Why Do I Run?

Lately, on Twitter and Facebook, many of my friends have made comments about “Wow, you run a lot!” or “Is all you do run?”

This is for you.

Yep, I run a lot.  It didn’t used to be that way.  Let me explain.

In high school, I was fat. Some people knew me then and can vouch for that. This isn’t a sob story at all.  As a sophomore in high school, I was at 240.  By the time I graduated, I had dropped a little bit by being more active in playing baseball my senior season.  I entered college at 225.  I simply didn’t want to be at that weight.  My senior year, I would go to the middle school track in my town and run a mile or so.  I can remember going and running a mile in 7:48 in the spring of 2004.  It was the fastest I could squeeze one out.  And of course, after that I was so spent I couldn’t do anything else.

I got to college and was able to get a job at FedEx Ground. From the beginning of September to the end of September, my body became used to moving for 5 hours straight in the back of a truck.  I lost 20-25 lbs. in the first month of working there. I eventually moved into being more active and got down to right about 200 lbs. and stayed there for a while.

The summer of 2005, as I was more active, I began to run more.  It’d be two miles, one mile, mile and a half; that was all.  I began to read online about 5k’s and races and running and it piqued my interest. I began to go running regularly. I would go up to the same middle school track and run. When I did a mile time trial on June 3, 2005 (the day before my niece was born…only reason I remember the date is because as soon as I got done, I got the call that we had to travel to ATL for her birth on the 4th). I ran that mile in 6:18.  That’s a huge change.  1:30 in a little over a year.  Weight helps.  I began to run 3 miles at a time or so. Total miles for 2005 = 62.5.

When I got back to college, I ran 4 miles one Sunday night and thought I would die.  It was horrible. I continued to run 3-3.5 miles throughout the next college school year on occasion. By April 2006, I had started a new job working at the Hilton downtown Nashville, Tennessee which happens to be the headquarters for the Country Music Marathon.  I was still running often, reading the magazines, and keeping up with the sport. The atmosphere on Friday before the marathon was so ridiculous.  I was hooked. That afternoon, after never running more than 3.5 miles, I started running.  I ran.  7 miles.  I hurt horribly the next day, but I was hooked. The atmosphere was amazing. I continued to run throughout the year.

In August 2006, my father began to experience some chest pains.  At the doctor’s request, he checked in and they performed a five bypass surgery. It was a scary time, but amazing to see God through quick recovery, as well as through friends. Dad recovered great. Before we left the hospital, the surgeon came in to check on him in his regular room (he was out of ICU post-surgery a full day before the normal time…God’s hand) and essentially just old the entire family that heredity had everything to do with it. It was at that point, I realized I had to do something.  I was 20 years old at the time and it was scary to think of my future like that.

The year continued with a few more miles here and there. On Thanksgiving day, three years ago today, I got a call from my wife (just a friend at the time) and she said, “Did you hear about G?” G was a friend of my roommate’s, and he had become a friend of mine. Gerald Lynn Turner was the student body president of the college we attended. While playing football on Thanksgiving with his wife’s family in Florida, he dove after someone to tackle them and never got up off the ground.  His heart stopped.  He had been married 2 months and working as a youth pastor at his home church in Mississippi.  It was scary, again.

At that point, I had decided I had to do something.  I was going to run the Country Music Marathon in 2007.  I got my buddy Alan Skiles to run with me.  We started training around Christmas.  I had it in my head that we were running for G. When we got back to school, I talked to a teacher and a scholarship was set up.  It was official, we were running for G. 2006 total miles = 304.8 miles.

2007 rolled around by running 4 runs a week.  Alan and I trained and trained and trained. We raised money for the scholarship for the G foundation that was set up.  April rolled around and the marathon hit.  Alan and I had no idea how to run or train or any of it, but I finished in 4:16:32.  I crossed the finish line with tears in my eyes.  I had accomplished what I had seen as impossible for me in high school.  I had run a marathon.  It was an amazing feeling.  My mother was there.  My girlfriend (wife now) was there.  I just stood and talked with tears in my eyes.  The rest of the day was filled with amazing feelings.  I lived on that high and was hooked.  

