I have been running marathons for several years now and have made a goal for myself to run a marathon under three hours. Its something that I really want to do. The last marathon I did just six months ago (in September 2013) was the Top of Utah. I had trained hard for this Marathon in order to accomplish my goal. I had spent a lot of hours training and perhaps had trained too hard to quickly because I ended up getting an injury in the arch of my foot towards the end of my training. I worked through this injury and even saw a physical therapist about it. He helped me work through it while still being able to continue my training. As the week of the Marathon grew closer my foot was still somewhat of a problem and as I was discussing my marathon time with him he recommended that I try for a 3 hour and 15 minute pace instead of under three hours because with the injury and the time I had lost in training I would be better off trying for under three hours on a different race. I kept his advice in the back of my mind but I still had it in my head that I was going to get under three hours.So the day of the Marathon came. I loaded the bus in the dark with all of the other racers and we headed 26.2 miles up the canyon near logan. When we reached the top to where the race starts there was music playing, people running around, people eating there energy bars and a whole lot of excitement in the air with everyone getting ready to begin the race. Before long it was time to line up for the marathon. They have different places that you can stand according to the time you would like to get. I knew I should start out at the 7:30 or 8:00 min/mile pace but I was feeling pretty good and thought, "oh my injury isn't going to be a problem. I'll be fine. I'm still going to try to get under three hours". So, I did not take the advice given to me and I lined up in the 6:30 min/ mile pace spot. Soon the gun went off and the race began. The first seven mile were a breeze. They were down hill and fast. I was feeling so good and I thought, " I think I'm going to do this". I was keeping up just fine with all the other runners at a 6:30 min/mile pace. Then, the next 6-7 miles I decided I should probably slow my pace just a little because the physical therapist had said that I would probably feel great until about mile 17 and then my foot would probably start bothering me. So, I slowed down just a little but was still on pace to get under three hours. Well by about mile 14 I thought I was feeling a little pain from my foot and my muscles were starting to get pretty tired. I know there are times like this for me in marathons so slowed up a little more and just pushed through it. I was able to keep this up until about mile 18. At this point I "hit the wall". My foot was starting to hurt enough that I noticed that I was running kind of different, and my pace and rhythm was getting off. I started to get worried and then the more I worried the more the pain in my foot bothered me. I started to feel like with every step I took my legs were just made of lead. It was getting hard and I didn't have the energy I needed to make up for the pain in my foot. I kept running and just put the blinders on until I reached about mile 22. At this point my foot and leg and many other muscles in my body were in so much pain that I just wanted to quit. I called Garrett and told him that I needed him to come and run the last three miles with me because I felt like I was just going to quit and I really didn't want to quit. He met me about a mile further down and kept with me to the finish of the race. When I finished the race I just sat down and cried because I had used every ounce of physical and mental energy I had and I was so exhausted. I can't think of a time in my life when I have been more physically and mentally exhausted as I was after this marathon.
As I have thought about this experience, during the race and after, It occurred to me that this could be a good analogy for life. We have church leaders, parent, and others experiences to learn from. We are taught to avoid temptations. We know we shouldn't listen to certain music, watch shows that are not uplifting, go to internet sites that can lead us down the wrong path, or have friends that are doing things contrary to what we believe. However, I wonder sometimes if we think, "well I'm not going to be affected by this" or "this won't happen to me". Had I started my race and stayed at the pace I new I should have stayed at it would have been so much easier. I could have avoided a lot of pain and and injury after the race that took months to overcome. I really think that had I listened to the advice given to me by the physical therapist, who had seen this type of injury before and knew what would happen, that I could have had a great race and ended up with a good time. Instead I thought I was immune to the consequences of my injury and I fell into a trap that is not easy to get out of. This caused me to lose a lot of time and to injure myself even more.
We need to be careful as we embark on this journey of life that we stay as far away from temptation as we can. "just this once" is the start of a very long road of unhappiness.
Something I will always remember learning as a teenager are words that my dad so wisely said to me during a time in my life when I thought I was invincible to anything bad every happening. I was trying to get him to let me go somewhere or do something with a friend of mine. My parents both thought it was a bad idea. I tried telling them they just didn't understand and they didn't trust me. Well, my dad went outside on a walk with me and lovingly talked about the situation with me. When I said that he just didn't trust me he said, "Tiff, I wouldn't even trust myself in that situation". I have remembered that advice and know that it is so important to stay where it is safe. I know that what he was saying is. Hey, I trust you but why put yourself in a situation where it is so easy to fall into temptation. Why even go there. We need to listen to the prophets and church leaders. We need to keep the commandments and try to become like our savior Jesus Christ. He loves us and doesn't want to see us get hurt. He has made it possible to return and live with him. We have prophets to help keep us safe so that we can return to live with him and so that we can be happy in this life that we have been given.
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