Going Home

10/17/09 10:15:01 am, by Michael Happy
Categories: Dobel Street, Metro Detroit

Running without fear

Fear is a terrible thing to embrace.

At the very least, it keeps us from living up to our full potential. At worst, it prevents us from getting out of bed at all.

With the 2009 Detroit Free Press Marathon less than 24 hours away, I was thinking about my first marathon, also in Detroit, back in 2003. What a disaster.

I told my family to expect me at the finish about 4 hours after the start. I was 1 1/2 hours late, crawled over the line just before they left Ford Field to search for me.

My training had gone pretty well, but I went into the race scared to death. I didn't sleep at all the night before, and was literally gagging as I stood there waiting for the starting cannon to fire.

I wasted so much energy fretting about the run, how it was going to feel, I didn't have enough left in the tank to end it well -- and ended up in bed for 14 hours after the race.

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A year ago, running in my fourth marathon, it was all different. Despite a training schedule that didn't come close in toughness to the regimen I did in 2003, I crossed the finish line at Campus Martius in a personal best 3 hours, 50 minutes and then spent the afternoon planting trees at Fletcher Field.

What was the difference?

NO FEAR!

I went into the run determined to finish it for my kids in the old neighborhood and with faith in God that He was running with me every step of the way.

If you can figure out a way to peel off the weight of fear, trust in God, victory -- or at least a personal best -- is yours for the taking in every race you run.

Have a blessed, fear-free weekend!

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