For the rest of the year I ran here and there.  I was close to 400 miles in April.  The summer came and I did a youth ministry internship.  I got back to college and ran here and there.  But, when it finally rolled around to December, I knew it meant I had to run more in order to get to the finish line faster. In the mean time, in September 2007, I took my first trip ever to Haiti. To say the least, I was moved. The quality of life embarrassed me at how selfish I had been. The love of the people convinced me that I don’t love enough. Something needed to happen. 2007 total miles = 698.3

2008 rolled around and suddenly I was running more.  It was 5 days a week.  In March, I ran a 15k where I finished 18th overall with a 1:07:55 – a 7:16 pace.  Say what?  Three years prior, I couldn’t run one mile at 7:16 pace, let alone 9.3.  The spring was great.  April rolled around. I ran by myself this time.  My mom and girlfriend were there for me and saw me at different places, along with Alan who was unable to run and his girlfriend, who turned into his wife.  It was a struggle, but the training paid off as I crossed the line in 3:57:50.  It was awesome!

While training, I sent out letters and MySpace notices that I was raising money for Haiti.  Of course I called it…Run 4 Haiti.  That year, I had a few donations that totaled about $300. I ran for them.

It was awesome until I realized that I was capable of more.  You see, there are runner-people who have figured out that based on shorter races times what you should be capable to run at other distances.  Based on my 15k time, I knew that I was capable of running faster than what I did.  The answer?  Run more.  In fact, the saying on the website that taught me how to run from a group of amazing runners that congregate there is this: Run lots. Mostly easy. Sometimes hard. It began to make sense.  The more you run…the more your body thanks you for it. 

I graduated college in May 2008 and moved to New Castle, Indiana.  I ran a little bit each week after the move. I returned to Haiti in September 2008.  I was moved even more.  This time, I felt that God really wanted me to do something for Haiti.  I felt like I was involved.  Suddenly, I came back and Mountain Faith Mission of Haiti was almost life to me.  I built a website and began to do whatever I could.  

Running wise, well, Run 4 Haiti was essentially born a little over a year ago on the web.  I ran a 5k last fall in 20:18 – a 6:33 pace – who’d a thunk?  I ran a 4 miler last December in 27:02.  I just ran.  A year ago next week I began a streak of running at least 50 miles a week.  A year from Saturday, I began to run every day (a streak which broke on August 22 when I left for Haiti after 264 days). Total miles for 2008 = 1684.9.  It was a significant difference and my mileage increase showed through my better times.

2009 rolled around and suddenly I had this running thing down.  In March I ran a half marathon in 1:34:21 – a 7:13 pace…the numbers just kept getting smaller.  I toed the line for Nashville’s marathon hoping to run a 3:25, but mother nature heated up and was a punk.  But, I still crawled in at 3:50 – a 7 minute improvement simply because of the training.  The summer brought a lot of busy-ness.  Marriage, youth trips, travels, so the mileage decreased.  

Haiti 2009 really did something though. As I had mentioned, I felt like a part of something bigger.  Since then, my work with MFM has manifested itself in new ways.  

The fall brought a 5k with a 25 second improvement.  It was a 19:53.  I broke 20…that’s crazy.

And so, now it’s Thanksgiving.  I find myself reflecting today on what I’m thankful for: family, friends, church, job, God, finances, etc.

But really, I’m thankful for running.  This really long post is really what my life is about a lot of days.  Yes, I love to run.  I run lots of miles.  In fact, after today, my total for the year will be 2018 miles.  But it’s what motivates me that I’m thankful for.

Health motivates me of course, but Haiti is it.  People pay money for people to do stupid things, like run.  And I want to do those stupid things because I enjoy it.

