The Jacksonville Journey Race Report:
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
This was literally seen in each of the CR contingent that stepped up to the starting line this past Sunday in jacksonville, Florida!
Each one coming with their individual story, their own obstacle-whether injury or illness, and yet many with the common goal of making this their Boston Qualifier marathon.
Two of our team were taking on the marathon challenge for the first time, while many were returning as marathon veterans-just new to Jacksonville! Either way, they all came to the starting line the same that morning: wanting to 'run the race with endurance' for His glory as Heb 12:1 states!
They are a great picture of the body of Christ as you can see:
Chuck , who lives there right now and is an old friend of Richard's let 7 of us crash at his place the day before the race and hosted all of us with openness. What an awesome gift which made it a doable trip for many and kept a big group together for stories and commraderie! He ran the half and made his goal of breaking that ominous 2 hour barrier! And was coming off a plantar injury! Wow!
He and Shane then came back and cheered all the CR marathoners in at the finish line!
Shane also did the half after just doing his first half on Thanksgiving day at the Atlanta half! This after just starting to run this past spring when we train post ING for the Big Peach 5k! He did our pre-race ING prayer at the end of March and wasn't running yet! He had an aggressive goal of getting 1:40 after getting 1:44 just 3 weeks ago! He finished in 1:45, which wasn't his original goal, but is a great half marathon, and most importantly, learned how each race is different in so many ways.
Colleen did first marathon here, but her very first race! Seriously, this was her first ever road race! She did awesome! Her goal was I believe around 5:30. She never seemed nervous or intimidated, each time I talked to her she was smiling and excited to be there! I got to see her at mile 9 and she was cruising along and smiling like she was just enjoying every step! What a great image. She then finished in 4:54...great job of pressing forward and taking on a huge challenge.
Dawn was coming into this marathon with post and current injury running. She had battled some in our training runs together on Saturday mornings with some IT band issues and I believe other issues, but here she was ready at the starting line to run her race! She ran a strong race and was going to qualify for Boston as her goal...needing a 3:50 to do that. She passed Richard and I at about mile 23-24 and was running strong like a horse back to the barn! She finished in 3:40 and qualified for Boston! Great work!
Scott was also running his first marathon! He had done a long run with us on a Saturday group run of 20 miles and stayed right with us in our Boston training pace, and so we encouraged him to join us for the marathon. He was running the pace already that he needed to qualify without even really knowing it! So he registered and came along with us to do this race...his goal was a 3:30 for qualification. I saw him at mile 17 and he was on pace and running strong! We 'high 5'd' as he went by and I yelled for him to keep on and go get it! Scott made it to the finish with a great time of 3:29...yep, his first marathon! Another great finish for the CR contingent!
Richard was running his 16th marathon! He had done all the training on pace for this Boston Qualifier opportunity and was ready for this! He was going after that 3:30 time with incredible focus and determination. He has had some IT band issues in past marathons, but it wasn't acting like it would be an issue here thankfully. Well, the week of the race...he got a cold! But he didn' t let that keep him from going for it. He pressed on and got out there to do his best. I ran down and joined him at mile 17 to run to the finish with him. He was feeling the effects of his cold when I joined him, but was running fantastic and strong. His IT band started bugging him also at that point, but he didn't give up! He kept on going and never gave up through this race. His cold and the IT continued to plague him through to the finish, but he had a great race...he PR'd with a 3:44!! He stayed in there and pressed on to the end. What a great job of determination that was rewarded by him not only getting his PR, but also having his daughter Devin waiting for him at the finish line!
Ray came into this race with the hardest goal of everyone to hit time wise...he needed a 3:10 to qualify for Boston! He had trained hard and was on target for this race in a big way. I am not sure what number marathon this was for him, but even taking this challenge on needing that time is blistering! He had gotten his great start and was going strong through many miles. Then I believe at mile 9 or so he dropped his water bottle. As he bent over to pick it up, he fell and hit his chest on the ground funny. He had to lay on the ground for about 10 minutes with paramedics over him and assessing him on this! Determined to finish, he told them he was getting up to get this done. They couldn't believe he was going to do that. He was with Richard when I saw them at mile 17! Richard stopped for a little while there and Ray had continued on. We came up on Ray and he had started walking. So we encouraged him to run with us for a bit. He did! I had no idea about the fall or what he was suffering. He was with us for a little while longer before we started to pull ahead. He was able to come in with Kirk in 4:01 with a feeling of heaviness in his chest and sternum for all those miles! That was amazing! Incredible endurance!
Kirk was coming in with a story of greatest odds against him! He had surgery a few months ago and wasn't even thinking about this marathon up until he got clearance from his doctor to start running again...just over 45 days ago!! He also was going for a Boston qualification time...seriously! And he came at this with the thought of "what do you think, do I have a shot?" Richard and I gave our unconventional training schedule to him for the 45 days he would have and just encouraged him to do what he could and be careful! He hit that training and stayed on course like you wouldn't believe! It was incredible how he was running. He was on track! Then he got a terrible cold which took out about 15-20 days of his training! Almost half of the plan was affected, but he still came out to run his race! He needed a 3:45 and was on track up until the cold hit. He still never gave up and then even had his back start bugging him the week of the race. He ran that marathon and never gave up! He finished in 4:00...unbelieveable really...what a testimony and comeback.
Amy was here for her second marathon! She had only run one other one and it was totally for the experience of doing one and she had a great time. But this was now to qualify for Boston...totally different race and mindset! She had been training hard and getting all her runs on target for this. She needed a 3:45 also so would be able to run with Kirk to have someone the whole way. She was headed for this with great confidence...but she got sick! A few weeks before the marathon she went to work and caught a cold from some of her students! So she had to do some healing and training adjustments also! Either way, she ran great and had a fantastic PR for her second marathon...she finished in 3:50 and was another great testimony of strength and endurance from CR folks!
Stacey was back in her hometown for this marathon! She is a veteran of this course and the town. She has been battling several injury issues over the last year and this was an amazing comeback run for her. We are all in awe of her coming and running a marathon after seeing her recovering from the injuries! She had put in all her training and was going for her Boston qualification time of 3:45 also. Stacey has been to Boston several times before and was just going to get her requalification here. She was running strong here again as I am sure she has many times before. Around mile 19, the wheels started coming off she said. She stopped to get a drink at the water stop and when she started off again, her plantar flared up in a big way and grabbed her with pain. She tried to do what she could do to get back in the groove, but it only got worse! She went from one heel hurting intensely to pain in both heels! She was really struggling to walk/run/get to the finish line. But in her tenacity, she continued on. No DNF (did not finish) for her! She kept going through the pain! We were driving back to shower and saw her on the last 2 mile stretch and just screamed and cheered for her like a van of crazy marathon CR runners!! (She told me later how that kept her strong enough to not walk until she crossed the finish line!) That girl got to the finish line in 4:54...amazing perserverence! Just in awe really.
So, many similar goals of Boston Qualifications going into the race that day, but so many testimonies of God's plan, God's grace and God's perserverence for each of us! Everyone pressed on through whatever challenge they faced and came across that finish line with endurance and finishing the race that was set before them! How gracious and awesome is our God as seen in each and every one of this group of CR runners! So proud of all of them and their hard work...they all finished and with incredible grace and strength. Great job to all of you...what an amazing trip and race...this reaffirms to me why we are called to be in community with one another...how different of a race would that have been for any one of them without each other? I wouldn't even want to imagine it. You all made me so proud to be there with you and our ChristianRunners group!
Now, get some active recovery, enjoy your acheivement of finishing and ask how this will help you for the next race! :)
