Week 12

I can hardly believe that I'm in my final month of my training for the Madison Marathon! This past Sunday I ran 18 miles and give great good thanks to my friend Deborah and to Cindy for riding along with me and talking me through the 3 hours and 21 minutes it took me to go this far.



This was by far the hardest run I've done so far in terms of how I felt when it was done. It's taking me much longer this time to recover to the point where I'm walking without pain our stiffness. But thanks to my chiropractor, Dr. Dawn at Pro Health Chiropractic in Sun Prairie, and lots of time spent with a foam roller (my new best friend) and stretching, I'm feeling much better today (Wednesday).



This coming Saturday I run 12, the week after that it's the famed 20 mile run, then another 12 and then it's time to taper down for the race. I still find it hard to believe that I'm actually going to do this. I also am somewhat amazed that every week I eventually get to the point where I'm LOOKING FORWARD (?) to that long run. It's crazy but there it is. I like doing this and I still can't believe I can say that.



This week I decided to memorize Psalm 23. I wanted to have at least one complete Psalm under my belt as a resource for the marathon itself but also just to have some scripture memorized for the times in life when words of scripture running through my mind might come in handy.



I've also been thinking that even though my marathon training is winding down the people of Haiti have only really just begun the marathon of recovery and rebuilding. I pray that all who have followed these efforts of mine will continue to remember to send good thoughts to Haiti, to the people of that nation, their government and to all of the world community that is involved in that country. I pray we involve ourselves with humility, with a desire to cooperate and share resources with one another and with as few of our own agendas on the table as possible.



And so I pray Psalm 23 for myself and also with the people of Haiti in mind.



You, O God, are my shepherd, I shall not want.

You make me lie down in green meadows;

You lead me beside still waters;

You restore my soul.

You lead me in right paths for your name's sake.



Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil;

for you are with me

your rod and your staff they comfort me.



You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me all the days of my life

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Amen.

Weeks 10 & 11

Cindy and I have been on vacation for the past two weeks. We traveled to Germany to visit friends we've met over the years. We were in Freiburg in southwestern Germany for 4 days with Martin and Ursula and in and around Bonn and Cologne for 5 days with Wiebke, Udo and Katrin. In order to stay on track with my marathon training I did training runs in Freiburg, Bonn, Monchen-Gladbach and Dusseldorf. My long run for that week was a 17-miler, which I ran along the Rhein river in Bonn. Cindy and Katrin rode their bicycles along with me for the 3 hours and 10 minutes it took me to run that far and Katrin ran the last 3 miles with me, which was great for my motivation. I felt great when we finished that run and continue to be amazed that I'm actually doing these runs at all.

The greatest adventure of my running efforts in Germany was the morning I got lost in downtown Freiburg. I was trying to get in an 8 mile run and I took a few too many twists and turns and couldn't retrace my steps. Fortunately, I had the address and region of the city where I was staying written down on a piece of paper so that the people I asked for help were able to steer me in the right direction. Miraculously, I arrived back at Martin and Ursuala's just as my GPS unit indicated 8 miles. I was really proud of myself for remaining calm in an unfamiliar place despite a language barrier and no identification or money to take a cab or make a phone call. I learned an important lesson, too, about running in unfamiliar places - always take a little money, a phone number and your passport just in case!

When I got home I found an email from Bryan Sirchio with links to some videos showing the efforts that have been underway in Cite Soleil to rebuild the Community School of Cite Soleil. Funds that we've collected through Haiti Partners, MCC were used to help with the rebuilding of the school so I'm including the link to those videos in case you're interested in seeing how your support of my marathon efforts is being used. Thank you, again from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and support for me but most importantly for the people of Haiti. Here's the link:
http://www.haitipartners.org/2010/04/school-in-session-cite-soleil-community-school/ (You may have to cut and paste this into your browser since I'm not technologically advanced enough to actually make it into a link!)

This past Saturday, my long run was only 13 miles so I planned to just run through the Arboretum twice and add a final mile on at the end. As I ran through this Madison treasure I realized how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful place and to have such a wonderful, peaceful, amazing place to run in and enjoy year round. While I ran and enjoyed the beautiful spring morning I chanted these words:

"You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever." (Psalm 30:11-12)

As I meditated on this text I realized that the process of training for this marathon has awakened something in me - a level of confidence, a sense of joy, a desire to give thanks and praise for the wonders of my body and the beauty of the world in which I live and move, run and breathe. As I enter the decade of my 40s in the best shape of my life and with a growing sense that if I can run 26.2 miles on May 30 I can just about do anything, I am looking forward to continuing to see what God has in store for me and my life.

Thanks be to you, O God, for this amazing, beautiful world in which we live - Madison and Germany, Aruba and Haiti and so many other wonderful places. Thanks be to you, O God, for the joy of running and training and learning and growing. Thanks be to you, O God, for the love and care of so many bringing hope and new life to the children of the Community School of Cite Soleil, to their families and the wider community. Thanks be to you, O God, for life and for love. Amen.

Week 9

This week I watched an episode of Frontline on PBS called "The Quake." It aired on Tuesday, March 30 and gave a pretty good description of the events and dynamics that surrounded the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. I highly recommend watching this show - you can access it on Frontline's website - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

Frontline and Planet Money and the BBC are all doing their best to keep Haiti in the news and to cover what is happening there honestly and fairly. I've appreciated their efforts so far. Of course, as my friend Bryan reminded me, there are always parts of the story that don't get told, those things that the governments or the corporations don't want us to know. As with all things it's best to get the news and information from multiple sources if possible in order to get a well rounded picture of what is happening and how we can be voices for justice in an unjust world.

This week's long run was 16 miles. When I finished it I wanted to shout out to anyone within ear shot "I JUST RAN 16 MILES! I felt great - sore and tired and achy, of course, but emotionally great, so proud of myself I could hardly stop grinning. When I got home I gave Cindy a big hug and got tears in my eyes. I still can't believe I ran that far. It took me 2 hours and 56 minutes. And, to top it all off, I also feel like a made a new friend. LuAnn, a woman I've been running with on Saturday mornings for the past few weeks and who is a much stronger runner than I am, accompanied me on 11 of my 16 miles. I really enjoyed our conversations and talking with her made the run go by really fast. I'm very grateful to her for sticking with me.

Next Saturday, it's a 17 mile run and I'll be in Germany. The plan is to run along the Rhein River. I can't wait!

The Prophet Isaiah said: "For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered or come to mind." Indeed, on this Easter Sunday and every day a new heavens and a new earth are being created by our loving God if only we have eyes to see, ears to hear and the will to choose new life.

And so, new heavens and a new earth are possible for Haiti and they are possible for those who take risks and try new things and they are possible for everyone who chooses to embrace hope and possibility. Thanks be to God. Amen.