MFM has use for money of course.  It’s a poverty-stricken country.  I don’t ask for money for my benefit, but I ask for money for those people in Haiti that I know can use it.  The Sandia’s who was just happy when I gave her a ball-point pen for school.  The Milan’s who called herself my sister at VBS this year, laughing, and then with a serious look asked me if I was taking her back home with me since she was my sister.  And for the Jean-Bofet’s, who live in the orphanage that MFM runs.  What does money bring?  It just brings the ability for God’s work to be done.  It makes their life easier.  It changes the life through others.  The missionaries there want to change life’s both spiritually and physically.  It just happens.  But, it doesn’t happen unless someone gives.  It doesn’t happen unless Christians give.

That’s what I want to motivate. I want to motivate those people who think, “Man, you’re stupid because you run so much…” to give.  It does so much. In fact, if there’s a specific way and area that you want to give…then I’ll make sure it gets done.  

But that’s why I run.  I run for them.

2000 miles

Today’s run officially put me at 2000 miles for 2009.  This puts me on pace for somewhere close to 2250 for the year if my running continues.

The running has been going very well lately. I’ve been able to consistently hit my 50+ mpw and have been recovering well.  This past week I increased the mileage up a bit.  Tuesday’s midweek run was at 10 miles and Saturday’s long run was at 15 miles.  Both of them had some speedwork included.

The 10 miler was 3 miles warm up, then 3 x 1 mile @ 7:00 pace w/ 3:00 minute recovery, then 3 miles cool down.

The 15 miler was 5 easy, 3 @ marathon pace (7:45ish), 2 easy, 2 @ mp, and 3 easy.

This week is Thanksgiving, but I’m hoping to continue the running mileage up this week.  Beginning in December, I am hoping to hit out a few doubles a week, so we’ll see how that rolls out.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving.

How Corrupt Are You?

Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries

Congratulations to Haiti for making it for another year.  Although, it seems to me that in the past when I’ve looked at these lists, Haiti has been higher on the list.  

We’ve always joked about this aspect, as horrible as it is, that “Voted 10th Most Corrupt Country Three Years In A Row” isn’t exactly something that you’d want put on your “Welcome to Haiti” sign.

I look at these things about corruption, and honestly, they don’t move me too much.  And for some reason, that really bothers me this morning.  I’m about a third of the way through Richard Stearns “A Hole in Our Gospel” and it’s really good. The fact that Christ has definitely called people to love God and love others is very apparent.  But I truly appreciate Stearns in saying that there is a third greatest command – to go and tell people this Gospel so there life too can be changed. How amazing is that?

Corruption is a human creation. Redemption is a gift of God. God can bring Haiti, or any country on that list out of the “corruption” statistics that they frequent. But, how do the people who are so “corrupt” find redemption? Only in Christ. 

I’ll admit, there are times when I’ve been in Haiti where I get sidetracked.  As I’ve mentioned before, there are groups that I’ve talked to who have gone down to Haiti and only focused on humanitarian efforts the entire time (and I have no problem with this…)  But we’ve talked to people, who have made it their sole focus as a Christian to only give clean water to the people, or to only give the people food.  Because of talking to those people, I’ve seen the very need of spreading the Gospel.  Thus, whenever I go into Haiti, I feel that sometimes I neglect the physical needs because I think I am more holy by just meeting the spiritual needs.

The truth is though, they must go hand in hand.  You must meet them both.  Sure, the spiritual needs are the ones that count in the long term.  The spiritual needs are commanded to be met.  That is the way that redemption happens – someone meets Jesus Christ and he redeems them from corruption.  But, what if I just give them the Gospel and don’t meet their physical needs?  What does that say to them about the love of Christ?  Meeting their physical needs could manifest itself in a number of ways: paying for a child to go to school, buying food, giving clothing, or maybe paying for gas for their car. 

Wait a second – pay for gas in their car?  Haitians don’t have cars!

