Dash to the Finish Line 5k Race Recap

Pre Race:

I don’t even know where to begin other than I know my performance was because God gave me the ability to do what I did. If you haven’t read my two most recent blog posts about what the last four weeks of my build up looked like, let me fill you in. The two weeks before the taper were supposed to be my final last two weeks of a big push. However I had to back off a little bit by cutting mileage, changing a few of my runs to cross training sessions, or resting all together because I was getting more flare ups in my feet as well as getting sick for a week. And then in the taper, so my final two weeks before the race, you typically decrease training volume and intensity anyways to prepare your body to perform its best on race day. So after four weeks of not training to the best of my ability I was going into this race with a lack of confidence. Thankfully race week I felt positive majority of the time because I was depending on God for peace and still had hope that God would give me the strength and endurance to accomplish the goal I set. 

The day before the race I was actually feeling really excited and in a good spot. Nerves were coming and going but overall I was super excited to see what God was going to do through me the next day. Friday night I did my usual routine the night before I run. I ate my simple meal consisting of a lean protein, white rice, and a little asparagus. I put some worship music on and journaled the prayers that were on my heart. I headed to bed around 9:15 pm and it probably took me a good 45 minutes to fall asleep. Then around 1:45 am I woke up and was wide awake. My mind could not shut off. I was up in the middle of the night from 1:45-5 am. I kept tossing and turning. I was trying to calm myself back down by reminding myself that even the professionals don’t sleep the best the night before a race. I also kept repeating scripture in my mind. I was trying to do everything I could to relax my mind and body. Once I looked at the clock and read that it was 4:30 am I woke up Jason. With a few tears down my eyes I told him that I’ve been wide awake since 1:45 am and couldn’t fall back asleep. With discouragement in my heart and a tired mind I leaned on him for support. He prayed over me and I felt a peace in my heart. I was able to fall back asleep for about another hour before I had to get ready. Once I woke up I felt awake and really calm. I didn’t feel nervous, I didn’t feel the anticipation that I felt all week, nor did I feel super hyped up like I did the night before. I just felt completely at peace. I also felt like I had strength that was not my own. I truly did feel like I had the strength of the Lord in my mind, body, and spirit. If you’re not a believer I know that may sound odd. But I know without a shadow of doubt that I felt God’s presence alive in my body.  

I didn’t need music to get me excited or hype me up. Actually the thought of putting on music did not sound appealing to me. I got ready, journaled, ate my pre run fuel (graham crackers of course), and did my dynamic exercises. I headed out the door around 7:25 am to get in my uber. My uber driver drove me about a mile away from the starting area so I could run one mile to warm my body up. When I was running I felt good and still very at peace. Once I got to the start area I ate one more graham cracker sleeve, used the restroom, did a few strides, and then got into my corral. During this whole time I just felt excited but still very calm. It wasn’t what I expected to feel like race day morning. But I did pray days before that I would feel light on race day, and indeed I felt very light both physically and spiritually. 

Mile 1:

After the gun went off it took a little bit of time for me to cross the starting line since I was not in the first corral. Once I crossed the starting line I started my watch and I was off. The first mile started on 44th street all the way on the east side of Manhattan. Most of the mile I ran down 42nd street. I ran past Grand Central Terminal and the Public Library. It was super crowded and it was a little hard to pass people. My watch was also super inaccurate. But I was so at peace that I was ok with just winging it and I did prep myself to remember to trust God and my training. I remember in that first mile being a combination of calm and focused. Since there was a lot of people around me I had to really focus on where I was and also since my watch was inaccurate I had to really be in tune with my body to see what pace I felt like I was running instead of relying on my watch. The first mile had a slight incline, which I knew before the race, so I was super excited to turn the corner on sixth avenue to start mile two. 

Mile 2:

The second mile was probably my favorite mile of the race. I felt many emotions during this mile. I was reflecting on the faithfulness of God. I couldn’t believe how good I felt running. I felt so light and fast. I kept passing other runners and even though my watch was still a little off I knew I was running faster than the 7’35 pace that my coach and I set for this mile. I was just in awe of God. I didn’t feel any of my chronic pain, I didn’t feel tired from only getting around 4-5 hours of sleep, and I felt completely in the flow state as I was running up sixth avenue. I had the biggest smile on my face. I was doing what I love, on the most beautiful day, and I was blown away with the amount of spectators watching and cheering us on. There was a moment in this mile where I almost got a little emotional feeling the support of complete strangers as well as reflecting on the support my husband has given me over the last several of months, my parents who flew into to support me, and many of my friends, coworkers, and clients who have encouraged me. With needing to focus I told myself to pull it together. But it truly was one of the best feelings knowing the amount of support I had from people who were close to me and also complete strangers. It was hard not to be filled with so much joy. And the joy that I encompassed on the roads that day is the same joy I hope I can bring to others when it’s their time to shine and be encouraged!

Mile 3:

As I headed up into Central Park I started the third mile. I was still feeling pretty good. What made me really excited for this mile was knowing I had a friend in the beginning of the park and my family near the finish line. I still felt like I was flying in this mile even with the hills that Central Park has. As I approached one of the down hills I saw my friend Kayla. She was as excited as could be. One of the best hype woman out there. As she screamed my name it gave me the boost of adrenaline that I needed as I headed into the last 800 meters of the race. This is when things started to get tough for me. My breathing started to get heavier and legs started to get heavier. Thoughts started entering my mind like, “I am so grateful that this is only a 5k because there is no way I can maintain this pace for another mile.” As I was approaching the final hill of the race I was looking for my family. As I started making my final few strides over the hill I saw my mom and a huge sign that my parents made of my brother and sister-in-law on it. It brought the biggest smile on my face knowing my whole family was supporting me whether they were physically there or there in spirit. With just a little bit to go it gave me the last push I needed to finish strong. I crossed the finish line with one hand on my heart and the other pointing up at God because He deserves all of the glory for my performance, discipline, and motivation. I finished the race with the time of 23:01. Not only did I beat my personal recored of 24:40. But I beat my goal time of sub 24 minutes by almost a full minute. I was elated seeing my time and more importantly experiencing the faithfulness of God. 

Closing thoughts:

As I’ve said numerous of times throughout this blog post. I feel grateful that I was able to experience and see God’s power and faithfulness to me. Something that motivates me to keep going when I am in the thick of trials is having the confident hope that He will use my journey to showcase His glory. My biggest why is to inspire others to know Jesus and to pursue the dreams He has placed on their hearts. Two bible verses that God placed in my heart this week to meditate on and depend on for strength are Hebrews 12:1-2 and Jeremiah 17:7-8. I pray that my life and running journey can be of any encouragement to you. Thank you for following along in this training cycle. I can’t wait to see what God will do through me in 2024!

-Shara

Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, He endured the cross, disregarding the shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8: “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”