Pace Yourself
My Illinois Half-Marathon is in the bag! When I signed up for the 50 States Half-Marathon Challenge, this race carried a particular sentimentality for me because it was in the city of my birth, Chicago. One of my running mantra’s is, “My race, My pace.” Yet, when I’m running one of my greatest temptations is to match the pace of other runners. This time as I was running, I spotted a pacer holding a sign with the time 2:45 on it. When I saw her, I got excited and decided I would keep that pace to improve my average finish time.
For the first 2 miles, I kept up with the pacer. However, I soon realized that this pace would make the race more difficult and less enjoyable for me. In that moment, I had a decision to make, do I keep up with the pacer or do I find my own rhythm and pace myself?
As with each race, pacing yourself is key to finishing well. In fact, many marathons will assign a pacer to groups of runners in the race. Pacers are experienced runners who are responsible for helping runners maintain a steady pace and finish within a pre-determined time. Pacers offer words of encouragement and motivation to help runners stay on track.
Pacers are easy to spot because they may wear a distinctive t-shirt, while carrying a tall, bright flag, or banner displaying the finish time. They help runners achieve their personal best by helping runners navigate the course, providing advice on hydration, nutrition, adjusting the pace by slowing down or speeding up when necessary.
After making the decision to slow down, listen to my own heartbeat and pulse, I began hearing the pace of my own feet and the race became my own. I began to take in the scenery of the lake and enjoy the landmarks of familiar places. In the distance I could see the tall buildings that define the downtown Chicago Skyline. I enjoyed the musicians and singers that filled the atmosphere with the unique sounds of Chicago rhythm and blues music. There were people lined along the marathon course cheering for us with encouraging shouts and signs with positive messages designed to energize us at the right moments.
With each race, I come away with a life lesson or a spiritual principle. As I reflect on this experience, I realize how important pace is to every aspect of life, including work, relationships, and personal and professional development. Pacing ourselves means finding and maintaining harmony in our daily activities, managing our energy and doing what is necessary to sustain our health and well-being. It involves being aware of our limitations, setting realistic goals, managing our time and resources effectively. Overall, pacing oneself involves being mindful of your own needs and making intentional choices about how you use your time, energy, money, talents, gifts, skills, abilities and influence.
Striving for a sustainable and harmonious lifestyle is a key aspect of self-care and requires that we properly pace ourselves. If I had neglected to pace myself, I would have missed all of what my Illinois marathon experience became for me. What a joy it was to run down Lake Shore Drive listening to the sounds of Lake Michigan while taking in views of familiar sites in the backdrop of the Chicago Skyline!
Next up, Philadelphia, PA… Thanks for following my journey.
Dr. Toni
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