Yeah…Americans, I’m all for supporting Haiti.  In fact, by the end of March, Lindsey and I hope to be completely out of debt, at which point, we plan to begin pouring regularly into a couple of different international ministries.  But, if we only see abroad, and we don’t see the people who drive through our town ever day, who have the same sort of corrupt, sinful, life that those on the top 10 list have, then I feel we have missed the point of the Gospel.

“Go into all the world” doesn’t automatically mean you have to jump the great ponds and go visit someone of a different race.  ”Go into all the world” means exactly what it says…hit the world.  Your world.  Your immediate world.  And, if the opportunity arises, hit someone else’s world.  But don’t leave the Gospel at home.  Take the Gospel with you.  But be reminded, the Gospel carries the love of Christ with it.

Corruption happens.  But Christ redeems.

Happy 6 Months!

I’ve been married 6 months today.  I’m pretty excited about it.  My wife kinda supports my Haiti addiction.  She also kinda supports my running addiction.  She’s kinda awesome.

Last week got in the 50.6 miles.  My legs are really kicking me because I need new shoes, but I’m too lazy and cheap to buy a pair as of right now.  I know I’m getting some the weekend of Thanksgiving though, so I’m basically counting down the number of runs I have.

Finally, I will be starting the book “The Hole In Our Gospel” by the founder of World Vision, Richard Stearns.  I’m kind of excited about it.  I’ll post a review on here when I finish the book later this week.

I also hope that this weekend I won’t be a total loser and that I’ll actually work on maybe a Haiti video or something.  We’ll just have to see what the weekend holds.

Last week

This is what the past week looked like:

Monday – 6 mi in 53:28

Tuesday – 9.2 mi in 1:20:41

Wednesay – 7 mi in 1:02:07

Thursday – 7.1 mi in 59:54

Friday – 6 mi in 53:17

Saturday – 3 mi in 29:00

Sunday – 13 mi in 1:49:26

 

Friday night, I took some of our teens to a state wide youth rally/lock-in.  (I hate lock-ins)  I finally got to bed around 6:15am on Saturday morning and slept till almost 1pm.  When I awoke, I put on shorts and ran the three miles.  My legs HATED me.  So I did a nice, slow, recovery jog.  That was smart, because on Sunday’s long run, I pushed the pace from miles 8-11.  Here’s what that workout looked like.

 

7 miles easy

4 miles @ marathon pace (7:32, 7:37, 7:45, 7:31)

2 miles easy for cooldown

It felt great while I was running.  The 7:37/7:45 are on slightly hilly portions, thus the pace decreased. 

Anyways, 51.3 miles last week, and my legs are a bit sluggish today.  Feeling good overall though and ready to begin building on it to set some personal records in 2010.

December 6 brings the Kris Kringle 4 Miler back, so we’ll see how that goes.  Should be able to go under 27:00 this year…hopefully.  We’ll see how running distances like this trashes my legs.

Updating Regularly

I guess maybe more people would read this if it had a bit of substance to it.

Tonight, I should finish up my freelance writing assignment, giving me a couple of months off from it. That means, more time to focus on other things.  That means I can read more books, work on videos, and, well, run more.  One of those things won’t happen more…

It’s kind of a dead time for me, really. I love fall and spring.  They are beautiful times of the year whenever the weather is comfortable.  In the spring, you see growth spurting everywhere.  In the fall, you see beautiful colors on everything.  But, lately, everything has begun to lose its color.  It’s begun to die.  It’s…blah time of the year.

Maybe I’m just a whiney baby, but I really don’t like the winter months.  There’s something about it being dark all the time, cold where you stay inside, and everything being dead.  Maybe whiney isn’t the right term for me right now – maybe its horribly morbid.  Nonetheless, it’s true.  It’s just not a fun time of year for me.  

Fortunately, the run gets me out of the house, whether its in the dark or light, warm or cold, life or death – it gives me something to do.

