Water stations

After two hours and five minutes, the race was over. The 13.1 miles was behind me, and I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment coupled with an amazing amount of weariness. Along the way, there were several times that I just wanted to stop running. My body seemed to be sending signals to my brain that it was done, and during those times the idea of quitting was very attractive. But I pushed through, in part at least because I kept thinking about what was ahead – not necessarily the finish line, but the water station coming up in another half mile or so. If I can just make it there, I thought, then I’ll be refreshed again and perhaps I can run a bit longer. I had to set my sights close at hand because the finish line was just too daunting. By way of these short term goals and refreshment and the cheering of onlookers along the way, I managed to make it to the end.

Perhaps there’s a lesson here when we find ourselves running out of steam in the race of life or school or work or whatever else. Yes, envisioning the finish line can help aid our endeavor in a nebulous kind of way, but I think a cup of water close at hand may be a bit more instrumental in keeping us from quitting. So look for the water station ahead, but don’t forget to be one too. There are others out there running their own races who could use some cheering and refreshment.