Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Long-distance running is one way that I’ve learned about perseverance in my life.  Since high school, I’ve competed as a runner, and I went on to become a marathoner in my 30s. I wanted to try for the Olympic qualifiers in the 2000 cycle, but I ended up burning myself out instead. After exploring triathlons and learning that neither cycling nor swimming was my thing, I stumbled on a book about a man who ran 100 mile races. This piqued my interest, so I signed up for my first long race at Mohican State Park after convincing Darla that I would, indeed, survive the experience. I was greeted that early morning by 300 other crazy people who were just like me and my love for ultra-running was born. 

I find these long races to be really interesting experiences; mentally, physically, and spiritually. I decided that I wanted to assign some Scripture to every race I entered. The passage I chose for that first race was from the beginning of the book of Joshua. He had just replaced Moses as the leader of the Israelites who would guide them into the Promised Land. In the first nine verses of the first chapter, God says to Joshua three times, “Be strong and courageous.” I remember standing at that starting line at Mohican, nervously adjusting my little headlamp, and thinking about 100 miles of trails in front of me. It was absolutely overwhelming. 

Since that time, I’ve learned these particular lessons about “grit” through ultra-running:

1. Always run from aid station to aid station

About every 5 miles, they have a booth staffed by volunteers that offers snacks and beverages to help runners keep their energy up-- kind of like a NASCAR pit stop. They change your (metaphorical) tires, help you refuel, and send you on your way. 

If you stand at the start of a long race and only think of the distance to the finish line, it’s pretty likely that the race will feel long and painful. In a way, Jesus addresses this in the Sermon on the Mount when He says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).” But we can have confidence that God faithfully meets our needs, so when we trust Him to help us navigate the race one aid station at a time, we can have peace that He runs every step with us.     

2. Never think deep thoughts while going up a hill

Sometimes when you’re running up a hill that feels like it’s never going to end, negative thoughts can creep in. So instead of arguing with myself over whether or not I’m going to make it, I choose not to think any deep thoughts at all while I’m climbing the hill. It quickly impacts the way you think about everything and that’s just not productive or helpful. 

Instead, this becomes a great opportunity to “take your thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and not make any significant decisions while you’re still ascending the hill. Instead, press on in the moment and wait until you’re on the other side of the hill. Then you’re more likely to have some clarity. 

3. It doesn’t matter how bad you feel, you can always recover

The Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (four 100-milers in the course of one summer) is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The fourth race in the series was aptly named The Hallucination 100 (and aptly located in Hell, Michigan) and it started in the afternoon rather than early morning. The shift of running the overnight stretch earlier in the race messed with my strategy for calorie intake and I suddenly became groggy and felt horrible, like I couldn’t continue another step. I slowed to a stop and ended up lying in the fetal position along the side of the trail. 

It was September, in the middle of the night, and I started to shiver; I actually wondered if my body was going into shock. But I talked myself into getting back up to walk and suddenly remembered that I had an energy gel with my water bottle. I didn’t feel particularly hungry, but had nothing to lose, so I ate it and I was surprised how much better I felt. I walked to the next aid station for a bite to eat, then on to the next one, and by the time the sun came up I was running as I had been at the beginning of the race. 

In ultrarunning, we are constantly thinking about RFP: relentless, forward progress. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. The book of Isaiah reminds us that, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint, (Isaiah 40:30-31)”-- and this can be an encouragement to us! In the moment, it doesn’t matter how bad you feel. With Christ as your advocate, you can always recover. 

4. Count your steps

This might sound strange, but in the middle of some long races, I actually count my steps. I tell myself this little story: “You only have to run for 100 steps, then you can walk.” When you get into a run-walk pattern, thinking ahead only a little at a time, it’s much easier to keep moving. This practice keeps me grounded in what I’m doing right now and helps me to focus on the moment rather than thinking too far ahead. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:13, that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” When every step counts, know that God has made a way for you.

In our daily work, this can mean doing part of one task at a time so that you don’t become overwhelmed and shut down. It’s okay to tell yourself, “just 30 minutes, then you can take a break,” if it will prevent you from avoiding the task all together (as they say, writers on a deadline have the cleanest kitchens). If you focus on one piece of the puzzle at a time, it’s amazing how much ground you can cover without even thinking about it.  

5. When you walk, you get to enjoy the scenery

When trail running, you have to look at the ground so that you don’t trip on roots and rocks under your feet. If I’m not careful, I fall at least once during each long race and it’s the worst. Running requires concentration. But when you build in a walk break, that’s when you get to look around-- and the scenery can be awesome! I once did a 100-miler in Colorado at an elevation of 10,000-13,000 feet and it was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever enjoyed in my life. It made me think of King David’s Psalm 19, verse 1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” 

I would have missed it while I was running, but I took a walk break.

In the midst of perseverance, you need to know what your limits are. If you walk the whole race, you probably aren’t going to finish well. But when you’re strategic with the breaks you take, it does enable you to revel in the scenery. Pause and thank God for what He has created and who He has created. Enjoy the people who are around you; God places the treasure of relationships on our earthly journey out of His goodness to us. 

6. Mind the Basics

Part of grit and perseverance in ultrarunning is taking care of yourself with appropriate rest, calories, clothing, and gear. You won’t succeed unless you’ve attended to these things; don’t skip the aid station because you just want to keep running. It’s wise to intentionally take the time to pay attention to your physical needs. 

Elijah, too, forgot the basics for a time, as we see in 1 Kings 19: 4-9. Haggard and worn out from a journey, Elijah laid down in despair, going so far as to say “I have had enough Lord, take my life.” However, an angel of the Lord, on two occasions, told Elijah simply to eat to have enough strength for the journey. Elijah did, and traveled forty days and nights. 

The application for this one is fundamental: your body will quit on you and you’ll get sick if you don’t take care of yourself. Sleep, hydration, and nourishment isn’t optional. If you want to persevere, you have to take the basics seriously.

7. Picture yourself crossing the finish line

In the midst of the race, sometimes it really helps to picture yourself crossing the finish line. It helps to imagine telling those you love, “I just ran a 100 mi race.” If you want grit and perseverance, you need to imagine yourself on the other side of what you’re doing right now. Imagine your family cheering for you as you walk across the graduation stage, as you accept that job offer, or as you share your wedding vows or bring your first child home from the hospital. 

If you only focus on the minutiae of your daily tasks without lifting your eyes to see what’s possible, you’ll get lost in the grind. It’s one of my great joys to hear from our alumni about where God has placed them in the world and to see how He ordered their steps while they were still in the thick of their college educations.  

Moreover, as you endure through the trials of this life, take heart and remember the words that we prepare ourselves to hear from our Lord as they are written in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Picture yourself crossing the ultimate finish line, running to the arms of our Savior, as you hear those sweet words. 

He is with you as you persevere, too. May I encourage you to choose a passage of Scripture for your race? Time spent in His Word will remind you, “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Additional reading: Joshua 1:1-9