I’ve often wondered why in my brief trips to Haiti why I don’t see a lot of people down there running for fun.  I mean, it might happen, but not in Saut d’Eau.  Maybe it’s my stupidity curiosity, but I’ve often wondered what natural born runners there are down there who just aren’t given the opportunity to try. Or, how many of them have the knowledge that there are stupid people who run long distances for fun? Who would have thought that a local footrace that you can pay $15 for would be a privilege and blessing that not everyone has the privilege of doing.

Just some crazy thoughts here.

Anyways, I received an email from the Turners (the MFM missionaries) yesterday with updates of things that are going on around the compound.  Some of you might know that MFM has been in the process for the past 3-4 years of building a newer, bigger church building on the compound in Saut d’Eau.  When I say newer and bigger…I really mean those to the extreme.

The church in Saut d’Eau looks something like this (actually, not something like this – this is the actual photo of the church…)At VBS, it’s amazing how many people fit into that building. 700-800?  Plus, more people outside.

Well, the new church is working toward completion.  As of yesterday, many were working to put plaster on the walls, all wall joists, put up trusses, clean up, pour cement, etc.  This new church will seat some 3000 people comfortably according to the Turners.

Ronnie (the treasurer of MFM and long-time friend) and I were talking about this.  Pastor Turner says that God wants that church built in Saut d’Eau.  (A small reminder: The yearly voodoo fest that takes place at the cascades…the great parade will walk right in front of this church every year.) Ronnie and I came to the conclusion that the building of this church simply doesn’t make sense.  I mean, the old church is big enough for the congregation at Saut d’Eau of about 500.  There’s no point in having a bigger church with lots of room.  Except on one condition – God really is a part of it.  Then, it all makes sense.  It’s amazing to see what things God can pull off.  

I think about it quite often, actually.  Much of the world looks at the Bible and says, “The things in that are preposterous!  That could never happen! That book can’t be true!” But my deal is this: it’s God. I don’t use that as a cop-out when I say He’s capable of doing anything He wants.  I say it in awe and reverence to the fact that, well, He can do anything He wants! God can’t be limited. He’s powerful enough to do it.  He’s strong enough to succeed.  In fact, the word “enough” should be removed from those sentences. 

To wrap our minds around how great and mighty God is is impossible.  But when we start trying to, it’s easy to see that everything in the Bible is possible, plausible, and completely logical in light of the God that we serve.

And, if those things start making sense – why wouldn’t building the largest church in Haiti in the same town as the biggest voodoo festival in the world make sense – if God’s involved in the middle of it all?

Tuesday, October 27

Running:

Two straight weeks of 50 miles plus some.  This morning, I got up at ran 4 miles and will hit out another 7-9 this afternoon.  I am going to experiment to see how that might work out…we’ll see.

Life: 

My wife got a job back in September for teaching 4th grade at a local school system beginning November 18.  Elementary jobs are hard to come by here, so to get a full-time subbing position at a great school for a maternity leave position was truly God’s blessing. She first applied for one back in June at this school that would last from August til about October, but she didn’t get it.  I didn’t realize and understand why. But then, in August, she got a call about another position, re-interviewed and got the position.  Not surprisingly, God had other plans as this one is from November until April…possibly the end of the year depending on how mother wants to go with the baby.  Of course, God had greater plans, as the other 4th grade teacher has recently found out she has lymphoma, so Lindsey subbed there yesterday.  She is subbing again today, but I don’t know which class, as we got a text message from the teacher last night that said, “My water just broke!”  Who knows where Lindsey is today?  All I know is that whenever it seems like things aren’t working out in my favor, God is in the background laughing at my worry saying, “Listen, I’ve got a better plan.”

Haiti:

I miss it.  I mean, it’s impacted me, and I’ve only been there three times. I see families who live there and minister there daily, and there is a great respect for them to see all that they sacrifice in the name of Christ.  Likewise though, there is some aspect of envy.  It all goes back to the feelings and emotions that I feel while in Haiti – the challenge spiritually, lovingly, emotionally, physically – it’s indescribable.

