Weeks 13 & 14

Well, I did it. On Saturday, May 8th I successfully completed the 20 mile run. It took me 3 hours and 45 minutes. The popular thinking in training for a marathon is that if you can run 20 miles then you can certainly run 26.2. After getting this long awaited milestone under my belt I do believe that since I did run 20 miles I will certainly be able to run 26.2 miles.

I was initially really nervous about running this distance. I wondered, how would I get enough water, what if I needed a bathroom, how long would it take, what would I feel like after it was over, what if I got injured 10 miles from home, how would I occupy my mind for that whole distance? Early in the week prior to the run I was having really strange dreams clearly stemming from my anxiety. But then I had some friends loan me their camel back and I decided on a route and I downloaded some stuff from NPR, watched what I ate that week to minimize abdominal stress and by Saturday morning I was ready to take the plunge.

I actually really enjoyed this run. I took my time. I heard some cool stories on the radio and listened to some great music. The temperature was pretty cool but I was comfortable most of the time as long as I kept my gloves and ear muffs on and it only started spitting rain toward the end. I took a couple of short walking breaks to get my mid-run nutrition in and I really think those walk breaks made the run more successful in the end. I'll definitely be doing that for my nutrition stops during the marathon itself. I can't even describe the feelings of accomplishment and pride that rushed over me after finishing this run. I can't wait for the actual marathon now!

Earlier today I looked back at my first post way back in February when I started this adventure and remembered again how fresh and painful the news of Haiti's earthquake was at that time. I recalled having hopes that by now there would be significant progress in the recovery efforts but I'm afraid that everything I've read and seen indicates that while some things have gotten better and some rebuilding is taking place things in Haiti are very dire and serious.

One of the bloggers I follow said in a recent post that Haitian farmers are having a hard time selling their crops because there is so much free food available to the people of Haiti from government relief efforts that they don't buy food if they don't have to. This is obviously not sustainable and re-creates a culture of dependency that is not healthy for Haiti's long term growth. What a complicated situation - people don't have money or jobs or resources and to survive they need help but the very help they receive causes hardship for others and ultimately ends up being detrimental. It seems every knot that gets untangled reveals another knot somewhere along the line.

At the same time, I have also heard and read amazing stories of ingenuity, creativity and community that are touching and hopeful including the story of a nurse from Haiti who came to Madison to learn basic surgical skills from a local surgeon so he could take those skills back home to help more people and to train other nurses. I guess the best thing to do is pray and trust and focus on doing the few small things we can do through our Haiti Partners ministry to support the wisdom and dreams of our Haitian partners as they rebuild their lives on a small scale. Will we know when or if we've gone too far, when our efforts have crossed the line between support and dependence? I pray we will and that if that happens we will act responsibly to restore balance and integrity to our work.

I've been memorizing Psalm 148. It was on the lectionary a few weeks ago and really caught my attention. I've decided to memorize the whole thing so that I have two Psalms to focus on during the marathon. Psalm 148 is a song of praise and gratitude for all the ways God has helped and guided God's people. It reminds me to be thankful even for the rain that made last weeks short runs less than enjoyable and to look around me to see how all of creation, by its mere existence, is praising God. It is in God's creativity and power and ability to make a way out of no way that I surrender to when I get worried about Haiti or about the oil spill or the wars or my own particular life challenges. This doesn't excuse my responsible action but it does take the burden off my shoulders - I'm not alone, God is in it, too and God is amazing!

Psalm 148
Praise God!
Praise God, from the heavens;
praise God in the heights!
Praise God all you angels;
Praise God all you host!

Praise God sun and moon
Praise God all you shining start
Praise God you highest heavens
and you waters above the heavens!

Praise the name of God,
for God commanded and you were created.
God established you forever and ever;
God fixed your bounds, which cannot be passed.

Praise God from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling God's command!

Mountains and all hills
fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together!

Let them praise the name of God
for God's name alone is exalted;
God's glory is above earth and heaven.
God has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all her faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to God.
Praise God!