Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let's get started by talking about the Bass Pro Marathon weekend! Whether you ran the 5k, the half marathon or the full marathon Sunday, I hope you had as great a time as I did. The weather was perfect, the race shirts were amazing, the expo was full of vendors and happy people, the course was absolutely beautiful, the volunteers were encouraging, and hundreds of runners fulfilled their bucket list dream by crossing the finish line. It was just an amazing day!
Speaking of amazing, I not only had the blessing of completing 26.2 miles but did it as one of the 5:30 Bass Pro Marathon pacers. And I met some amazing people out on the course! One of them was Audrey Hukill (pictured above), and then two others were Karah Carpenter and Jonas Candie. We had so much fun talking (at one point we were all together) that we vowed to stay in touch via Facebook (which makes us "official" friends right?). To my delight, when I asked them to share their Bass Pro experiences, they all said "Of course!"
So without further ado... check out what 31-year-old half marathoner (who joined our group to come back to help her friend Jonas finish) had to say about her experience...
For most of my life, I didn’t believe that I was capable of difficult things. Therefore, I became extraordinarily adept at avoiding them. After birthing two babies without an epidural (both weighing close to eleven pounds), I realized I had been selling myself short. I began to wonder, “if my body is capable of this, what else can it do?” This led me to running. This was my second half marathon. In my first, I clawed my way to the end. An injury during training had kept me from performing the way I desired. Last time was about surviving. This year, I wanted to thrive. The biggest hurdle I faced this year was fear. Fear that my body wouldn’t do what I was asking it to. Fear that the pace was unsustainable. Fear that I would be disappointed with myself. Each time those thoughts came, I would thank the Lord. I would thank Him for making my body capable of running this distance. I would thank Him for His kindness that led me to this point. I would thank Him that the pain He leads us through always produces something. And I would keep my mind exactly where my feet were. And you know what? I made it. My father in law ran the last five miles with me. He coached, cheered, supported, and believed in me. After I finished the half, I received a text that my friend was struggling to finish his full marathon. I was able to meet him on his course and run some of his last miles with him. We prayed and remembered that the people we were five years ago would have never believed we would be doing what we were in that moment. Along the way, we met some amazing runners with beautiful testimonies. I plan to run the Rock and Roll Nashville Marathon in April. This run showed me the beauty in the running community, the power of encouragement, and lit a fire in me for marathon training. This is only the beginning!
Oh my... is that an awesome story or what??? And that's the very reason I love hearing the stories of runners who participate in the Bass Pro Fitness Series.
Next up we have 22-year-old Audrey Hukill's story... Don't you love that smile??
I decided to run bass pro because last year I did the bass pro half and I felt as though I could go right on past that 13.1 so that is what I did. The course was so pretty with all the fall colors and so many volunteers and neighborhoods cheering me on. The hardest part for me was about mile 14-16. No one was around me, I did not have music queued up, and started to question am I going to cross that finish line. The most rewarding part was at about the 18mile mark I ran into Melissa and she started to speak life and encourage me with her stories and music to get me to the finish line, then seeing my family and friends at the finish line cheering me on meant so much to me. My next goal is to do a marathon in under 5hrs and 25minutes, and eventually be able to do a 50k. I will definitely come back and do bass pro next year! This race taught me to be an encourager, just like Melissa was able to encourage me from mile 18-26! This experience changed me for the better and revealed in this life we are all going to go through challenging times but we have to choose to persevere!
And last but not least, check out what 31-year-old Springfield native Jonas Candie had to say about his 26.2 mile journey to the finish line...
A year ago I had not ran over a mile in years. I wanted to reincorporate cardio in my workouts. After that I was motivated by a friend who just came off of doing the half marathon at Bass Pro [that friend was Karah Carpenter]. Next thing I know I went from 1 to 2 miles and 2 to 3 and next thing 5 miles. It was around the 5 miles I began seeing and hearing Yahweh establish and talk to me about faithfulness. He showed me what it is to commit to something and that He would be the one that sustains and finishes it all. I began getting more confidence and one thing led to another and I signed up for the marathon. Knowing my friend was signing up again also was something that helped and made me commit to it even more. In those long runs I began realizing how powerful the mind and body are.
On marathon day, the hardest part for me was not lack of preparation but emotionally and mentally processing the things I couldn’t control. My leg felt as if it was struck by lightning and hurt like something was wrong. Both my knees were in grueling pain as well. As much as all the determination and endurance I had made me want to push through I knew my body and I knew I shouldn’t. I was forced to walk-run the rest of the race. Coming to terms with disappointment and unmet expectations in light of this huge event I had been preparing for was crushing and devastating. Yet the ability to endure and finish the race and prioritize my long term health showed me all that truly developed over the last year in me. I have become a man of determination faithfulness consistency endurance and mental strength beyond what I knew was possible for me.
I definitely plan on returning to Bass Pro to run again and I feel like it will forever be my place of accomplishing one of the most challenging tasks in my life thus far. The reward for me has actually become plural. And I see it being more transferable than just for myself. I see it in encouraging and motivating my wife who suffers with health issues and physical problems. I see my children getting to see their father accomplish the marathon [check out his daughter watching him finish in the pic above] and inspiring them to achieve and succeed in their dreams, goals, and little lives. Both here and now and for things to come. I see family members getting encouraged and motivated, saying if Jonas can do it I can do it and I want to do it. It’s really much bigger than just my victory. And what it boils down to is the body (both personally and collectively) is capable of much more than it is just doing things in isolation. We were created for relationship, fellowship, and communication with others. And out on a race and course you get to see that all come together and it’s just a beautiful and wonderful experience. I have been reminded that I’ve been created to overcome and that in the midst of difficulties we can and must prevail. The race taught and showed me Jonas can start something and complete it until it is finished. And that God is not a liar. He is faithful and trustworthy. In times past I have given up on myself and even God when things got hard, or didn’t go as planned, but I was reminded and shown again that His word is everlasting and He is always present with us in the running and the walking. In our best and in our worst He is faithful and His presence will guide and carry you to the finish.
So there you have it friends. Those are some amazing stories, aren't they? But there are so many more! That's the thing with running. We all do it for different reasons. So be sure to bring to mind your experience of that day often. If nothing else, running the race was a learning experience that, as Jonas said, teaches us that we were "created to overcome and that in the midst of difficulties, we can and must prevail." The memories of that race will remind you of that when you need it. Hope to see you in 2024! Happy Running!
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