Run4Haiti:

No real goals set, just a lot of training for an unnamed goal right now.  Think often of the best route to take to raise support for VBS or a trades school.  I talked to dad last week about the run from the airport to the compound. I had actually told him about it before and he just frowned and said, “No…” Well, back in April, dad came to my marathon run.  I had run two times in Nashville, but he had always been out of town on business.  Fortunately, this time he was able to come.  That day did something to him.  He has been running pretty (in)consistently since then – reminder: he had 5 bypasses a little over three years ago.  I think it’s awesome.  He has a different view towards running now.  He has a respect for the running community.  He thinks a lot about running actually.  It’s pretty awesome.  So when I told him this time, he listened closely and then said, “You know that’s like 45 miles up a mountain, don’t you?”  I just laughed and said, “Yeah, but people pay money for people to do stupid stuff…”  Ain’t that the truth.  So, we’ll see where that eventually gets us.  It’s a dream and a goal for the future.  When?  I don’t know.

So, that’s life in a nutshell right now.  Hoping to finish up some freelance writing I’ve been doing in the next seven days.  When that is complete, my attention will be turned to getting a 2010 R4H video put together.  Ya know, cause that’s how I roll.

Irony

I figure mother nature just wanted to mess with me after posting something about Mother Winter coming early.  Saturday morning, it was below 32 degrees when we went to a football game of a little kid in our church.

It is Wednesday now – the high today is 72°. “Take that, Ryan” said Mother Nature.

Mileage has been fun as of late. I enjoy simply running a whole lot more than training for a 5k. 5k’s make you hurt.  You go out twice a week and run laps around a track at a really fast pace.  That’s stupid.

Somehow, I’ve managed to make myself believe that going out and running 9 miles at a comfortable 8:43/mile pace is much smarter and can somehow be seen as a logical decision in my every day life. 

Anyways – Monday I knocked out 8.2 miles at an 8:46 pace and yesterday I kicked 9 miles out at 8:43.  Today, I’ll be going out for a 6 miler at whatever pace my body and legs decide to let me run.  This weekend, I’m going to try to hit out 14 or so, that way, if I can keep increasing and some random chance to run a random marathon shows up, I can be in shape to go out and run it…

I’m struggling with what race to run in the spring. Nashville was great for three years – but Nashville runs the chance of being a billion degrees.  I want a chance to run a race and do well up to my potential.

I’m still tossing around a big idea to raise money.

You see, back in August when we went in and met with the mayor of Saut d’Eau – he mentioned the idea that it would be good for Mountain Faith Mission to start some sort of vocational school. This thought was echoed by others in the mission who, as one claimed, “After they leave secondary school, they don’t have training for a job. We need to train them for jobs so they will stick around with La Mission Emmanuel (Mountain Faith Mission) and not leave.”

This is really what I would love to raise money for this coming year.  It’s a logical explanation by the Haitians in our mission. Likewise, the mayor wants something in Saut d’Eau that makes the lives of those in the village greater. It gives them a chance to learn. They can be educated in a skill that can essentially provide some sort of income for them. But, it doesn’t stop there as it allows our students within the mission to receive training in a number of areas that will keep them around.  It seems like a win-win situation.  So, that’s sort of my goal.

Essentially, my super-far-fetched-long-term goal, knowing how things can go very very slow in Haiti, is that upon the completion of the school if it were to be built, as a final push for support, I have a run up my sleeve.

Since my first trip in to Haiti, I’ve had this idea that I’ve been working on.  My goal: run from the Port-au-Prince airport to our compound in one day.  That covers about 50 miles or so and it goes from the bay – thus 0 ft. above sea level – to 1250 ft. above sea level at our compound.  This of course does not take into account that you go over all the mountains to get there.  This is obviously a long term goal, but I’ve been dreaming about it for two years, and it’s just really been on my mind lately.  It probably wouldn’t take place for a couple of years, but I’d love to run all day, get to the compound, collapse in front of this school while eating diri ak pwa, and watch a building dedication take place.

