A Weekend of Running

Over the past three days of the long weekend, I've run 37.8 miles.

I didn't run the Charles St. 12, but I am glad for everyone who did.

I didn't participate in any of the local 5K's--color run or otherwise.  But I am glad for everyone who did.

I did get a chance to do 2/3 of one of the runs (6.4 of the 9.8) with one of the closest members of my "running family" and about half of the miles (18 of the total) with another of the closest members of my running family.  And those are worth way more than any race.  Of course, I am training for races with both of them.  And I will run side by side with at least one of the two this fall.

I did get a chance to experience the fellowship of runners.  After the 6.4 miles on Saturday morning, we joined the Back on My Feet groups from Baltimore who were meeting at Christopher's Place, recited the Serenity Prayer, and then took off.  She for many more miles on Saturday.  Me for just another 0.9 on Saturday morning.

The fellowship continued when I circled back to Christopher's place sooner than any other runner did (I was done after just 0.9 more miles as I'd preceded my run with Lauren by 2.5 to warm up.)  I had the opportunity to speak with someone I had not had more than 30 seconds to say hello to in quite some time.  That was cool.  I got to hear about her completing 33.4 miles.  And talk about my plans for 56.

I did get a chance to share vulnerability with my running family.  Making goofy comments like noting the athleticism of rats as they jump incredibly high.  What does this tell me?  Either I have a very tolerant running mate who doesn't mind delirious comments at 5:30 on a Saturday morning by the harbor or that our friendship is strong enough to just take in those types of crazy comments.  On Sunday, I led my training partner from Timonium to Towson U, down Charles Street to Guilford where we talked about house envy, and then back over some demanding hills.  We made two pit stops with her complaining of some stomach issues and she tripped for the first time when I've been running with her in almost five years.  She was a trooper and finished.  She also shared her new nose piercing.  For the two of us who were pretty straight-laced when we met in the fall of 2010 to now have one of us with a big tattoo and the other with a nose piercing is pretty big.  Both are pretty main stream these days but I'm not sure either would have imagined the other doing that when we first me.

Finally, this morning I ran alone.  Sometimes those types of runs are great.  This was no exception.  I ran a slow and easy 8:50 pace.  At one point I was running in the bike lane against traffic.  I saw a bicyclist coming.  I quickly went up onto the grass and had a short "cross country-like" run on the grass and among the trees just south of the golf course that borders Lake Avenue.  The cyclist actually waved and said "thank you!"  I didn't think I needed thanks, but it was great to hear.

And, finally, today, I celebrated one year since the passing of an incredible runner.  She ran 50 races in the year starting when she turned 49 and leading up to when she turned 50.  Her favorite line was "finish lines not finish times."  Today's run (with my slow pace) showed that quite a bit.  My 56 miler will be about the finish line--and somewhat about the time.  She just embodied the spirit of running and encouragement. I met numerous people after I met her and they have become good online friends over the past year.

I look forward to what running will continue to bring me.

This was also a great weekend with family--cleaning that was long overdue.  Two dinners on the grill.  No meals out.  No real travels.  Just enjoying life together.

What more could I ask for in a weekend of running and Labor Day weekend in general?

Where 40 Days of Discernment has Led Me?

Before I comment on the conclusion of forty days of discernment on the road to better, I want to talk about the race today.  I ran a 1:33:20 half marathon.  I can look at this one of two ways.  As a shortcoming, it is 1 minute 38 second off my main goal (his 7:00 per mile average) or 3:20 off my other goal (run a 1:30).  In a more positive light, it is the fastest I have run a half marathon distance anywhere other than on the NCR trail, and it was on a course that was challenging.  Either way, I was happy with the experience.  A main observation is that I ran the first 5.7 miles (according to the official time) at a 6:47 pace and then slowed down.  I clearly lost some speed on the uphills to get to Lake Montebello and then never recovered and ran the negative splits I hoped for.

