5 Unexpected Lessons From Running a Half Marathon

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Welcome to One Day Out, a weekly newsletter to help deepen your faith, enhance your health, and guide you in pursuing a purpose-filled life.

Opening Prayer

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to know, love, and serve you in this life. Help me to use the gifts You’ve given me to glorify You and grow Your Kingdom. Thank you for the trials, failures, and hardships You put me through to make me a stronger disciple.

5 Lessons Learned from Boulderthon Half Marathon (that apply to everyday life):

This was the first race that I had trained for since May 2023. In August of last year, I suffered and survived a sudden cardiac arrest that hin

dered me from doing any running (or physical activity at all) for months.

In October 2023 my mom and I walked/jogged the Boulderthon 5k, and we both told ourselves that we would come back and run the half marathon next year, Lord willing.

Although we both had a rough go out there (it is a beautiful yet brutal course), it was one of the most special days of my life to share the experience with her and display the work of God.

1. Embrace the Journey, Not Just the Finish Line

I give all the glory to God that He has given me the ability to run again.

It’s not about hitting your goal time or setting a PR: it’s about who you are shaped into throughout the process.

As I neared the end of the race, I looked down at my watch and was bummed to see that I was going to miss my goal of sub 1:35.

My girlfriend was there at the finish line to give me an encouraging word to reflect on where I was last year and how God has used me and the sport of running to glorify Him and impact the lives of others.

It's easy to focus only on the end goal. But the real growth happens during the process—the daily steps you take, the obstacles you overcome, and the perseverance you build.

2. Pace Yourself

I felt good out of the gate, so I ran the first 5 miles of the race at 7:00 min/mile or faster to bank some time I would lose from the hills on the back half.

By mile 7, I had to stop and walk because my heart rate had jumped to almost 190 BPM. When it was all said and done, I stopped to walk 5 times throughout the race.

Looking back on it, if I had stayed at a consistent 7:15-7:20 pace as planned, maybe I wouldn’t have burned out and hit my goal.

Staying consistent allows you to sustain your efforts over the long term, which is a better strategy for running and life.

3. Overcome the Mental Hurdles

If you’ve ever run a race or done a hard workout, you know what it’s like to enter the pain cave.

Your mind will try to play tricks on you to get you to stop. Some of the things I heard in my head were:

• “You should’ve done more aerobic work.”

• “Who do you think you are trying to run a sub 1:35?”

• “You should’ve fueled differently.”

• “It’s OK to quit. You’ll feel so much better.”

And much more— but it’s important you don’t feed that voice and instead combat it.

I found myself in the pain cave earlier than expected in this race, and I leaned on prayer to help get me through the physical and mental discomfort.

I prayed to the Lord to give me strength to keep pushing and recited some of my favorite Bible verses like Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (NIV)

Don’t get me wrong, I still wanted to quit— but I didn’t. Pushing past mental barriers builds resilience, helping us realize we’re capable of much more than we think through God.

4. Adapt to the Unexpected

Running at elevation is HARD.

I thought training in the Austin heat would help me, and maybe it did, but I was GASSED by mile 5 and felt like I was breathing through a straw. While I felt good out of the gate, I quickly realized I would be in trouble as I hadn’t even hit any of the hills on the back half of the course.

On top of that, my stomach started giving me trouble around the same point in the race. by mile 7, I felt like I had taken punches to the gut and was hunching over while running.

While in the pain cave, I asked myself “What if your future kids were watching you?”

I wouldn’t want them to see me stop or give anything less than my best effort. So, I adapted to what was going on and kept going.

Adaptability is key to staying on course and advancing, no matter what obstacles come your way.

5. Simplify

Leading up to the race I was eating more sugar and refined carbohydrates than I was used to which messed with my gut.

I also had a burger and fries upon arriving in Denver (fries cooked in tallow, but still high in fat) and had me keeled over in my Airbnb for hours.

Not only was it uncomfortable, it stopped me from eating as many carbs as I was planning to that day and I fell behind on my fueling.

Moving forward, I will only eat foods that I know will agree with my stomach and keep it VERY simple when it comes to nutrition:

• white rice

• sourdough bread

• honey

• fruit

• oats

• lean protein

The more complex we make things, the higher the likelihood of something going wrong.

BONUS: Lean on Your Support System

I want to give a big shoutout to my girlfriend MJ and friend Allison for supporting my mom and me in this race.

At mile 7.5 (right before the biggest and longest incline of the race) I saw them and it gave me the boost I needed to get up that God-forsaken hill.

So often in life, we try to do everything ourselves and think that’s how we will get the outcome we’re looking for.

I have found that the more I try to rely on myself, the more likely I am to fail, burnout, implode, etc.

First and foremost, we must realize God is always with us and He wants us to go to Him for help.

Second, He places people in our lives to support us. Life is so much more fun when done with other people.

The Next Most Popular Race Weekend in America?!

Thank you, Boulderthon.

Seeing this event 3x since last year makes me so happy and proud of my friend Phil (race director) and the work they have done to put on such an epic event.

The highlight of my weekend was meeting so many amazing people and hearing their stories of how running has changed their lives.

Reasons to visit Boulder for Boulderthon 2025:

• Incredible people

• Beautiful views

• Amazing food

• Top-notch expo events

• Lots of shops

• Great places to hike nearby

I am already counting the days to come back to Boulder in 2025!

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There’s no better time to start taking back your health than right this moment.

Check out this week’s workout of the week from Colin Reich! Get access to this and hundreds of other resources to help you enhance your health and well-being.

Closing Prayer

Lord, You and my rock and my salvation. Your word comforts me and brings me peace. Help me run the race you have set before me today and to endure the challenges that come my way through Your strength.

Amen.

Know others who want to grow in their faith, optimize their health, and live a biblically sound life according to God’s word? Share this and let’s grow His Kingdom!

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