For me marathon week has arrived! This weekend I’ll attempt about my 12th full marathon. Preparation began shortly after the beginning of the year, goal in sight.
Check out some rambling thoughts about how a marathon shares similarities with following Jesus.
- Training for a marathon, you have to have the long haul in mind.
- Marathon runners can’t get too excited about a good week or too down about a bad week.
- All athletes in strict training must manage their emotions.
- Race day excitement may influence the starting line atmosphere. But believe me, by the time mile 21 rolls around that excitement is gone!
- If you spent all your emotional energy in the first five miles, a crash later in the race is all but guaranteed. Sound like the parable of the sower?
- To run a marathon (26.2 miles) with any goal in mind, you have to make your body do things you may not want to do.
- You may lose convenience, sleep, comfort, or entertainment.
- Others may be asked to sacrifice a bit with you as you train.
- Any of these, in various ways, mirror aspects, seasons, or constant truths of someone longing to follow Jesus each day.