Eight Weeks Stronger

I have officially completed the couch to 5k portion of my marathon training. Eight weeks have flown by (sort of), and I not only feel physically stronger, but mentally prepared to tackle the next few months of serious marathon training.

The most wonderful blessing running at home provides is the beautiful, long stretch of trail in our town. Miles and miles in each direction. Where one trail ends, another begins, ensuring that I don't become too terribly bored while going the distance.

This past weekend I coerced my family (and friends) to help me pitch a garage sale to raise money for World Vision. Every World Vision marathoner's fundraising goal is 1,310 - $50 per mile. With 26.2 miles, it adds up fast!

We are so blessed! I was hoping to raise X amount of money through this garage sale, but was convinced to lower my expectations a little. However, through the generosity of friends we were able to raise twice as much as we could on our own.

Donations of antiques, unique odds and ends, and the "one person's junk is another person's treasure" items helped us fundraise beyond all expectations. My mother, sister, and I sat at our kitchen table counting our profit Thursday night, completely blown away by the amount in front of us. Day one and we had already raised what I had originally hoped to raise for the entire sale.

May I just stop and say thank you? To everyone who donated items, money, and time, you rock!

I would appreciate your continued prayer and support this long summer. It's going to be a hot one and running in the heat is going to be a challenge. But it's one I am looking forward to facing! (Even though I may still be a tad anxious.)

To donate to World Vision click here.

Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Matthew 17:20

Team World Vision discusses mission

“You can do these races to change the lives of those kids in Haiti,” founder of Team World Vision, Michael Chitwood said at the Chicago Marathon Leaders Conference on Mar. 29.

Marathon runners gathered together in Chicago to listen to motivational speakers like Anthony Halpin and Wendy Ploegstra, who ran the Comrades Marathon, and Steve Spear, who ran from Los Angeles to New York last summer. Leaders for Team World Vision also discussed with how to encourage their teams to stay strong and connect other runners.

Rusty Funk, Team World Vision coordinator, opened the eight-hour conference explaining that World Vision’s role as the leading provider of clean water in the developing world.

Chitwood spoke next. He explained how running for wells can change lives by providing access to safe water in places like Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Uganda, and Rwanda.

“Team World Vision is for everybody from every walk of life,” Chitwood said to the group that will lead a team of runners through training and raising funds for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12.

The mission of Team World Vision is to give people the opportunity of life changing experience, a physical, spiritual, and community experience, and radically change the lives of children on the other side of the planet, Chitwood said.

People then broke up into small groups to discuss the importance of team captains for Team World Vision, the characteristics of a good team captain, and to come up with a mission statement.

“Keeping people focused on the goal, the purpose, the reason,” said Ryan Criss, team captain of Missio Dei Church in Chicago. “I think it’s difficult in the midst of the training. It gets discouraging and tiring, but if you have someone to remind you why we’re running, why we’re doing this, it sort of reenergizes people.”

Wesley Sproul, leader of Olivet’s team, said to his group discussion that it’s important for team captains to inspire unity, create a welcoming environment, and have a heart of service.

At the end of the conference, leaders received an iron-on “C” for their World Vision jerseys. The “C” stands for captain, Funk said. “It’s about being vulnerable to the people you are leading.” 

He said the “C” also opens up communication between leaders and team members by saying, “You can ask me questions. I’m here for you.”

Later that afternoon, leaders were encouraged to discuss fundraising goals and opportunities. Marathon runner Stephen Rexroth said, “Running didn’t bother me. Fund raising terrified me. But you’re not begging people to give you money, you’re inviting them to join your mission.”

A lot of people go from running nothing to running a marathon, which is an amazing experience, but add raising $5,000 and “it’s something like you’ve never felt before,” Haplin said. “Let your life be changed because of the fundraising,” he said.

Spear, keynote speaker, then described the seemingly impossible obstacles he overcame during his 3,081 miles across the country.

The most discouraging week was in Illinois last July. Having gotten over the flu the week before and trying to make up for lost time, Spear ran the equivalent of seven marathons in seven days with a heat index of more than 115 degrees.

“We serve a God who makes the invisible visible,” Spear said. “It’s not really how many miles we run or the speed in which we cover them, but it’s the fact that we move, and we keep moving one faithful step in front of the other.”

I am running 26.2 miles for clean water in Africa.

It's time to resurrect this blog. No, I am not leaving the country. There is no faraway trip scheduled in the near future. However, I do have an announcement.

I am running 26.2 miles.

Do I have you hooked? Good. Now I would like to tell you a little story.

I began college last fall. Quite the change of venue. During one of those crazy missions fairs we have here at good ol' Olivet Nazarene University, I signed up for the "I'm interested in running a marathon for Team World Vision." Thinking it would never come back to haunt me, I pushed the marathon business out of my mind.

And that was when I received an email from some stranger asking if anyone would like to join the Captain Team for Team World Vision Olivet. "Why not?" I thought to myself. "I can just run the half marathon. I've done it before! It'll be easy."

With that mindset I began talking with the experienced marathoners on campus, learned a little more about World Vision, and was told time and time again to "just run the full marathon. It's only 13.1 miles longer than the half!"

Peer pressure. Gets you erry time.

Long story short, yesterday, I began training for my first-ever marathon. I didn't realize how crazy this sounded until I paid the $185 race fee last night. Why would anyone run 26.2 miles of their own accord?

That's the thing. I probably wouldn't be doing this unless I felt God calling me to be a part of something bigger than myself.

I am running for wells in Africa because I believe no one should ever go without clean water.

World Vision is an international Christian organization that focuses on child sponsorship, builds wells in countries in Africa, and spreads God's love and His Word. One of the ways World Vision affords to build these wells is by people like you and me fundraising by training and running races like the Chicago Marathon.

My university became the first to have a Team World Vision made up of college students. Experienced runners and beginners come together to run for a cause bigger than themselves. I am honored to announce that with God's strength I will be running the Chicago Marathon for Team World Vision on Oct. 12, 2014.

I am signed up for the race, began couch to 5k training YESTERDAY!, and gave myself the first donation.

Will you help me reach my goal of $1,310? Just $50 equals clean water for ONE person.

Together we can help change lives in Africa across Ghana, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia.

You can donate here. Thank you for your prayers and your support!

I am looking forward to what the next few months have to offer. God bless!