People are Watching

This past Sunday I ran the Mercedes Half Marathon. I went into the race with very few expectations because I had not fully trained for the event. The race was two months removed from the Rocket City Marathon for which I had trained diligently. But for the Mercedes? Not so much. I was hoping there would be some lingering effects from my previous hard work. Consequently, I really did not have a goal in mind other than to finish in under 2 hours (something I had done several times before).

I also was not completely sure how my body would respond to the test. But it was a beautiful morning with perfect conditions: cold and sunny but not frigid nor windy. I started out slow (mainly due to the 6000+ other runners) but soon found a comfortable yet energetic pace.

As we ran through the streets of Birmingham, scattered clumps of people gathered to cheer us on. Well, not me specifically, but they were cheering on their friends, their spouses, and their children. Some blew horns. Some played music. Many held homemade signs. The content of the signs ranged from "Go Dad!" to "Toenails are overrated!" One group even had several inspirational signs. One sign in particular was captured by the camera in my mind. It read: "Don't Stop! People are watching!"

I spent the next half mile pondering the implication of this phrase. Did I maintain my pace (or even speed up a little) as I ran by this sign? Perhaps. But I had stopped to walk in other races without considering whether people were watching me. Had I let them down in some way? Would they really be inspired by my continued effort? But then it occurred to me that I had never actually "stopped" during a race. I had slowed down to a jog. I had even walked for miles. But I had never stopped.

After the race it dawned on me that people are still watching me. Friends, family, acquaintances, strangers -- they are all watching me. Perhaps not constantly or pointedly, but they are definitely watching. How do I react to adversity? How do I respond at the end of a long day? Have I prepared for the situation before me? Have I studied? Have I worked hard? Have I prayed? In other words, have I done the training that is necessary to run the race that I want to run, the race of which I am capable of running?

I don't want to walk through life. I don't want to have to stop. But even more than that, I want to run with strength. People are watching.