Lessons From My First Half Marathon – by Brad Wilcox
Most of you probably know Brad Wilcox.
He is a professor at BYU, an author of several books and a popular speaker. His latest book is The Continuous Atonement, and is definitely on my Christmas wish list.
Before you read his article, let me give you a little seminary, Family Home Evening, Young Men or Young Women, or just personal idea:
Using the same kind of pattern in Brother Wilcox’s article, take an event in your life and make a list of things you learned from that life event. After everyone has some time to write, then have everyone share what they wrote. I would love to sit in a lesson like this.
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Lessons From My First Half Marathon
Brad Wilcox
We did it! This morning Russell, Trish, Whitney, and I ran the Utah Valley Half Marathon. It started in Provo Canyon just above the turn off to Sundance and ended at the tabernacle-soon-to-be temple. We got up at 3:00 am, loaded our bus about 4:00, and started our race at 6:00 along with 3,000 others. For many it was obviously just one more run in a lifetime full of them. For me it was a turning point, a milestone, a first. I am 52. I finally broke 200 and weigh 198 lbs—lowest I have been in almost 10 years. I finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 46 minutes, and I ran the whole way. A few thoughts:
- Change is never easy. This journey began 2 ½ years ago.
- True change is a spiritual quest as well as a physical one. No wonder it alludes so many.
- Never underestimate the power of positive role models. Thanks Elder Ringwood, Elder
Bednar, Sister Dalton, and Laurel Christensen.
- Change is impossible unless you reach out and receive help. Thanks Cody.
- I don’t think we probably slept too well on the night before we came to earth.
- There is great motivation in running together and not alone.
- It’s discouraging to have 3,000 people pass you.
- Friends can be found along any journey. Thanks to the encouraging fireman who ran at about my
same pace the whole way. Thanks to the tall runner who patted my shoulder at the mouth
of the canyon and the EFY kids who honked and cheered in cars along University.
- The greatest temptation to give up comes when you are running a distance you have never run
before. Miles 12 and 13 were killers.
- Music helps.
- Nothing feels better than seeing family at the finish line. All I wanted was to see and hold my
Debi. Thanks Robin for watching the grandkids so she could be there.
- I hope one of the first things we are allowed to do when we die is take a long nap and enjoy a hot
shower.
- This will not be the last time I do this. This is not an event. It is a lifestyle.
- There is a powerful bond felt by those who do difficult and important things together. I felt it in
the mission. I felt it at the Time Out for Women in Australia and New Zealand. Today I
felt it with my kids. I’ll never forget gathering Russell, Trish, and Whitney into our
sweaty group hug. We were a great team.
Thank you so much for posting this, Shannon! So proud of Brad! I did the last spring TOFW event with him about a month before the half-marathon, and since we’ve been on break, I hadn’t heard how it went. And of course, it was amazing. Congrats, Brad!!
Thank you for sharing this with me. I greatly respect Brad Wilcox and have loved all the books and talks he has written. I especially love his talk on “Learning not Earning Heaven”. I would love to know how he began this journey and what he did. Especially how Elder Bednar, Sister Dalton and others helped him. I am presently being treated for Colon Cancer and am making long term changes in my life. I know that it is just as much a spiritual journey as it is a physical. I have about 150 lbs to lose and know that I will need to go very slowly. Finding support along the way can be a great challenge. I find I end up with more saboteurs than with helpers. By the way I love your blog.
Thank you for sharing!! It is so amazing to look at everyday life and see what we learned. I think we go “Too Fast” sometimes to take the time to enjoy the many blessings that can be learned from any event or even day to day life. Thank you again for sharing this.
Loved this. Love your blog! Thanks for posting this!
This is amazing..thank you Brad! Can’t wait to hear more about what you learned!
I just found your blog through one of my seminary students. This book is actually dedicated to my little brother. We love Brad!
I love this! I ran my 1st half marathon back in January and it too was more of a spiritual experience for me than physical. The change and growth was incredible. Thanks for posting! Love Brad Wilcox!
I was happy to see this posting of your first half marathon. I was at this race and didn’t see you but I share in the sense of accomplishment for and with you. It was a fun race, especially the tunnel. I, too, never sleep well before my races.
We had 10 friends from my ward and neighborhood run with us. One of them was the cruel friend who got me into running a year ago. Since then I have run two half marathons and my first full marathon a month ago. It is an amazing journey and has changed my life. So glad to see that you love the “pain you enjoy.”
A member of our stake presidency is a marathoner and he shared a great talk with me about running, life, etc., called “The Heart of the Two Mile Game.”
Link:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=2&sourceId=60ba18e7c379b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Keep on running! Yay Brad!