Chasing the Finish Line

My sweet Momma is often my source of inspiration and this week she sent me a quote that said “Runners chase the finish line even though someone else has reached it first”.  This really hit home with me as I’m usually one of those people finishing towards the back.  May I also add that there have been three (smaller) races that I have been dead last in.  Seriously, dead last.  No shame in that at all, folks.  In those situations, I could have seen that I was the very last one and just quit or asked to be taken to the finish line.   Would that have made me any less of a runner?  No, probably not.  But I stuck it out and chased the finish line knowing that everyone else who had started the race had already finished.

People race for lots of different reasons.  Some do it as training runs, others as competition, some to prove something to themselves or somebody else, or maybe just for the glory of finishing.  I personally just do it to say that I did it.  Someone may look at my obese frame and say YOU did a half marathon.  Then I can stand tall and proudly say Hell yes I did.

There is glory in finishing a race.  There is also glory at the finish line.  Complete strangers whistling, clapping, yelling your bib number out.  Everyone is focused on who is finishing and for all of maybe ten seconds, all eyes are on you as you finish.  I don’t know about y’all, but to me there is power in that.  I would just like to encourage everyone who has ever felt defeated by a race and still finished, then you are awesome.  You did what any runner should do…you chased the finish line.