Reflections on the Marathon: New Strength

“But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength.”  Isaiah 40:31

Post-race picture with Yvonne and Joshua

After months of training and planning, October 13 finally arrived!   I was excited to tackle my first marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.   It was a beautiful morning and perfect running weather.  

I’m grateful for all my family and friends who have supported and encouraged me throughout my training and on race day.  I’m grateful that I was able to run to raise support ($4,445… praise God!) for the children and youth of Bethesda Church in Bolivia.  These gifts are going to go a long way in providing care and resources for young followers of Jesus in Bolivia!

My motto and prayer going into the race was “weak made strong.”   I knew that I needed Christ’s strength and presence to endure and fight through the challenge. Near the end, I reached a point of desperation where I knew I had nothing left within me, and I started to pray Isaiah 40:31.  God gave me new strength to carry me through the final part of the race, and I give Him all thanks that I was able to finish.  

I came so close to my goal of breaking the 4 hour barrier.  My official time was 4:00:49.  I will walk you through the race and some of my thoughts at the different points.  

Miles 1 - 3

I knew the first few miles would be tough.  I typically feel a little sluggish at the beginning of a run, and the marathon was no exception.  It also didn’t help that the pace group I was running with started extremely fast (40 seconds faster than race pace on a couple of the first miles).  I was looking at my watch in surprise.  My body definitely felt the fast start.   I got to see Yvonne, Joshua, and my parents around mile 3.  That was awesome!  It definitely gave me a boost, and I gave Joshua a high five as I ran past them. 

Getting ready to give Joshua a high five

Mile 5

At mile 5, I finally started to get in a rhythm and was feeling better about the run.  I stopped at every aid station to take Gatorade and walked for a few seconds to make sure I could drink it all and stay hydrated.  Honestly, throughout the race, every time I saw an aid station, it was a tremendous blessing!  My body was thankful for the sugar and the energy boost. 

Mile 12

I was hoping to see my family again around mile 11, but I missed them since they were on the other side.   At first, I was really bummed about it, but then God reminded me of His presence and picked me up.  I got ahead of the pace group at this point in the race and was feeling really good running solo.  But I didn’t want to risk getting too far ahead of myself with 14 miles to go.  So I slowed down and re-joined the pace group. 

Mile 16

I had one of those defining moments at mile 16, when I asked myself the question, “Why am I doing this?”  It was a moment of doubt.  But then, I started thinking about the kids at Bethesda Church in Bolivia and began to pray for them.  The song, “You’re Beautiful” by Phil Wickham came on my playlist.  As I listened to this beautiful song reminding me who God is, I was running up a hill towards Willis Tower in the distance reflecting on the greatness and awesomeness of our God.  It was one of the best moments of the race for me. 

Mile 21

Running through China Town

I saw my family again around mile 21 in China Town.  Again, it was a big boost, and I stopped to give Yvonne a kiss and told her I love her.  5 more miles to go, and I was feeling okay.  

Mile 22

Potential disaster almost struck around mile 22.  I was trying to pass someone, and my left foot hit the curb causing me to be in an awkward position.  I felt like I got shot in the leg as a cramp screamed up the back of my right leg. I have never experienced a cramp like this.  At this point in the race, I had already seen so many people cramping up and having to stop and stretch.  Feelings of fear started to creep in.  Do I need to stop?  Do I need to walk the rest of the way?  I kept going and after about a half mile, the cramp went away.  Thank you, Lord. 

Miles 23 - 26.2

At mile 23, I started to feel empty like I had nothing left.   I wasn’t sure how I was going to finish the final 3 miles.  It felt like such a long way to go.  I started praying Isaiah 40:31 and asking God for new strength.   I waited on Him and around mile 25, God gave me something extra to get through that final mile. 

For some reason though, that final 0.2 mile is no joke! You would think that after 26 miles, 0.2 miles would be easy.  But it is not... especially in Chicago because you turn and go up a hill.   You make another turn and then you eventually see the finish line.  I pumped my fist when I saw the finish line.  Finally! 

When I was walking out of Grant Park to meet my family, that is when I started to get emotional and felt what I had just accomplished.  26.2 miles… crazy!  

I’m so thankful to God for this milestone and experience.  I know that God gave me new strength to meet a challenge that was harder than I ever thought.   I am a marathon finisher and am excited to continue running for God’s glory!  

"Are you ready?"

This is the question that many of you have asked me this week.  I do appreciate the question and your interest as marathon day approaches (3 more days!).   The other question I have been asked a lot recently is “Are you nervous?”  The answer is yes to both questions!

Yes, I'm a little nervous!  I’m most nervous about the dynamics of running with 45,000 other people.  I’m curious how I will handle running in a pack for most of the race, and I’m hoping it won’t be a distraction and that I will be able to find my groove and rhythm.  I can also see how running in a pack could be a big boost and encouragement knowing that I’m not alone.  I'm also really hoping that I don't need to go to the bathroom during the race! :) 

Yes, I do feel ready, and I’m really excited for Sunday! I’m grateful for the training journey and for all the miles I've logged so far.  God has been faithful and has given me strength and protection throughout the journey.  There were a couple setbacks with sickness and injury, but even with those, I look back as much needed breaks and time for my body to rest and heal.   My hope is that Sunday will be a glorious day and experience.  I’m excited to see how God will provide and give me the strength to go all the way to 26.2.

