I crossed the finish line and looked down at my watch. Under 23 minutes. Pretty good time for a 5K, especially for my age. It is amazing what anger does to
The main reason I am not good at distance running
I am a runner. Running helps clear my mind and keeps off the pounds. I am not good at long distances. My size probably has something to do with it. But, the main reason I am not good at distance running is that I am not great at pacing. I tend to start fast and finish slow. For example, I ran a marathon many years ago. I finished around four hours which is a decent time. The problem was that I ran the first half much faster than the second half and barely made it to the finish line. The last few miles were
Why I wrote this billboard
Sometimes I live my life as I run. Start real fast and finish too slow. Life is a marathon, not a 5K race. Sprinting feels good but running hard tires you out. I know from experience. One time I ran a half-marathon. I did a nice job pacing myself for the first ten miles. But, then disaster struck. I pulled my calf muscle and limped my way to the finish line the final three miles. I should have started with a more reasonable pace. I paid the price for this pacing mistake.
Pacing is more important than speed
In order to be a successful runner, you need both speed and pace. The best marathon runners in the world possess both. So do the best 5K and 10K runners. My problem is that I don’t really have either. I am neither fast nor have great pace. The same is true of my life. I will get excited about something and then obsess on it for awhile. In other words, I will sprint out of the blocks. Once I get bored, I back off and eventually lose pace. I usually finish most things that I start – just not well. I want to address this challenge.
In any race, when the first half is all about pacing, the second half will be about passing.
Hayden Shearman, TempoFit Head Coach
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
I like Andy Stanley. He is a great pastor. I listen to his sermons on a regular basis. Most of them are insightful. One podcast I listened to last year was about taking your time in life. Not to be in a rush. This sermon struck a note with me. He said time was my friend. I knew he was right. I needed to pace myself. To take my time to make wise decisions. Patience is not something that comes naturally for me. I would love to say that I am much more patient nowadays. But, that is not true. I am simply better than I used to be when it comes to pacing myself.
What about you?
Are you pacing yourself, or are you sprinting all the time? I hope you are doing a better job at pacing than I did when I was your age. Sprinting may feel exhilarating, but keeping the pace is more important. Winners know this, and I want you to win in the end.
Stop sprinting. Pace yourself. The road is long. Time is your friend
Dad