Air Force Marathon 2010

Well, I finished the Air Force Marathon in 4:31. Not a record and slower then I had hoped to run but... Given that last week was extremely busy and I had a headcold...I'll just be thankful that I finished the run,

I also changed my strategy the day before the race....not a good thing to do. I'd been training to do 5 minute cycles of 4 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. But because of the headcold, and not being very motivated to run by myself, I decided to run with the 4:20 pace group. To be honest it was fun to run with several people, but I could tell about the 15 mile mark, my breathing was getting harder, but I was already committed to make it with the group.

I was right on pace with the group until the 20 mile mark and then my sinuses and headache from the cold kind of jumped on my back. Also by that time in the morning the temperature was well on its way to nearly 80+ degrees. So I'll start focusing on my next test. The Baltimore Half Marathon. My goal for that race is to break the 2 hour mark.

Reflections on Life Events

I am preparing for my mother's visit...which means...clean the house. So today, I hauled four boxes of books out to my office to open up space in the some closets at home. After work, I started digging through the boxes to find out what I had been hanging on to for so many years. What I discovered were several old letters, trophies, books and pictures from my early years as a pastor.

I’ve shared before, that I’m a packrat. I keep things of sentimental value that hold very little meaning to others but everything to me. So as I’m digging through the stuff sorting things out, I came across my first trophy that I won for winning a race back in High School. It was from June of 1975. That was the year between my junior and senior year of High School, and I remember vividly winning that race.

The race was two-miles on the track at a summer meet sponsored by the local running club. I had a horrible track season that junior year. I had shown promise, but because of nerves and inexperience, I had finished dead last in all but one race. Now at this low-key summer club track meet, I went out dead last. I had nothing to prove. But about lap three, I moved to the front. I was relaxed and felt no pressure. I remember on lap 7 several of my friends shouting for me and I felt strong. That last lap went by so quickly, that even now I can’t really remember it, but I do remember the last few feet when I realized that I had won the race.

Now nearly 35 years later, I find the old trophy. As I think back on all the past years of my life, I can’t help to realize that I’ve been very blessed by God. I’ve lived a dream life with a wonderful wife and family. I’ve seen the world and I’ve meet so many wonderful people. And…I still feel the way I felt those last few feet in the race…I been blessed.

Long Runs

The key to running the marathon is the long run. You don't have to be fancy about how you do it. You just need to do it.

Jeff Galloway's book, "Running: A Year Found Plan", is a great read. He shares this insight into the purpose of the long run:

"The long run builds endurance by gradually extending slow long runs, you train muscle cells to expand their capacity to utilize oxygen efficiently, sustain energy production , and in general, increase capacity to go farther.... Even when running very slowly, with liberal walk breaks, you build endurance by gradually increasing the distance of a regularly schedule long run. Start with the length of your current long one, and increase by 0.5 to 1 mile per week...."

Personally, I've substituted time as the measuring stick over against a defined mile marker. I increase my long runs by 10 minutes every week rather then a mile. The reason I made the shift is simple, because of weather. I've run a lot of my marathons in the Fall, which means Summer tends to be the time I'm building my distance. Also because I've spent a lot of my summers in nice warm places with temperatures near 100 degrees by 9 am...I felt a need to shift to time. My reasoning was some days the heat and humidity drained me faster and if I was focused on a distance, I would feel bad when I had to abandon the distance just because I was trying to keep a certain pace for the distance. I read an article that argued that time allowed you to focus on going for a period of time with a known end point after which you were finished. If you covered a set difference good, but if you didn't that was still good. It was about moving your body for that time and building on it. I made the shift last summer while in Kuwait and it made a huge difference. I never struggled to finish the run like I had when it was a set distance.

So today as my daughter and I ran, we used Galloway's cycle of run/walk and easily completed the time of two hours. We'll go further next week just because we'll add 10 minutes...and that will eventually get us to the finish line on the 31st of October.

I too have a goal in mind

"So often, I too, have a goal in mind, a vision of ministry to fulfill. But You, O God are Sovereign, I am employed for Your service and You maintain the right to alter my plans in whatever way You wish. Keep me alert to Your leading and attuned to Your purposes. Help me to be prepared in season and out of season, ready to do good works which you have prepared in advance for me to do."

I actually read this prayer back in December, but it's been playing in my mind for the past few days. The part that I'm stuck on is "You maintain the right to alter my plans..." I hate to admit it but I get stuck. I want things to go according to my plans...and they never do. As much as I try to control the situation, I'm never in control.

Just like in running, I have to deal with the weather...or the stress of my personal daily schedule, I need to learn to adapt and let each day come as it may. Training for my marathons truly have taught me to be dependent on God...for everything.

Returning from Travels

I hate to admit this but...my age is catching up to me. Once upon a time, I was always able to get back to normal after a length trip, but this time...a different story. I was in the Far East last week visiting and teaching classes in SafeTALK. I'm getting back to running this week, but very slowly. As I learned from the great running coach getting out and running easily will help. So yesterday, I got out and did a short 4 mile run. Today I'm going to try for a quick 2 miles and then on Thursday get out and do 6 miles. Friday off and then Saturday back to my running schedule for the Marine Corp Marathon...with a 2 hour run.

Running should be fun...so keeping things simple and easy is more important than training hard and risking injury and burn-out. So when you have stressful time at work or home...or if you traveling...give yourself a break and get away from you training schedule. When things get back to normal...then go back to the schedule.

Quick Update

My running this past week has been great. But now I'm off on a trip to the Far East...and I know my running will be way down. The thing is I will still try to get out on my running days even if it is just to run for about 10 minutes. We all have weeks where we can't train like we know we should...so the solution is try to do something.

So I'll share more when I return next week.

Grace

Grace is something that I think I know a lot about.  But the truth is I will never fully understand nor appreciate the true depth of what it really means.  Today I experienced it again.  I was busy with my work...trying to take care of the Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers who I see daily.  And I got an email with my evaluation from my commander with his and his commander's comments.  Grace came a knocking on my door.

Grace is a gift that comes not when it is desired or wanted, but when it is needed.  It can be as simple as someone saying to you...you did a good job.  And it can be as dramatic as the calm in the midst of a storm.  That email was the "...you're doing good."  We all want to know that what we are doing is appreciated and valued...and for me today that is what happened.  And it feels good.

But grace is something that I've learn doesn't come without some kind of struggle.  It falls on the soul like a gentle rain...but first there had to be a drought.  It comes as relief from the storms of life, but there has to be the storms.  Grace...it comes...but only after it seems too late.  Grace...it is a marvelous thing.

Grace is when you run your last step of a race...and the peace of God rains down upon your head.