Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BY DR. GLENN MOLLETTE
A lot of us are faced with the impossible. We may have what seems to be impossible debts, physical illnesses, human relationships and vocational pressures.
Too often we hear someone say, “Nothing is impossible” and we nod our heads nonchalantly in an unbelieving way.
Keep in mind there is always the possibility of a breakthrough. Enough great minds working together may come up with a cure or a solution. We all have barriers that may appear difficult and even impossible.
Occasionally someone will come along who pushes the mark and proves that the human spirit and body can do more than we even dared to imagine. Such a person is Eliud Kipchoge. Not too along ago he ran a marathon in Vienna in one hour, fifty-nine minutes and forty seconds. He became the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours.
Running a marathon is an amazing accomplishment and not for the faint of heart. Most people will never attempt such an endeavor nor even aspire to try. For many, jogging a couple of miles or even walking a mile or two is an accomplishment. The idea of running a mile in less than six minutes is certainly for the physically fit but what about running a mile in 4:34 minutes?
Who could ever imagine running 26.2 miles at an average of 4.34 minutes per mile? This is exactly what Kipchoge did in Vienna on October 12 in the unofficial Vienna run. The world record 34-year-old runner from Kenya is already a marathon record holder. In 2018, he set the world record in the Berlin marathon running 2:01:39. He also won the Olympic marathon in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
The feat will not go on the record books as an official world record because it wasn’t an open competition. Also, Kipchoge was assisted by a team of rotating world class runners who ran in front and alongside him in V formation as he ran an average speed of 13.6 mph. If you are physically fit, you might try running on a treadmill at 13.6 mph for a couple of minutes to get an idea of how that pace feels.
To prepare for the event organized by chemical company Ineos and sponsored by Nike, Kipchoge was reported to average running 140 miles per week at a high altitude.
Setting a world record is probably not on your radar for today. What about finding a job, losing ten pounds or getting your life in order? Completing this week or just this day may be your marathon and you are aren’t sure how it’s going to work out. Often our greatest accomplishment for the day is making a decision, a change or showing up. Kipchoge obviously had a goal, worked hard and organized his life to achieve it. Keep in mind it’s possible. You can do it. With God, hard work, with help, in some way, by some miracle, it’s possible. Don’t give up.
(Dr. Glenn Mollette’s column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states.)