"Where the sidewalk ends...."

Today was a fun day. I got to run in a different town. I think it's fun for me because it new and different, sort of like opening a gift and having no idea whats inside the box. When I run in my home town, I sort of put things on cruise. One minute I'm at mile 1, then next minute I'm at mile 4 and can't remember what happened in between. Have you ever done something like that? Have you ever been so wrapped up in the familiar that time disappears? You look at the clock and then look back again to find that an hour had vanished. Sixty minutes lost forever. This morning was different.

I wanted to get in four miles, so I checked my handy dandy phone and mapped out a route that I thought would be close to my goal. I dressed for the weather, took my Garmin to measure the distance, and my phone....just in case. As I headed out, the breeze was cool, about 35 degrees. My right calf muscle ached (all because of goofing around two days before with the kiddos). My pace was right on target. Quickly, however, I stopped thinking about the normal stuff and began paying extra attention to my surroundings. There was a lot of traffic, more so than I am used to, but there was a nice shoulder to run on. I felt very safe. I turned down the second of five roads I would be on and the traffic was gone. Not only that, but a perfect sidewalk. The next turn, the same....nice. I started thinking about the temperature, pace, leg again, until I got ready to turn onto Royal Oaks Blvd.

Royal Oaks Blvd is up hill all the way. This would be a widow maker at the end of any race. Not only that, but it has some super curves. But the killer is...NO sidewalk or shoulder. I realized that I could either turn around and go back the way I had come or tackle it head on. I must admit that I was a little concerned and apprehensive but I decided to complete the route.

This little piece of the course was less than a mile, yet it was the most interesting. I did have to jump into the grass a couple of times. I almost slipped on the frost covered ground. I got a little winded and had to drop my pace a bit. But it was fun. I don't know how to explain it. It was different. It was challenging. It was difficult. It was an adventure. It was worth it.

God wants to take us on a journey. He gives us a route to follow, but most would rather stay on the sidewalk. It could be dangerous on the road. We don't like traffic. We like to see around the bend. Not knowing whats over the hill worries us. There is too much risk. The sidewalk is safe. I don't have to worry about the other people on the road. I can just run and never have to think about my surroundings. The sidewalk is safe.... and boring.

I'm finding out that stepping off that sidewalk and following God where ever he leads me is the best decision I can ever make. Give it a try. You'll see. It's different. It's challenging. It's difficult. It's an adventure. It is so worth it.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends

-Shel Silverstein

Running in the Unfamiliar

Running in another town always makes me nervous. When I hit the road here at home it seems so easy. I can run 20 miles around my town and know where each mile marker is, even the 1/2 mile mark. I know where I will be at any given time. I can leave water or sports drink along my route and be guaranteed that it will be there undisturbed. I know which roads to go on and which ones to stay away from. People drive by, they know me and honk or wave. Running in my hometown is so familiar.

This week I am traveling. What to take with me? OK, so its going to be cold. I have to pack for 2 running days, Thursday and Saturday. I feel like Noah, 2 pairs of everything. Tights, gloves, socks, shirt, ear warmer-band thingies. One jacket, One pullover. Cant forget my phone holder (always carry it in a foreign land) and ear buds. Must take my Garmin forerunner, because I will have no idea how far a mile will be. Shoes, of course.

Whoa, I'm a little worried. Running in a place where no one knows me. I'm not familiar with the area. Which roads are safe to run on, which ones are dangerous. Will there be hills or straight stretches? How is traffic? Are drivers attentive or will it be like Death Race 2000? I hope the weather man gets it right or I will have the wrong clothes.

Being a Christian in the familiar is easy. There is no risk. I find myself putting my life on cruise control. How I respond to new challenges, that is where my true character is revealed. In unknown territory it can be a little frightening. I become uneasy when I get thrown into places where I don't know the path. God truly calls us to go to foreign lands. I don't necessarily mean Haiti or Africa. I mean places we have never gone before; opening your home to someone, giving more than you can afford, selling your prized possessions, working on your marriage, feeding the hungry, writing a blog...

Living out my faith in these places shows my true level of commitment to Christ. I think it requires more trust in him. You see I don't know the territory. He knows it. He knows which roads to go down and what the lay of the land is like. He knows what's around the corner and whether it will rain or shine.

Its sort of liberating if you think about it. I don't have to know what my path will look like because he has laid it out. He knows what I'll need and what I don't. He's got my back. I think I'll let him pack my bag.

