Rachel Smith
It takes trust to run with a pacer. In a world-class marathon, runners are divided into corrals based on their previous race finish times. The starts are staggered to give space to the massive crowds. In smaller races, runners depend more on lining up with a pacer to gauge their start.
When I ran my first half-marathon, I didn’t truly understand the purpose of these runners holding up placards on long sticks. In a sea of people, the big numbers printed on the cards stood above everyone’s head, marking at what pace each of those runners would be racing. All of the runners chose where they would like to start in the lineup, whether speedy or slow. Wanting to stick to what I already knew, I turned on my running app and planted myself at the back of the lineup. It was easier, I thought, to track myself and cross the finish line at an approximate time.
What I didn’t possess was the experience of how to keep my pace steady when the fatigue set in. I was used to training runs, which tended to start out more slowly and then gain in momentum and finish strong. The roads I ran were comfortable to me; I knew the inclines and difficult stretches. This race was different. At the announcer’s countdown, my adrenaline soared and I sprinted the first half-mile without thinking. It took several miles to slow my pace and realize there were many miles left to run. As I reached mile 10, I thought it would be so easy to finish, only to have my leg muscles lock up. Although so close to the finish, I felt defeated. My careful preparations for this race seemed to crumble right on the course.
Within the next quarter mile, I was surprised when a pacer passed by and gave a quick smile and encouraging word. Then she turned back her head and asked if I wanted to finish the race together. I looked at her placard, saw it was a good pace to run and agreed. Hurrying to fall in step next to her, I fell into a pleasant conversation which helped ease my mind from the discouragement I had moments before. The next three miles, she acted as my coach and cheerleader. If my muscles cramped up, she had me walk a few paces or do a quick lunge or slow ever so slightly. If she noticed we were behind the pace, she would lengthen her stride, causing me to do the same to keep beside her. A pacer does not stop, and I found my excuses for needing a break falling away in order to maintain her speed. I had to completely rely on her knowledge and experience. I had to lay down my own ideas of how to finish. At the final stretch of race, she took off at lightning speed to finish on time, then came back and ran on the side of the course, yelling for me to “go, go, go!” With her guidance, I finished the race well. Her placard promised a certain outcome, and she delivered.
Hebrews 6:18-20 talks of the great hope and comfort we have in knowing our souls are relying on a sure foundation of truth. We can know God’s Word is true, every bit of it, because He confirmed it to us by delivering on His promise. When the world needed a Savior to bring salvation from sin, He sent Jesus so we didn’t have to pay the awful price. The passage calls Jesus our forerunner, or He who went before us. He made a way to God when sin separated us, even into the very presence of God and his Spirit. Where before hung that heavy and impenetrable veil, Jesus’ death on the cross tore it apart to allow us access to our Father. As such, Jesus became our example in all things. He lived in such a way to show all who would repent and forsake sin how to live holy before God. If we follow His steps into salvation, should we not continue to follow Him in life?
There is a price to following Christ. He never promised His followers an easy life. Jesus made it clear that we would be separated from unbelievers, have a cross to carry, deal with troubles of this world and have times of grief. Yet He did promise to be our burden-bearer, our keeper, our comfort and our victory over those troubles.
Some start out in this race thinking that all their work is over when it is only the starting line. Do not be naïve, there is still a race to be run. At times it will be difficult and you will seem to be stopped in your tracks. It is imperative that we rely on His strength and use His example as our forerunner.
As you run your course, use the pacer. Stay close to Him. I found on that particular race that a pacer is best utilized side-by-side, as a companion and an adviser. If I had trailed behind and tried to barely keep her in my sights, my finish would have been much different. Her insight and example gave me strength to keep up when I felt depleted. A pacer will challenge you to do better and to change how you are running. If you want to complete the race well, submit completely to the pace God sets. He will challenge us often, and it is so important to simply yield and trust to meet the goal.
