09 March 2009

Race strategy

I am a cross country runner. (Eh? Say what? I should conjugate that verb in the past tense due to the technicality that I’ve run a total of about 3 miles in the last 3 years? Well—clearly, you are not One of Us. Once a crazy runner, always a crazy runner. It’s as much a state of mind as it is a mileage log. Particularly during the perpetually parturient phase of one’s life.)

So here’s a little race strategy for you: if you can pull out a huge kick when you emerge from the woods and get that chute in your sights, your race isn’t a great success, even if you win, even if you hit a PR. (Unless the kick results from an unexpected adrenaline spurt that leaves you unconscious or puking after you cross the line. Then it’s ok). If you haven’t run till you thought you’d collapse, and then hit your next mile split, and then run until your reserves were gone, and then run some more, you haven’t raced like you should. There’s pacing involved, but only toward the end of most efficiently expending every last bit of oneself. There are some obvious CSPP parallels here, which you’re all intelligent enough to think out for yourselves, and so I shall segue to what triggered my nostalgia for those good old days of running my guts out.

Did someone say Segway?

I heard a snippet on the radio about one William Borden, heir to the Borden dairy empire in the early 20th century. I think he would’ve made a good cross country runner.

Some other obvious CSPP parallels here too,
but we won't go there now. :P

As the speaker told it:
Borden was attending Yale when he felt called to be a missionary. He surprised many by trading his role in the family fortune for an uncertain future in God’s service. As he wrote in his Bible:

No reserves.

Arriving abroad to begin further studies in preparation for his mission work, he fell ill, but declined the chance to return to the States. He wrote in his Bible:

No retreats.

He died of the illness not long after that, whereupon a third declaration was found in his Bible:

No regrets.

I'm thinking we need team shirts for this race. No reserves. No retreats. No regrets. Hey, it's as good a CSPP rallying cry as any, no? <:-)

5 comments:

Thursday's Child said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

Ha. I used to run competitvely too. My husband a former runner always said a good race was one where you almost throw up crossing the finish line. Then, you know you gave it your all.

Ahh. The good ol' days. I miss racing and the mental games.

Rebekah said...

I am SO not a real runner, which maybe explains why I stink at all this. :P

Dawn said...

Rallying cry, indeed!

I'm not even a pretend runner. But I want in on the T-shirt, anyway. :D

Melrose said...

No no no, the BEST race is when you puke BEFORE the race!!! :D

Once, before a big meet, I awoke feeling somewhat nauseated after ingesting copious amounts of food in an effort to "carb load" the night before. After a post-warm up cleanse, barf style, I ran the best race of the season!

I had no idea any of you CSPP authors were among the ranks of the crazies for life club...congrats and may the most pain win!!! ;)

I'll take three shirts: one for running in, one for birthing in, and one for wearing to church voters meetings (for my husband's encouragement of course)....or as I wait for my husband's return each evening while children run naked and swinging from ceiling fans...