Starting with a Budget of Energy
Piles of dirty snow still littered the brown grass around me. But unlike the previous week, I glided with more freedom over the cleared blacktop path. Temperatures rose from breath-visible mid-20s to the high-30s. As my muscles warmed, sweat began to blossom. I shed my top-layer and tossed it into the hatch of my vehicle, switching from my thermal hat to a lighter ball cap.
“Manage that energy,” I reminded myself. Long training runs are like rolling a tube of toothpaste from the bottom–energy measured, not spent. There are more miles to go. Let it last.
Lessons from a Tube of Toothpaste
As the oldest of four kids, I recall our family’s early years. Our budget was tight. Even as careers progressed, resources had to be carefully managed in a house of six.
“Roll the toothpaste from the bottom,” and remember, “a little dab will do you.” The tube had to last for all of us. Payday wasn’t here yet. I didn’t understand it then, but that toothpaste was not just about toothpaste. It was so much more.
The Micro-Decisions That Shape the Finish
As part of my marathon training, my Saturday run was 15 miles long. I could not squeeze out all of my energy in the beginning. I started low and slow, especially since I knew the temperatures would change so drastically over the course of the morning. This meant dressing in layers and removing those layers early enough to not get overheated. I also had to adhere to a fueling schedule to ensure I was taking in enough calories and electrolytes. Running long distances, I have learned, is not about speed–thank heavens for me. It’s about managing limited energy over time–and isn’t that like life?
In order to finish a marathon, my previous fall marathon experience taught me that it is the micro-decisions that shape the finish line outcome. Energy to cross the finish line requires a well-managed budget. Hundreds of choices are made throughout the hours it takes to run 26.2 miles. Do I push now? Do I hold back longer? Do I fuel now? Do I hydrate now? Do I adjust my clothing? All of these decisions affect my budget. These decisions are tiny, almost invisible acts of stewardship–the careful and responsible management of resources entrusted to one’s care, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
The finish line is often decided in the first miles. Not in drama, but in restraint. Let it last.
Training for More Than Race Day
I am budgeting so that 10–20 years down the road I can get up off the floor without help, walk up steps, move for fun (dancing, anyone?), carry groceries, and maybe one day carry a grandchild. Running, and other forms of exercise, are part of those short-term goals on the journey of healthspan—not just living long, but living well into later years. In that sense, marathon training becomes a microcosm of life itself: we are learning how to sustain it.
The Long Tube of Life
Healthspan is a long tube as it were. We don’t know how much time is left. We don’t know the “weather” ahead of us. We don’t know when “payday” will come. Overspending energy early often has consequences. Neglect compounds, but discipline compounds. Strength builds gradually.
The body is a tube we do not get to replace. We have to plan with care.
Of course, sometimes it is hard to remain slowly steadfast. There are times in life when we “squeeze” too hard, trying to force something to happen. It’s understandable. We want to feel in control, but the truth is control is an illusion.
When Life Requires More Than a “Dab”
However, there are situations over which we do have control. There are seasons, in a manner of speaking, of expenditure, when life requires more than a “dab” from us. We have times when focused efforts and long hours are required. Sometimes urgency is required; deadlines must be met. Even then, we don’t waste; we choose. Life is precious. Let it last.
Strength That Lasts
When we are young, we think strength is “squeezing hard.” We believe, fostered by societal influence, that we are measured and rewarded based on how quickly, how often, and how hard we squeeze. Over time, though, we learn that strength increases, as does contentment, when we squeeze life’s tube wisely. When we create a life budget, and based upon it, gather our provisions– our life skills–we can practice appropriate stewardship of the life we have been given. Strength comes from preparation, discipline, and patience.
Finishing the Miles Well
Maybe finishing well isn’t about having more, but managing what we have been given with joy. We don’t want to rush to finish the tube quickly only to discover there are no refills. In the end, it is worth patiently striving to make our one sweet tube of life last, so we still have something to give and share during our final miles. And may those final miles count.
Steph Simply 