Life – It’s a marathon

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On Jan. 18, 2009, I will lace up the shoes and begin the journey of running my first marathon, the PF Chang’s Rock and Roll. Although I have been involved in a number of 10ks, half-marathons, and even a handful of 100-mile bike rides, this will be my first attempt at 26.2 miles of running. I have to say that it’s one goal that has been on my short list for a long time, so, hopefully, I will achieve it.

Over the last few months I have been training with a group of local Maricopans. We are being trained by and raising money for Chances for Children, a non-profit that raises money for children, teaching them about the benefits of eating right and exercising. We are Team Maricopa, and we get together every Tuesday night for a track workout, and then again on Saturday mornings for a long run. It’s been a great time getting to know some of the local people, helping to raise money for a great cause and getting in some tremendous shape.

Training for a marathon is almost as daunting as the race itself. We are already logging close to 30 miles a week and will peak at close to 40. One of the benefits of training with a team is that we do it together, and we have a coach. Our coach keeps us motivated, gives us pointers and helps us move through our training to achieve our best possible race. Susan Loken is our coach, one of the best marathoners in the country. She does a great job of guiding us through our week. Reminding us to eat right, stay hydrated, get plenty of rest and listen to your body, while cheering us on to run hard, run slow, stay after it and never give up. Susan’s mantra is “True happiness, peace and purpose happened in my life when I started giving of myself as much as I gave to myself.”

Our coach is awesome! She tells us that there will be times when we need to push through the pain and times when we need to rest. We actually have weeks in our training where we back off of our miles and let our bodies recover a bit. We are coached that training is a total package. It’s not just about running as far and as fast as you can; there needs to be balance in our training. Some days we go long; some days we go short; some days we go fast, and some days we go slow. It’s all about achieving the end result, which is finishing well. It’s been a great experience, and I have to say that I am in the best running shape that I have ever been in. My miles continue to go up, and my times continue to go down. It’s been a team effort: me, my teammates and my coach.

Running that many miles a week is a lot of time on the road alone with yourself. It has given me time to think about how much training for a marathon is a lot like life. I know we have all heard the cliché “Life is a marathon,” but the training has become as much of a spiritual journey as a physical one. There have been times in my life that I felt like I couldn’t go on, times when I felt like quitting. There are also times when things are going well, and I want someone to share them with. There are many times when I wish I had someone there to help me navigate the journey, help me decide when to back off, when to go hard and someone to help me finish well. After all, we are all in a race; it’s called the human race, and someday it will end. It’s a race that is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, and it’s a marathon.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do life together as a team? Wouldn’t it be great if we had coaches around us helping to make good decisions, eat right, go to bed, push hard and lighten up? What if living life was like training for a marathon? As a pastor of a faith community, it seems to fall hand in hand. Life isn’t like a marathon; it’s like training for one, all leading to finishing well. A faith community, or church, is just like a team for our lives. We are doing the best we can to train well, help each other navigate the storms, cheer each other, and at times endure each other’s pain. It’s a tough world out there, and we need all the help we can get. I would encourage you to check some of our local churches out. I know most of the pastors, and they are some great coaches. They also have some great people to train alongside. And, if you see me out on the road pounding out the miles, give me a shout. I can always use the encouragement! I may be on my last mile, or my first one, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that you are there with me.

Anyone who would like to donate to Team Chances can contact Akers via email at [email protected]

Rusty Akers is the lead pastor of Community of Hope Church. He is also the Maricopa Fire Department’s chaplain.

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