"Off the wagon"

"Next time, Nate, you and I will split this. You take one piece of chicken, I'll take the other. I can choose one side and you can choose the other. I can't finish this." "Well you did have a donut and two biscuits." "I had one and a half biscuits." "Your daddy is off the wagon, Nate."

"Off the wagon?" Can you believe she said that about me? "Off the wagon." Granted I only ran twice this week. The weather was terrible and I have been totally exhausted. So tired. Now we have a guest at the house. Getting up early has become virtually impossible for me. But "off the wagon", come on. I realize I may have eaten poorly this week. I have been really hungry and everything has been so tasty. Homemade pizza....Yummmm. Fast food. And, I mean for real, a cookie jar filled with double stuff oreos. What am I supposed to do? But "off the wagon" seems so harsh.

I'm still a runner. Aren't I?

This week running has been on the back burner. I have let everything going on in my life dictate the amount of effort I apply to my training, or lack of training. I have given in to my appetite and my drowsiness. I have given my running my leftovers. I guess I have gone "off the wagon".

The good thing is... Tomorrow is another day. A new beginning. A chance to start over. I can decide right now, to get back on the "wagon" and I will. I love to run and will get my butt in gear. I will get up early, eat right, and hit the road.

I think I may have spiritually gone "off the wagon". I am attending church and working in the youth ministry. Maybe I'm still on the "wagon". I even dressed up as Zacheaus for the 4th and 5th graders. Surely, I'm still on the wagon. I am even attending small group meetings.....but still I feel like I may be "off the wagon". I'm not giving my all to him. I'm not listening for his voice or reading his word like I should. I am going throughout my day and thinking about Christ as an after thought. I am feasting on things for myself and giving him my leftovers. My leftover talents, leftover time, leftover thoughts, leftover love, leftover energy, leftover everything. Yep...Off the wagon.

The good thing is...Tomorrow is another day. A new beginning. A chance to start over. I can decide right now, to get back on the "wagon" and I will. I love to follow him and will get my butt in gear. I will listen, love, and act as he asks. I can't wait to hit the road with him. He cant wait to hit the road with me.

Guess what, his wagon is big enough for all of us.

Distractions

Let me set the stage. Wind 30-40mph with gust to 60mph. 9:00pm. Intermittent rain. Dark, wet, windy.

OK God, I am staying focused. I am ready to hear you speak to me. I will stay alert. It's bad out here. Whoa..there goes a garbage can. I am listening. The leaves are flying in my face. What do you want to tell me tonight? Watch out!!! That falling branch almost hit me. I wont let these things distract me. I am still listening. The street signs are banging against each other. Speak to me Lord. The wind is so powerful, it's hard to move forward. I have to keep my head up. Why can't I hear your voice tonight? I am trying so hard to keep this lousy weather from blocking you out. Crap, it's raining now. Don't you want to teach me tonight? My phone is going off. More branches on the sidewalk, must run around them. My heart and ears are open, let me sense you. The traffic lights are swaying so much. I hope they don't fall when I run under them. God!!! I am here!! The wind is terrible. I have continually called out to you to give me a word and you won't answer!! I have fought against all these distractions. I have been in the midst of this storm running and have kept my ears and eyes open to what you want to teach me, but you don't respond. The leaves are slippery. Show we were you are tonight.

and then He whispers.

I speak to you all day long, but you don't listen for my voice. Use the same resolve to hear me as you go about your everyday. I am speaking and working all around you all the time. Why just try to hear from me when you run? I have things to show you minute by minute. Granted, life can throw some serious distractions at you, but that doesn't change the fact that I am continuing to call to you. Pay attention. Open your eyes. Look around. Keep your head up. Watch out for that garbage can.

A bump in the night

Last night I got ready for my early morning Tuesday run. I checked my handy-dandy Weather Channel app on my iPhone to see what I was getting myself into. 42 degrees with a 30% chance of rain, sounded like fun. No seriously, most of the time I love running in the rain. Not all the time, mind you. I think I just like being able to tell people ..."Yeah I ran this morning. 5 miles in the pouring rain. It's no big deal." I know, I know...a little horn tootage going on. Toot, toot!

I got my t-shirt,socks and tights (Superman would be proud) out of the drawer. Had to remember where I put my running jacket. I knew it had just been washed, maybe it was in the dryer..No. Where, where, oh.. it was in the same drawer as my other clothes. I had to make sure that my head lamp was still working, the battery is going dead. Found my reflective thingy, so I wont get hit by some crazy driver. What shoes should I wear? I know they'll get soaked. Its alright they will dry. I go with my newest pair (which by the way needs replaced). Lay all this stuff by the bed so when the alarm goes off, I can grab it and head downstairs.

