Never, never, never give up.
Winston Churchill
I love that quote.
It became very real to me during Sunday’s 1/2 marathon. In mile 5 I felt my knee pop as I took the inside of a turn. Initially, it didn’t hurt, but at around mile 6 I tried to slow to a walk for a hydration station and couldn’t walk… I had to limp. I realized at that point that something was wrong with my knee, but I brought myself painfully back up to a run and kept at it … at mile 7 I had a downhill opportunity to pick up some speed and regain some time – only, my knee didn’t agree. It was extremely painful going downhill. I had to WALK it down!
I realized at this point that something was seriously wrong with my knee and I had a few choices: I could quit and walk off or I could forget my time goal and walk/jog it to the finish line. Although, I knew that at mile 5 I was running my fastest race ever, I had no choice but to make a choice and finishing at a record time was not a choice. Sigh.
Never, never, never give up was my choice.
You see.. less than two years ago, this was me…
Size 18 dress. Couldn’t walk a mile, much less run. Why? Because I had given up on me. I will never do that again.
I am smarter today than I was on Sunday, and I do realize that I could have done real damage to my knee by continuing the race. However, I learned something about me – I’m a fighter.
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Phil. 4:13 (NLT)
