Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

I started running in January 2010. I lived in Washington, D.C., and at the time I started running, I couldn’t finish a full mile. I had to alternate running and walking. In order to encourage myself to continue running, I decided that I would run the Marine Corps Marathon in October that year. At the time, registering for the MCM was a first come-first served process in which all of the registrations would be taken in about 24 hours. However, MCM hosted a qualifying 10K race in May, and anyone who finished it in less than 14 minutes per mile received an early registration code to register two days before it was open to the general public. That seemed like my best chance to guarantee registration in the Marathon itself, so I registered for that 10K. And I started running.

It was a struggle. I had never run before, and I had no idea how to do it properly. I would use Google Maps on my laptop to figure out which roads I needed to run to reach the right distance for that day. I would time myself with my watch and record the times in my planner. I don’t have to think much about these things anymore; the Nike Run Club app tracks all of them for me, but it would be two more years before I owned my first smartphone. Because I tracked myself at 14-15 minutes per mile on most mornings, I figured I had a good chance of finishing the 10K in time to get the early registration code.

I increased my mileage over the five months before the race. While I could see my duration and endurance increasing, my speed never really did. I now know it’s because I was not varying the speed during my runs – I only did long runs at a recovery run pace. I have since learned the value of different types of runs, including interval runs and fartlek runs, but at the time I just ran consistently. I visited my family in Tennessee early in my training and decided I needed some new shoes. I rarely wore shoes, especially then, and I had probably never spent more than $15 on any pair of shoes. I remember going into Kohl’s and finding shoes with a wide heel on them that looked like they would protect me from rolling my ankles, which I did relatively often. They were $100!!! I was incredulous. My mom told me that I could spend $100 on a good pair of running shoes OR I could spend the money for an ER visit, an orthopedic follow up, and physical therapy after I inevitably sprained my ankle again. Point taken – I bought the shoes.

10K Race Day came quickly. I made the drive from Georgetown to Quantico full of excitement. (I had no idea that in November 2010 I would move to Quantico for four months of intelligence analysis training. Life can be funny that way.) I had run six miles on my own, but usually much slower than the required 14 minute time limit. My only goal for the day was to get the early registration ticket for the marathon. I had never run a race before, so I was a little confused when everyone was lined up and started running far behind the start line. I was afraid that I would run out of energy starting too early.

For the entire race, the other runners passed me every few seconds. I don’t think I passed a single person during the run. There were several men who were running with strollers, and one of them was running with a double stroller. I couldn’t keep up with any of them. I didn’t know how the water stop worked, and I was looking for a trash can to put my cup in after I drank the water. I remember thinking that I would really like a second drink but did not know if that was allowed so I only took one. I finished the race, and as I crossed the finish line, someone handed me a registration coupon! I was so excited. I had accomplished my goal. I was going to run the Marine Corps Marathon the following October.

When I crossed the starting line, I was caught up in the moment and forgot to look at my watch; so I had no idea what pace I had run. I made the hour drive back home and looked it up on the race website – 60:05. I had clocked in at just under 10 minutes per mile. To this day that’s the fastest I have ever run a long distance, and I was shocked when I read that number. There were people passing me the entire race. It felt like I was running so slowly compared to the people around me. But I had been running my very best, and I was able to exceed all my expectations come race day.

The more I run, the more I see why Paul compared the Christian walk to a race and why he told the Philippian church to press on toward the goal. There are so many ways that training for a race is comparable to daily, consistent discipleship. You have to start slow, learning a little each day until one day you look back at the disciple (runner) you were six months ago and the progress is undeniable. There are ups and downs – you will have days that you run really well and days that even finishing the easy runs is a challenge. You never reach “the end.” There is always room to grow in discipleship and in running. And, the lesson that I learned here is that if you surround yourself with people who are stronger than you, you level up quickly.

In discipleship, this looks like spending time with more mature Christians, asking questions about the way they study the Bible, what they have been learning recently, and getting advice about life questions. When I think about asking to spend time with more mature Christians, my first thought is “they don’t have time for me.” I find the best way to spend time with someone who doesn’t have much time is to live their lives with them. Offer to go to the store with them or offer to come over and help around the house. If I can help someone organize their children’s clothes, we can get their house in a better order and have some incredible conversations at the same time. If we are taking a long day trip as a ministry, I ask if they want to ride with me. I try not to add to their to do lists but help them work through the one that already exists.

It’s also important to be that more mature Christian to help someone else along. Make sure that you are sharing what you have learned and giving Biblical direction to those who seek it from you. Make time to spend with people who are looking for guidance and support – let them come to the store with you or ride along on long trips. If we are going somewhere that I know I will need help with the kids, I invite a younger disciple along who can help me wrangle the little ones, and I make sure to ask questions about how they are doing and talk through anything going on in their lives at the time.

I used to think that running was a solo sport; in fact, that aspect was one of the things I loved most about it. I could get up on my schedule, step out my front door, and start running. I have learned that having other runners to provide training and direction helps me be a better runner in ways I never imagined. I have a friend who is an experienced runner whom I text after my runs and let her know how they are going. She provides advice and encouragement, and I am so grateful for her. 

Christianity is also a team sport. The more time we spend helping one another, the stronger we all become as disciples. We work together, gleaning knowledge and strength from the Bible and from other disciples. We are running the race together and that makes us all better runners.