I’m thrilled for all the people that have made donations and are praying for the children and youth at Bethesda Church.  It is awesome to know that these beautiful Bolivian kids are being cared for and provided for.  Thank you, God! 

 I’m thankful for my amazing wife, my children, and my other family members who have supported me throughout this journey and will be there on Sunday cheering me on.  I’m grateful for all my friends who have taken an interest in my training even though they aren’t into running at all.

I’d appreciate your prayers on Sunday and for God to continue the work that He has begun in me through running.   This is a prayer that I have prayed many times during my runs, and I invite you to pray this with me and for me:

“I kneel before you, God, the One who loves me, created me, sustains, and gives me life and I run not for myself but for your glory.”

Grateful!

I'm back into a rhythm of training and am very grateful to get in 4 runs this week with a long of 15 miles.  I'm feeling close to 100% after recovering from bronchitis, and I'm gearing up for the peak training run of 20 miles this next weekend.  Even though the sickness and recovery has been frustrating, it has brought me to a new place of dependence on God.  "Weak made strong" has been a motto and prayer for me these days just recognizing how much I need God throughout this journey and can't depend on myself and my own strength.  Dependence doesn't always feel good, but it is a good place to be!

Yesterday at church, we focused the whole service on our partnership in Bolivia with Bethesda Church.  It was a joy to hear our different team members share about their heart for the leaders and children at Bethesda.  I preached a sermon titled "Stakeholders in God's World" calling us to raise the stakes on our investments and relationships in God's work around the world.  I'm very thankful for all that God did and our church's continued partnership with Bethesda.

Our running crew from church, Team Bethesda, has raised $2,900 at this point, and I personally have raised over $1,000.  Praise God!  I'm very grateful for all the people who are giving their resources to partner with what God is doing at Bethesda.  We still have a ways to go to reach our goal, and I want to raise over $1,300 more for these children and youth at Bethesda.  Check out this link to read more:  http://www.razoo.com/story/Jared-Ahrens-Fundraising-For-Team-Bethesda.

Just wanted to share all these things to be thankful for!

Reflections on First Half-Marathon: His Strength & Presence

Well, I'm overjoyed to write that I completed my first half-marathon... the Egg Shell Shuffle at Busse Woods!  It was an amazing experience.  In the days leading up to the race, I was quite nervous.  I was battling a little sickness and wasn't sure how my body would hold up.  Also, I was replaying my last race in my mind where I ended up in the ER afterwards and had concerns about repeating that folly!  I had never run more than 10 miles in my life and now I was embarking on 13.1.  These feelings sum up the big theme throughout my training.  Too often in my life, I trust my own strength and abilities.  I believe God has been working on me to embrace my own weaknesses and limitations to be able to lean more on His strength.

It was quite chilly upon arrival at the race.  Getting there early didn't provide many advantages as I waited for over 30 minutes out in the cold.  But the weather warmed up, and it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful morning.  I kept telling myself to start slow and don't push it too hard, too early.  The first 4 miles I held steady at an easy pace and then at mile 5, I started to pick it up.   Usually in a race, I try to find someone ahead of me who is running strong but not too fast that I can't keep up with. That's what I did, and it helped me to focus and get in a groove.

I really began to enjoy the run about the halfway point, and there were some precious moments between God and myself.  I love being out in nature and listening to worship music so those two elements help me to spend time with Him when I run.

The last 4 miles, I felt great.  I was quite surprised that I didn't hit a major wall and really sensed God's strength and presence throughout the run.  My last mile I ran at 7:53 and finished up the half-marathon within my target goal at 1:47:27.  I praise God for His goodness in my life and the gift that running has become to me.  His strength and presence were rich that day, and I look forward to this continued journey of running for His glory!

Grateful

I'm two weeks away from my first half marathon and am feeling very grateful!  The training has been going very well and for the most part, I've stayed injury free until some minor ailments crept up earlier this week.  Nothing major (I hope), but I'm trying to be smart and take some extra rest days.

I'm learning a lot about become a longer distance runner.  I use to go out hard at the beginning and then watch my time splits decrease as the miles added up.  Now, I'm starting slow, building confidence with each mile, and have been able to maintain more consistent time splits.

Spiritually, God has been working on my heart during my runs.  I'm remembering how weak and utterly powerless I am in my own strength and seeking to be more aware of my total dependence on God and His strength in running... and in life.  During my long runs, I've been listening to the gospel of Luke, and it has been a joy to soak in God's Word in larger doses at a time.

Back in February, I signed up for the Chicago marathon in October.  I can't wrap my mind around running 26.2 miles yet, but I am looking forward to the challenge and all that God will do through the marathon experience!

What This is All About...

Over the past year, something shocking has happened in my life... I have begun to run.  Not only to run but to actually enjoy running!  I am quite surprised myself at this turn of events.   Now, I am by no means a highly skilled or gifted runner, but I am really enjoying this journey God has me on.

Running has awakened something deep within me.  I believe God is doing something when I run.  There is a sense of life and freedom when I'm out there hitting the streets.  I believe that I'm running for a purpose and that there is more to all this than I even realize.  And as I run, my heart's desire is to run for God's glory.

The purpose of this blog is to document the journey of this rookie runner and also explore how running impacts my relationship with God.  I'm very curious myself to see where this journey goes!