To Finish You Must Not Stop

Too often we find ourselves in a wave of energy, determination, and excitement when approaching our endeavors. We are guilty of having high hopes, feeling refreshed to make an attempt at something we may feel completes us. However, at some point we may not see the results or the response expected, become discouraged, and ultimately walking away feeling that it was too hard to continue. My son had his first track season and it was memorable. From long jump to the 400, I got to watch my son find his groove in a new space and make constant improvement… and then it happened.

Isaiah ran his first 400 meter race and it wasn’t exactly how we thought it would turn out. Like many of us that are running to reach our destination, he started off fast, running FULL speed as soon as he heard the gun. Now as a former sprinter that was raised by a 400 meter technician, my first thought was “SLOW DOWN, find your pace”. When running this full lap, one must understand it takes strategy, breath management, checkpoints, and most importantly FINISHING. As my son ran freely, I noticed that he had none of the things mentioned, he was in fact moving with just a goal in mind: come in first place.

As he moved to the 250 meter mark, he started to slow down and the other runners start to pass him. He is losing his steam and the excitement is now becoming self-doubt with a side of fear. Instantly he stops running…just standing there catching his breath, not knowing what just happened. His coach and mom is telling him to keep running, but at this point he is determined to walk it out and no one can tell him any different (he gets his stubbornness from his dad). Eventually, he would run the last 75 meters in a full out sprint and finish in last place. You can only imagine how the conversation went after his race, as a division one student-athlete who grew up placing in the USA track & field junior olympics on a yearly basis WITH a mother that ran collegiately at the University of Nebraska.

Whatever you thought, it’s probably wrong.

I’ve been there… I get so excited and worked up when in a new space that I throw away my pace, strategy, and training. I have gone so hard out the gate because of passion when I should have been maintaining my endurance. I have been guilty of being so afraid of allowing the challenges, doubt, and imagined outcomes run me down because I didn’t run MY RACE. The unknown is just that… a huge question mark placed in front of us. However, it’s up to us if we are going to run and place in the race or see “DNF” next to our name (Did Not Finish). Now… back to the kid.

So instead of yelling about his performance the conversation went like this: “Sprint, jog, breathe, and finish. I do not care about the time or where you place right now. I need you to never stop running and finish. Once we give our all and finish without stopping, we will see where we can make improvements”.

He nodded his head, explained why he stopped, and we came to an agreement that tomorrow will be a better day. At that moment, my athletic abilities and competitive mindset did not matter. What mattered was being a father during a time of him needing support when meeting adversity. The goal was to teach him how to work through mistakes and focus on the next play. During that lesson, it reminded me of my own moments where I stopped in my own race.

Parents, how many races did you delay due to the challenges, doubts, and worries? How many unfinished projects do you have because “things got hectic”? How many times have we told our children to never quit as we are in the process of doing just that?

When I feel myself going through it, here is a poem that keeps me running:

See It Through by Edgar A. Guest

When you’re up against a trouble,

    Meet it squarely, face to face;

Lift your chin and set your shoulders,

    Plant your feet and take a brace.

When it’s vain to try to dodge it,

    Do the best that you can do;

You may fail, but you may conquer,

    See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you

    And your future may seem grim,

But don’t let your nerve desert you;

    Keep yourself in fighting trim.

If the worst is bound to happen,

    Spite of all that you can do,

Running from it will not save you,

    See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,

    When with troubles you’re beset,

But remember you are facing

    Just what other men have met.

You may fail, but fall still fighting;

    Don’t give up, whate’er you do;

Eyes front, head high to the finish.

    See it through!

Run your race 🌱