The Great Marathon Story

“The best race pace is a suicide pace, and today is a good day to die.” Prefontaine

Click here for a cool perspective on why I run

“The will to win means nothing if you haven’t the will to prepare.” – Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner

“The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
Robert Frost

Well, I had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament at my BYU ward and related my “Failed” Marathon story since it related to the topic. We all have a variety of experiences in our lives that change us in different ways. Hopefully, we learn something from them. I think part of the reason that I had this particular experience was to use it as a teaching tool to help others and prevent them from making similar mistakes in their lives. This story illustrates two concepts pretty well: “Enduring to the End” and “The principles of obedience”.

I consider myself a runner. I am not a jogger and never have been. Jogging seems like an activity whose purpose is to prevent physical decline, usually embarked upon after substantial signs of decline are evident. Jogging gets you tired; running builds you up in alternating cycles of stress and rest.

I started running some 20 years ago, though I didn’t enjoy it at first. At that time as today, my true love was cycling. Running was the pain I endured during the winter months to stay in shape for cycling. I am a Southern boy at heart and the early years