How I Finished Three Half-Marathons

We called ourselves G.A.S., as it was an acronym of our first names. Who were we? 

Strangers.

Strangers who had all chosen to wake up on a cold morning in late fall and run 13.1 miles.

We didn’t plan on running together, but we did. We had the same goal and the same hope: to finish the race. We were going at the same pace and ended up talking to each other as we ran. We shared names, family, and jobs and soon became runner-friends. We all finished, although not at the same time, and congratulated each other for a job well done.  It was my first half-marathon.

Next year, G.A.S. met up again, but this time on purpose. We had communicated through social media a few times before the next race began to make sure we were all going and to make sure we ran with each other. That year, we caught up, shared what we had been through in the past year, and encouraged one another to the finish line. Conversation was easy, and so was the run.

The third year we already knew the plan. Meet, run, talk. 

Over three years, we had gone from total strangers who woke up too early to run too far, to those who were excited to celebrate each others’ successes: a college graduation, a marriage, an engagement, three new babies, and the start of a new business.

There was something about running with other people that made the trek easier, both mentally and physically. There was a joyful expectation to share the load with others. I had always run alone before those races, and still do when I train. 

Running alone has its benefits, but a companion always makes the process easier.

As we built Treehouse Curriculum and TheCainTeam, this idea of running with others kept coming to mind. I knew there was something spiritual about it, more than just knowing that “a cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecc. 4:12). I began to process with God about what it looks like to run with others as a ministry. I recognized that for us to live up to this, we would have to be willing to run with others that we just met. 

Here at TheCainTeam, we are committed to running together with others who want to run the race God has set before them. Yes, we run at different paces and have different backgrounds, but we have the same goal. When we meet and encourage one another, we all finish stronger than ever. We are ready for the long trek and hope you come along with us.

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