Forerunner

Faith and running seems a strange combination, but I am surprised to see that the further you want to go or the faster you want to run, the element of 'believing' that you can do it is important, as the mental endurance required is vital. Some running series have quotes and slogans that lead participants to 'believe' that they can do it. Believing and doing are two separate things but they go close together in the realm of putting it into action and being able to endure both physically and mentally. The heart and mind are inexplicably linked. 

As a Christian my faith although not focused on running as such does give me hope in the journey and rather than a pure 'Faith' in my own ability... which is often sadly lacking, rather it helps me see beyond my own expectations and to enjoy the outside and nature, the untangled moorland and learning to take the rough with the smooth - trail running is good for this. Jesus is described as my 'Forerunner', he has gone before and knows the route that I need to take in life, the ups and downs, pitfalls and crossing points where decisions need to be made. As runners take on greater challenges, myself included, the need to recce a route is important as getting lost on a mountain ultra or trail race can add miles to the race distance. So it is with faith and Christianity, I'm glad to know that Jesus is my Forerunner.

So it is now less than 3 days to go tot he start of the #UGB200; I have sat in a hospital waiting with my son for 9 hours where I have been able to pour over the route maps and further consider my race options, even with having done some recces and reading the maps I am still awaiting the journey, time to put the belief, or I could say 'hope' into action.