I have a second story about the race situation that I think is worth telling.  People who are not runners wonder about the fellowship among runners.  I saw an incredible example of that fellowship today.  There were two gentlemen I kept playing leapfrog with throughout the race.  The one guy first encouraged me as I passed by him working it up the hill running along Linwood.  Later when he had a chance to pass me, I encouraged him back.  Then, we traded encouragement back and forth throughout the rest of the race.  I couldn't estimate the guys age but he was wearing a sweatshirt, which I could not imagine wearing.  The other guy was a ginger-haired kid who looked about half my age.  I didn't say anything to him until I came up on him for what must have been the third or fourth lead change on Howard Street.  At that point, I said to him, "Hey, we've been playing leapfrog the whole race.  What do you have left?"  He eventually passed me again, and I tried to keep him in my sights the rest of the way.  But he did beat me (as did the other guy I mentioned).  What was cool was what happened after the race.  The first guy I described, I was close enough to at the end that we just gave each other a fist punch with a congratulations.  The second guy was a different story.  When the race is done, the runners walk a distance between barricades, then turn a corner, get a heat blanket, get a water, and get the medal.  I forget where in the process, I met the younger guy, but he actually turned around to look for me and went out of his way to congratulate me (and I returned the favor of course).  Maybe he would have done just as well if I had not challenged him to see what he had left.  But I would like to think that challenging him made a difference.  The fact that he made a point to come back speaks to the fellowship among runners.

So, how does this flow into my end of forty days discernment?  The themes I had through my forty days focused on running, work, religion, and family.  If I aim for a little alliteration, we could say "Fitness, Faith, Function, and Family".  

What I would say is that I have to make sure I keep up my fitness, faith, and function and that keeping all three of these working well would help me support my efforts to have the best family life I can.  If I had a really cool graphic design, I would have a four pointed pyramid (like an old four-sided die from Dungeons & Dragons) with fitness, faith, and function as the corners on the bottom supporting family at the top--because family comes above all else.

To do this all well, I need to make sure that I focus on what matters via Peter Block's logic (and only on what matters--so this may mean doing fewer things), give it my all and accept no less or feeling like I am wasting the Gift via Steve Prefontaine's words, and realizing that I have most of what I need in me already if I just try to find it via the Gospel reading last week.

So, a new focus on finding what I need in me and focusing and giving it my all, will be what I hold moving forward.  

And, I will think about how far I have already come.  The last time I ran the Baltimore Half Marathon (2009 to be exact when I ran a 1:46:05) I could not have imagined saying anything to the two guys I spoke to during the run today.  Thinking about other runners.  Thinking about how they help me and how I can help them.  And thinking about the importance of the connection at the end of the race.  I can take this to the office--thinking about professional development and what members of my team can do for me as well as get from me.  I can take this to other running situations.  I can take this to my Sunday school teaching as I think about each child's needs and what I can learn from each child.  And, of course, I can take this to my family-thinking about what each member needs from me and I from them.  All in the context of doing what matters and doing it well. 

Thirsting for the Lord

On Sunda at the mass attended by all the catechists, we sang a song based on Psalm 42 that mentions in verses 2 and 3

As the deer longs for streams of water,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God.

This made me think of Psalm 63 that a favorite Steve Angrisano song is based on which also talks about thirst and the Lord.  

I have always struggled with this phrase.  What does it mean to "thirst" for the Lord?  Do I have to want to follow God with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul 24/7?  Do I have to be super evangelical?  Do I have to always "put on the mind of God" (referring to a discussion earlier this week about the meaning of prayer)?  Do I have to be charismatic?

After this week spent really thinking about prayer styles (particularly the Augustinian style that characterizes my approach so well), I don't think so.  I think what I need is just to continue to do what I am doing.  To want, to long, to year to spend a little time each day looking for answers as to how the Word of God through the Bible relates to me today.  It is the seeking.  It is the yearning.  Thirsting for answers in my relationship with God and my fellow humans.  Thirsting for insight.  Seeking (and sometimes finding) ways to express my fellowship with others and following of the Lord through actions, words, song, and symbols.  That is my version of thirsting for God.  

Am I perfect?  No, of course not?  But it has given me a new perspective on how to live up to the songs I sing at church some Sunday.