Topeka Rescue Mission Run

Tonight I ran in the "Topeka Rescue Mission Run". My brother Jodie also ran it, although he finished way quicker. His time was something like 30-32 minutes for 4 miles.

Me and thick thighs. Look at those bulging muscles in his thighs!

After Jodie finished, he came to look for me. He found me just as I was going to turn onto Sixth St. from Kansas avenue. I want to say he ran the last quarter mile with me, it was very sweet. At one point I told him to get behind me because it was driving me crazy that he was just slightly ahead of me so he gets behind me and starts lightly pushing my back to go up the hill. It actually felt sooooo nice but I told him to stop because it was cheating! After I got to the top of Sixth St. I saw my sister Rachel waving her arms and jumping around and so I started to goof off and run faster and realized I should probably just keep the pace since the finish line was a block away. I ran really hard and then couldn't quite keep it up at the very end! So in the video I feel like I am running at such a slow pace! I finished in 45 minutes.

I have a quick story - I was running behind this one really tall guy with long legs who was running like Frankestein! It was driving me crazy watching him and thinking about how he was ahead of me, so I forced myself to get past him. He was about 50 feet in front of me (I'm not a very good judge of distance) and it took me about 6 blocks to get past him! I wish I could show you how he was running!

The video below is me running through to the finish.

Not sure how...

I managed to run 4 miles last night. Without stopping. Without gum. I ran around Washburn and I am convinced that it gets easier after 1.5-2 miles. I'm not sure how it happened.

4 miles
43:25 minutes
10:51 per mile

See the Sky

Running last night made me realize how much I appreciate living in smaller cities. When I was in Atlanta, Georgia, even in the suburbs, I could not see the stars at night. While Reagan and I were running last night I would often catch myself staring at the stars and the clouds in the sky. Watching Orion slay Taurus with his two hunting dogs is always a fun time. My imagination suprises me, it always pops up unexpectantly. Why am I creating this story line with two dogs, a hunter and a bull while I'm sweating up a storm, fighting blisters, and running my buns off? Maybe my body is going into shock because of the "work" it has to do and it's punishing me by adding a tad bit of insanity to my ortherwise logical brain. Who knows?

Last night was gorgeous. I don't know how anybody could stay indoors when there are nights like that. Get outside. Take your kids to the lake. They will have a great time. You will see an amazing sunset. You don't even have to leave your vehicle. Just turn off the television, put down the laptop and walk to the car. Things will flow naturally. God's creation is more amazing than whatever dwelling you live in.


My Outdoor Checklist for 2007

1. Sleep outside
2. Catch a Fish
3. Hike by myself
4. Have a morning devotional by a Lake
5. Be vastly amazed that EVERYTHING I see was created by god and for his glory
6. Climb a tree
7. Play soccer
8. Go Skiing
9. Make a snow angel
10. Have a snow ball fight
11. Pick wildflowers for my wife
12. Find some trash on a trail and carry it all of the way out to a dumpster
13. Photograph Wildlife
14. Swim in a lake
15. Watch a sunrise