Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog. Now let's get started by talking about how deciding to "give it your all" will motivate you to be a happier runner.
But first, I'd like to share what inspired me to write about "giving it your all” in the first place. Last Saturday, my friend Mike Wells ran the Frog Hill Half marathon in Waynesville, MO. Having the blessing of being the Race Director and having known Mike for several years, I assumed he would most likely win the race because Mike is very fast. And he is also very competitive. But not so much against other runners but against himself, always striving to be better today than he was yesterday--physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Which made me smile to read what he later posted after receiving the overall male finisher plaque.
GROW!!! The world will be better and you'll be better. The real competition is with yourself... that's the best win.
Did you get that part? It doesn't matter what place you get? It doesn't matter where you stand against others? What matters is that you give YOUR all and become a better version of yourself?
But what is YOUR all? For Mike it was laying down the hammer and running as hard as he could to shave three minutes off his time. He wanted to be better than he was the year before. Winning against someone else was just the icing on the cake. Beating himself was the real win.
Now before you start comparing yourself to Mike, remember this... everyone's ALL will look different and might even change as they grow and mature. My all many years ago would have looked similar to Mike's--to continue getting faster and capturing those PR's. But today, giving my all means running to the best of my current ability and never giving up in my pursuit to train regardless of what life throws at me. Giving my all now means waking up every day intent on putting in the work I need to put in to get myself to the finish line of another 100 mile race and giving God the glory for it. Giving my all now means that I cherish personal relationships with others above personal records--and put forth daily effort to nurture those relationships and inspire those I meet to pursue being the best that they can be. That's what it means for me to "give it my all" and it keeps me focused on being better today than I was yesterday in all areas of my life. Giving my all doesn't mean that I win against other people but against myself!!
So let's check out what some other runners from the race said it meant to "give it their all."
(Jeanette is second from left)
Time used to matter to me, but then I almost burned myself out on running and trying to be the best all the time. So for me it doesn’t matter what place I get, I just want to have a good time with my friends, doing what we love. Intervals helped me to love running again, to look around at the beauty God created, and to slow down and enjoy it. I think it makes me better because now if I saw someone struggling, I would turn around and help them versus trying to just win and pass them up. I’m not there to get into the Olympics for running, I’m there to get my miles in and enjoy it. Yes! Enjoying the run and getting my miles in is how I "give it my all." 
(Frances is on the right)
Before last Monday (28th) I had only ran 5 times over a full month and they were shorter runs with a lot of walking. I was moving but I wasn't satisfied. Last Sunday, I was convicted to get back out there and bring these dry bones back to life! I was convicted to "give it my all." I started back at it Monday morning and Friday night I ran the Leapfrog 5k. It was all about me and making my intervals. I wanted to make it in 50 minutes. My time was 50:18. The very second that I felt disappointed over that 18 seconds the Lord told me "chin up". I was smiling to myself as I came across the finish. I cried half the trip home. I finished! I'm alive again. I beat the demons in my head! I gave it my all!
Shawn is on the right
I never really think about what I place in a race. I really only compete against myself and strive to do better the next time. Two years ago, I ran the Frog Hill Half Marathon for the first time and really didn’t know what to expect with the course, other than there may be a hill on the course. Luckily, we ran down Frog Hill instead of up it, and then we hit Superior Hill around Mile 5. I really didn’t train for the half marathon and I definitely didn’t train on hills like that, so I struggled going up the hill and struggled the rest of the way and finished at 2:26:26. After that run, I set a goal to beat my time on that course the next year. I knew what to prepare for. I came back last year prepared and finished at 2:07:17. I set another goal to beat that time, so this year I came back and finished at 2:02:47 after logging more miles and running on more hills in my training. I wished I would have pushed myself a little harder to finish below 2 hours, but now that is my goal for next year’s run. That's what it means for me to "give it my all."So there you have it! The way each runner gives their all is as unique as they are with one commonality... giving their all as they have learned to define it for themselves brings them joy and reminds them why running is such a blessing!! So find what it means to give YOUR all today... your unique all. The all that brings you joy and makes you smile. And strive to give your all every chance you get! Especially as you run the upcoming Dogwood Canyon trail run and/or the Bass Pro Marathon or half.
Happy Running!!!
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