The alarm went off at 4:55. I turned it off, laid there for about a minute, and then...a noise. My wife immediately awoke..."Did you hear that?" I think I did, not sure, it is 4:55 in the morning. Then it happened again. A noise or a bump in the night. I sprang from the bed and stood in the hall. Was it coming from the kids rooms? Was it the dog? As I stood there in the darkness and silence, I knew there would be no running this morning. The sound never repeated. I checked the kids rooms. They were fine. I checked on the dog. Grizz was fine.

I asked my wife, "Hey, do you want me to come back to bed?" I knew what the answer would be. I gladly got back under the covers. The unexplained noise is not so spooky with someone by your side.

The planning the night before...all for naught. Checking the weather. No need. Finding the clothes, choosing shoes, checking the batteries. Waste of time. Setting the alarm. Useless. But, I did enjoy the extra hour and 25 minutes of sleep. It was nice being wanted. "Thank you for staying with me, I love you" was the response I got at 6:20am, when the alarm went off again. Really, I think I liked the way the morning played out more so than running in the rain and darkness, by myself. Anyway I can get my run in this evening.

Many times I plan the way my life is going to go. I have a picture in my mind of how everything is going to work out. I take an inventory of all my pluses and minuses. Just like in the movie, Princess Bride. "What are our liabilities?" "There is but one working castle gate, and it is guarded by 60 men." "And our assets?" "Your brains, Fezzik's strength, my steel." It's never enough, so I play it safe and freak out if something changes.

What throws me, is that most of the time God has a different plan. I get ready to do my thing and then there's a noise, a bump in the night.... I am stopped in my tracks. A door opens, another closes. Where I live, what career to follow, who to marry, how to handle my children...my plans thrown out the window. All that I had put in motion, derailed. No, not derailed, but re-railed. He puts my life on the track that he has decided for me. You know what, my life is better for it. It may seem an absolute hassle at the time, occasionally painful, but hindsight truly is 20/20. It's always beneficial. I love hearing him say, "Well done my faithful servant."

The bumps in the night are not the boogey man, but usually blessings in disguise.

The Lottery

I completed my first race in May 2005. My sister and I ran the Flying Pig Half-Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. If anyone wants to pick a 1/2 to do, I wholeheartedly suggest this one. Granted, I am partially biased, because I was born and reared right across the river, but this half and full are fantastic fun. Anyway... Just four months before, my sister had convinced me to start taking running seriously and train for this 13 mile foot race. I accepted her challenge and together we finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes. What a blast. I was now officially hooked. Running had taken hold of me and has yet to let go.

After the race was over (about 30 minutes) my sister turned to me and asked if I'd like to run the New York Marathon in November. Seriously? You see, this is how runners think. "When is my next race?" Well, without thinking I immediately said..."Sure." I had just agreed to run a 26.2 mile race in 6 months. Up until that point the most I had ever ran at one times was 13 miles, 30 minutes before.

Oh....and apparently there was a catch. You see my sister went on to inform me that unless you are an "elite runner," which of course I am not, you have to put your name in a lottery to get chosen. It's sort of like the power ball for runners. She told me that she and four of her marathon buddies were putting their names in and I would have to do the same.

So we all signed up for the lottery and awaited the names to be posted on the ING New York Marathon website. The day came. We all logged on to find out that of the 5 marathoners and 1 newbie who applied only the newbie was chosen. Me!! The guy who just started running got picked. I had never, ever, ever ran more than 13 miles in a row ever. The other five had multiple marathons under their belts. I thought for sure one of them would get the nod, not me. You have got to be kidding me. Surely someone screwed up. I was undeserving, incapable, and nowhere near ready. I was scared.

Today has been a very hard day for me.

Not because of my running, which by the way, was again on the treadmill, but because of what my God keeps putting in front of me. I feel uneasy, disturbed, and uncomfortable. I find myself just tearing up thinking about what he has in store for me and my family and not necessarily out of joy, but rather apprehension. I mean, why me? What you have planned for me is beyond me. I can't do it. I'm not very good at this Christian thing. Heck, a lot of the time I fall off the wagon. I am not mature enough. I really am not the right person for the job. Pick someone else. You must have made a mistake. There are a lot of other people out there that deserve this, that can handle this, that are prepared for this. I am not worthy, capable, or ready... I am scared.

Man.....Guess I won the lottery....What am I going to do with this?

The view from my "Dreadmill"