The Source of Power

También disponible en español

In February 2010, I ran my first marathon. The atmosphere was charged with excitement when over 20,000 runners were taking their lineups. As I waited at the starting line, I could not help but think about the amount of hours invested by runners leading into the event. As I impatiently waited, I was trying to do the math, but I could not concentrate in anything else but the sound of the gun. I did the math later on with a clear head, in case you were wondering. I had been training 120 miles per month, on average, for the four months previous to the race; at 9.5 average minutes per mile, this is equivalent to over 75 hours of running. Assuming all runners had trained at a similar pace and schedule, this number would amount to more than 1.5 million hours, or 62,500 days, or over 170 years of collective preparatory running.

For the past four articles, we have been exploring the concepts of the power and the source. We have established that the power to complete a challenging race like a marathon comes from the small, invisible, and sometimes secret things we do during our training. These include not only logging more miles, but also things like feeding on the right foods and cross-training. The marathoners did certainly fill the headlines of the local newspapers, but no article made any reference to the invisible 170 years of collective running that gave the runners such a power to compete and also filled the air with exhilarating joy, expectation, and hope.

Eat, and eat often
Going into the race, I asked a co-worker who has completed over 200 competitive events for last minute advice. He said, “Eat, and eat often.” Back at the starting line, his words had filled my mind, forcing out my unsuccessful math calculations. I shouted them out in terror to my brother, who was standing close by: “I forgot all of my food! No breakfast. No snacks for the road. Not a thing!”

I had forgotten my source of power. Blame it on my pre-race anxiety, my age and predisposition to forget everything (since everybody seems to blame aging for their forgetfulness), or my lack of experience. I felt prepared to run but not for the lack of food. Deep inside, I knew this was going to bill me later. And later came around mile 18, when my energy level crashed dramatically. I had hit the wall. For the following four miles, I became a beggar, asking for food to all passing runners, spectators, bystander residents, and even the road: perhaps somebody dropped some unfinished cracker. I had never felt so starved in my entire life.

I sometimes hear people complain about going so often to church, prayer meeting, or bible study. If you think that attending church for Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas is enough, try running a marathon on that same eating schedule. We need our regular supply of spiritual fuel to get us through. And regular means often; and often means at least daily. When asked by his followers to teach them how to pray, Jesus said: “Give us each day our daily bread” (NIV: Luke 11:3). When tempted to give up, he also reminded us: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (NIV: Matthew 4:4). Never forget your spiritual source. “Eat, and eat often” was the key to my weight loss and better health. It could have been the key for better performance in my first marathon, but it is certainly the key for a healthier, stronger, and more lasting race of faith.

Eat your own provisions
Provision came around late mile 22. The event had official water stations throughout the route but no solid food until the last race turnaround. By then I was so desperate, I pushed four energy cookies into my mouth. I filled it up so badly that I could not breathe. Therefore, I could not run. For the first time in the race I had lost my pace. I had started to walk to be able to feed myself as all race pacers went by me, or at least I thought so. This was the part were “often” made sense. I should not had waited this long.

I had relied on somebody else’s source of power. I thought I was going to find the same amount and types of foods during the race based on my experience from the half marathon I ran the previous year. This year, it was a different race and I was not ready. All my brother had to offer me at the starting line was a gel pack. Thank you brother! I appreciate it, but it only got me through the first hour.

Do not depend on others to fill you up, emotionally or otherwise. I have met people that need the constant approval, constant rapport, and constant assent from others to feel in power, feel satisfied or safe, or even feel they are valuable. Your worth does not depend on what others think of you, but on what God thinks of you. Also, do not depend on what the road has to offer. Our walk in life is filled with all kinds of challenges. Do not let broken relationships, parenting a teenager, unemployment or new employment, or changes in your physical condition due to age or disease, dictate your source. “God is [always] a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him” (TM: Psalm 46:1). Others can pray, but do you pray? Others can teach you, but do you study on your own? Make God your source and make sure you yourself come to him regularly for a constant supply of good, because “whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father” (NLT: James 1:17).

Eat while you train
By now you are probably wondering: “Did you finish?” My running partner once told me: “Your only goal for the first marathon is to finish.” So I did. I finished stronger than I had started and was able to push myself through the finish line thinking about my next race and racing my brother to the car. My demanding self knows that I could have done better. Reflecting back on my experience, I realized something very critical:

I had not trained in sourcing my power. I did not make it a habit to train while eating, much less to eat while training. Except for my longer runs, when I trained over 18 miles, I carried only water, not fuel. I did not know what was good for my body during training, and you have to train yourself into eating, and eating often, so that it comes naturally when you are competing. Make sure you test different foods (fruits, protein, granola, or whole wheat breads), in different presentations (gels, pills, gummy bears, or bars), during different types of training. A basal metabolic rate of 2,000 calories a day suggests that your body will be able to process 240 to 280 calories per hour during training, depending on intensity and your weight. You have to replenish them every hour for better performance and to guarantee a steady supply of power.¹

It is all about conditioning. Get yourself conditioned on the invisible things of the spirit so that you come through strong when tested. Jesus promised: “Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (TM: John 4:14). John Piper once said:

[God] is energy. He is power. His personality is radiant with infinite energy. He never needs recharging. He never needs a backup system. There is nothing for him to plug into. Everything in the universe plugs into him.²

If we lived plugged into him, we will have access to his inexhaustible source of power.

^NOTES

---

^[1] For an example, see The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make, by Hammer Nutrition, Last accessed: June 04, 2010
(http://www.hammernutrition.com/hnt/1273/).
^[2] Piper, John, “I Am Who I Am” says the Lord, Piper’s Notes, Last accessed: June 04, 2010
(http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper84/091684m.htm).

Vladimir Lugo