The details:
Pocari Sweat Run 2013 10km
Distance: 10km
Time: 1h 11min 50secs
I was slower than my expected timing of 1h 10mins, but I guess I know where I went wrong. Silly me started way too quickly, covering the first 5km in 32minutes when normally I would hit
close to 35 mins instead. And it was kinda funny because at the start of the run, the first 7km, I was still quite relaxed, especially when I reached the 7km mark at about 46 minutes to go... Then, the last 3km, I slowed down very much, to the extent that I was walking literally, and when I hit the last 1km, I was at a timing of 1h 4mins... And it was a little bit disconcerting, to say the least...? But I cannot deny I ran with much effort, for at thr post 8km mark, my arms actually felt heavy... Signs of physicsl exertion? And unlike sundown marathon, my legs actually are aching a fair bit and threatening to cramp up!
And yet, the Lord spoke during and after the run... During the run, at the 6km mark, this song came into my mp3 player: 'blue skies' by Point of Grace, and the lyrics on the last page.
The Lord used this song to remind me of a devotional that I did earlier this week, that no matter what circumstances or sutuations I find myself in, God is always with me. Amazingly, this song sings that God is blue skies, and we should keep looking up to see God.. This morning's devotional tells me that
God is the creator of everything, and Blue Skies represent God because God created them! And just as I made the roundabout u-turn in the midst of this song, I was presented with a magnificent ciew of the Singapore flyer with a blue sky, and a strong breeze from the Lord... I know God was there with me, for wind always represents that the Lord is there with me every step of the way. It led me to run a good 1km till the 7km mark.
Of course, everything spiralled after the 7km mark, and at the end of it all, as I walked to the car, God spoke to me about a verse and reminded me of the book I am reading now, "Relentless" by John Bevere.
The verse is 2 Timothy 4:7, which says "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
And the quote from the book says "how you begin is not nearly as important as how you finish."
And as I reflected on these nuggets that God gave me, I realised that it is linked to how this particular run went... I
started extremely well, but faltered at the end, which is really when it matters most. Well, i did finish it, but I could have done much better had I paced myself better at the start. And that's the funny truth.
So, it was a good run with God, but it was also one frought with many learning lessons.. =)