M2M '12 Half Marathon

As you can see, we were in the middle of "almost nowhere" on "farm to market" roads in-between Storm Lake and Marathon, Iowa...

Nothing but still young cornfields for 13.1 miles - except for handfuls of friendly people at the water stops and at the finish line...

Running this morning with my only sibling and a treasured friend is a blessing not many get to experience...

Mom got up with us at 2:00 AM to ride out and support us and just be -- Mom...

Look up the word "beautiful" in the dictionary...

You will see a description of this day...

Reason(s) To Run...?

Tomorrow morning, my brother Vic, my buddy Aaron and I will be leaving around 2:30 in the morning to go run a Half Marathon!  We are headed to Storm Lake, IA to run in the "Marathon 2 Marathon" - because the race ends in the nice little town on Marathon, IA.

Link: Marathon2Marathon

We are running "JUST BECAUSE"...

• I wanted company.  I was planning to run this race last year - as a "discipline of solitude" - but ended up injured because I foolishly over-trained.  Training by myself, I simply tried to do too much.  (I was only able to run a very slow 5K.)
• We have all learned that the experience of running is a deep and generous BLESSING when you do it TOGETHER with others and as a part of a TEAM.
• The three of us are at about the right amount of training miles to be able to go for a "Half Mary".  So why not?
• I so enjoy the company of my good friend Aaron and my brother Vic, that it's just a good excuse to have a couple of hours to talk about "stuff that matters" - without any interruptions.
• I hope for me it is "Step 2" of the "M2M Trifecta" (5k/Half/Full) in this early-summer, well-organized, in-state, nationally-sanctioned, close-to-home Race.
• It makes PERFECT sense to get up in the dark of dawn - drive  2.5 hours - run 13.1 miles through Iowa cornfields - drive 2.5 hours back - all on the day before I preach across the morning at Naz and begin VBS later in the evening!

But probably the most important Reason we are running tomorrow is:

• Our wives gave us permission...!!!

HAHAHAHA!!!!

An Encouraging 5K Morning!

My son Joel and I just ran a 5K race this morning:  The Grant Wheeler Faith 5K.  I believe it was the 10th Annual running of this memorial event.  It was a perfect morning to run!!

Grant Wheeler was a young husband and father that was killed in a tragic car accident.  He lived his life in such a way that two of the most important things in his life - running and his faith in Christ - are STILL being celebrated a decade after his passing.  Apparently he also was a top notch and enthusiastic encourager...

I have recently discovered running.  It is so much more than a sport.  It is a culture.  I have actually found it to be a counter-culture!!  In a world so filled with discouragement and giving up and settling for not giving or being your best - running has given me glimpses of how individual and community effort are supposed to click and work together.  And encouragement is at the very heart of the running community...

I will be writing quite a bit about running in future entries - but for now I just wanted to share that is was a fantastic morning to run:  with my son, with a few good friends, with 250+ other runners, with people cheering you on - with a mission to remember and honor the memory and life of Grant Wheeler...

I felt so encouraged this morning - and maybe because of this -- I ran a personal best!!

Thanks, Grant.  Your encouragement lives on...