day no. 15,159: go fast and go hard, but go smart so you can go long

"To be consistent, superiority in relative speed must continue over time. It is not enough to move faster than the enemy only now and then because when we are not moving faster, the advantage, the initiative, passes to him. Most forces can manage an intermittent burst of speed but must then halt for a considerable period to recover between bursts. During that halt, they are likely to lose their advantage. We realize that we cannot operate at full speed indefinitely, and the challenge is to be consistently faster than the enemy." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics

1 Corinthians 9:24-26a
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly.

The speed at which you can sprint can only be sustained for so long. Your top speed is only obtainable for set amounts of time. The amount of energy expended to reach top speed cannot be sustained over long periods of time. 

In other words, if you're running a marathon, sprinting out of the gate is a surefire way to lose that race. 

Consistent speed wins marathons. Speed over time creates a consistent advantage. Sometimes a burst of energy in the form of a sprint is advantageous, but a period of rest will be required to continue even at a snail's pace once the sprint can no longer be sustained. 

Sprint your leg of a relay, run the race in front of you, and pace yourself for the long run.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

"With endurance, we not only outpace the enemy but maintain a higher tempo longer than he can." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics

So go fast and go hard, but go smart so that you can go long.

Jeremiah 12:5
If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?