Of course, that’s how it all works out in my head.  So over the next couple of weeks, these are my goals to work towards.  I want to see what would be able to be done about a vocational school and begin working toward that goal.  Meanwhile, I will run.  A lot.  Because you never know when you fly into PAP early in the morning, only to put on your Mizunos and make a 50 mile journey on foot.  Of course, when you say it like that, I recognize that my 50 mile jog would seem nothing to some of the people in Haiti who have walked numerous miles.  

That kind of puts things in perspective…

Welcome to Indiana, Mother Winter!

In Tennessee, I never remember waking up and scraping off frost every day.  In Tennessee, I don’t remember wearing long sleeves for long runs because it’s stinkin’ cold.  I don’t remember it dipping below freezing before Halloween.  But oh Toto, we ain’t in Tennessee anymore.

Nonetheless, it’s been beautiful.  Besides the skin chilling wind, the skies have been clear with limited clouds and lots of sun. Yesterday, I finally hit a long run that I am proud of.  I ran 13 miles in 1:51.  Was planning on stopping at 12, but was feeling good.  Good to know all the miles I ran back in the spring have done a little bit more for me in the long run (no pun intended).  

My weight is a different problem.  Last week was my birthday.  And, the month of October is pastor appreciation month.  Who thinks I might have had a lot of sweets this month?  This guy thinks that.  The scale shows that.  It’s pretty rough.  So, it’s time to hit back at it and try to dip way down again.  I lost 15 lbs last year during marathon training with no effort.  Some of you might remember me keeping Kroger in business as I had cinnamon rolls almost every Monday night.  But, with a little effort, I’m hoping to shed down to about 170 lbs.  Who knows?

The training last week was great.  52.4 miles for the week.  Can’t complain about that for sure.  

I’ve had a weird thought in my head lately about what to raise money for and how to go about it.  Just some different thoughts that will probably be expressed within the next week or so.  

I also have a super crazy idea to carry out in the next couple of years.  That, my friends, is totally stupid, so I’m kind of excited about it.

Until next time!

Back Into The Swing Of Things

I’m trying to get back to increasing my mileage. Monday – 8, Tuesday – 9.  That’s a huge change for me from the summer.  Surprisingly, my legs feel better than they would during 5k training.  Funny how that works.

I’ve yet to decide on a spring marathon.  The one I originally wanted to run (Springfield, Ill) has changed to May.  I don’t want to risk a stinkin’ heat wave meltdown again, so I was looking to early April.  Who knows?  I’ll keep looking.

Other than that, I’ve begun to brainstorm the ways I can go about actually trying to raise money this year. VBS costs went up dramatically this year.  Normally it cost $5000 for the week to feed all of the people and other expenses for VBS (this is all the cost to actually execute VBS – I remind you that those of us who take a trip down there for the week pay for our own food, transportation, plus some more to pay our translators and other people…).  This year at VBS, the cost pushed $7000.  Who knows for next year.  I made a small dent last year in that cost.  I mean, I didn’t push or publicize the way that I possibly could have.  I could have done more.

I don’t like asking for money.  I really don’t.  It might come from the fact that I’m as cheap as they come.  As Lindsey and I are trying to get out of debt, I don’t want to buy ANYTHING.  I’m even willing to give up groceries.  But, I recognize that when someone does stupid things, such as run marathons and enjoy it, people are willing to thrown money at it.  I’m just in the middle of trying to figure out how to go from making a dent, to contributing huge numbers.  Not for the sake of “Oh, look how much I raised…” but for the sake of “Oh, look how much we can give!”  

I’d thought about seeing the possibility of having a 5k in my town in order to raise money.  That’s one thought.  I mean, who knows?  The other is of course to go about it the same as I did last year, but this year to actually email and snail mail packets of information to churches.  I have tons of ideas, I just don’t know how to go about executing all of them.  

Anyone have Donald Trump’s number?