ll start running again.”

We begin to become complacent with the way our lives are, the way that we have adapted to our surroundings, the way that, for us, feels…normal. 

If I want to run 4 miles and end up walking 4 miles instead, what have I achieved? Yeah, you could argue “Well,  you went out and got exercise in didn’t you?” But that’s not what my goal was. My goal was to run 4 miles and if I end up walking it because I let the chastisement of myself, my doubts, and my anguish deter me from my goal, then I’ve not accomplished what I set out to do.

When you’re given a dream or a vision that requires a lot from you, it’s not going to feel good at times.

But you have to keep your eyes on the mark that you’ve been given…Sometimes, we got to go through some dark times where darkness may be all around us before our dreams and goals can come to fruition. Thankfully, it’s not always going to be dark. There’s a light on the other side.

We may share our dreams and hopes with people who we think may care about what we want to do, but are shocked when they tell us everything that may be wrong with it. Yes, it’s good to look at the negative things because that gives you a list of potential obstacles that you may face, giving you time to work on ways around that. But, we also need people who will believe in what we are setting out to do, lifting us up with words of encouragement.

If you know God has given you a dream or a vision or spoken a purpose in you, don’t let the “runner’s chastisement” mentality creep up on you and discourage you from what you feel passionate about. Prepare yourself through practicing and training first, go out and actually do it, then look at the end results and analyze what was good and bad about it, and then repeat the process to aim for better results.

Stay focused on your goal

Stay determined with what’s in front of you.

And when you see a hill, bust it in the face.

-§c