Tobacco Road Half Marathon

This past Sunday was the 2nd annual Tobacco Road Marathon weekend. I was entered in the 2010 half marathon, but due to an injury I had to defer my entry until the 2011 race. I was looking forward to this race as it is flat for the most part, especially on the American Tobacco Trail.

The morning started early, with a 4:15 am wakeup. I was out the door by 4:30 am and on my way to the offsite parking about 10 minutes away from the start/finish area. They had coach buses to take all of the runners to the start/finish area. I was on the bus at 5:15 am and we were on our way. On the ride over I prayed that God would give me the strength to finish the race, the knowledge of His word and the wisdom to share His word.

It was a cold morning with temps in the lower 40's, but that was perfect for running. Race start was set for 7:00 am for the half with the full marathoners starting at 7:15 am. At 6:40 am they made the announcement for all half marathoners to make their way to the corrals. As I was standing in my corral, I began to speak to this guy next to me named JT. As soon as we started talking he asked me about the Team 413 shirt I was wearing. JT wears a silicon band that has Philippians 4:13 on it. We ended up talking for the remaining time until the start. What a great time of fellowship this was.

The start was delayed about 15 minutes as all of the buses carrying the runners had not arrived to the starting area. Once all of the buses had arrived, it was time to go. I wished JT all the best and it was time for the journey. I had a goal in mind leading up to this event of wanting to crack the 2:20 mark for a half. My PR in the half is 2:23 and I figured 2:20 was attainable due to the swim and cycling training I have been doing preparing for the sprint triathlon on April 9. As we started, we had a series of rolling hills for the first 3 miles. I was feeling really good during this stretch going between 9:30 - 10:00 min per mile pace. Just before the 3 mile mark, the lead marathoners were coming through. Those lead runners were really moving. Probably at a 5:00 min per mile pace. At the 3 mile mark we made a turn onto the American Tobacco Trail. I had heard a lot about this trail, but this was going to be my first time ever running on it. As we started on the trail, a guy came up on my right side who was as tall as me. I asked how he was doing so far and he said he was doing well. He followed that up and said it was tough for big guys like us. That is so true in what he said as when you look at someone who is 6'-4", we just don't look like runners. He was also running at a pace that was just perfect for me as I was able to get a great rhythm going. I stayed with him for the majority of the 7 miles on the trail.

All throughout the run, God was glorified. I heard more words of encouragement from wearing the Team 413 shirt than I have before at any other race. There was even a time right in the first 2 miles of the race where I heard a couple of ladies behind me talking about Romans and then Philippians when they saw the shirt. What a blessing! Then as I was in the final 2 miles of the race, I had 3 separate instances where people came along side me and thanked me for the encouragement the verse had given them. One lady said she was about to quit, then she saw the shirt and knew she could do it. I told her God is always with you no matter what and He will pull you through. The final encounter was with less than 0.5 miles to the finish and a guy thanked me for the encouragement and how it also pulled him through. Those are just a few encounters I had of how God was glorified all throughout this event.

As the miles were clicking down to the finish, I knew the goal of break 2:20 was in reach. I made the right-hand turn to the finish line 100 yards away and I could see the clock showing 2:17. I started to get a little emotional inside as I knew I was going to set a new PR. I crossed the line with an official time of 2:17:08 and a new PR by 6 minutes!

There was also another inspiration story that took place at this event. Amazing story of endurance, discipline and determination. Army Captain Ivan Castro was injured in Iraq. A result of his injuries is that he is blind. The marathon was his 15th he has completed. Just look at this quote from Army Captain Castro, "You know we all have a cross to carry. The Lord decided that this was my cross. He wouldn't give me this cross if he didn't think I could carry it,"

This is true for each and every one of us. The Lord would not give us all He has unless He didn't think we could handle it.

Discipline

Discipline….When you hear the word discipline, what comes to mind? Do your immediate thoughts go to the military, to school, to your parents? That is what comes to mind for me as well. Discipline is a way of life for many. As a runner, and soon to be triathlete, I found out right away that building endurance requires discipline. I think it is safe to say that most of us just cannot go out and run a marathon, ultra-marathon or an ironman triathlon with no training. Each one of those events is an endurance challenge that takes a tremendous amount of discipline.

As we see in the beginning Hebrews 12, we have the call to endurance in verses 1-2.

1 Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

As athletes, we endure a lot of pain and suffering in our training and our races. None of it can compare to the pain and suffering Jesus endured for each and every one of us. Jesus paid the ultimate price for each of us that we may live and glorify God by making disciples of all nations.

This is why I endure the hard work to reach the finish line….to serve Him. Hebrews 12-11-13 says.

11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead.

I don't know of any race where you will not find spectators. These are family members and friends who are not only cheering on loved ones, but also providing encouragement to other athletes. I can tell you, that means so much to have the support from people I will probably never see again. In return, running for Jesus with Team 413, I am yielding fruit before the spectators as they see God's word proclaimed, in the hopes that they will be trained by it as we read in Hebrews 12:11.

The kind of disciple it takes to train for endurance challenges is the same kind of discipline it takes in our spiritual challenges. Therefore, be disciplined . . . to lay aside the sin that weighs you down, and to run with endurance the race God sets before you . . . all for His glory!

The Secret of Being Content

This morning our Sunday school lesson was on the secrets of being content.  For the past 3 months we have been going through Philippians and today we ended our study on Philippians covering chapter 4, verses10-23.  As we come to the end of Paul's letter, it is good to take a step book and look at what Paul says in Philippians 4:9.  Paul says that we are do what we have learned, received, heard and seen in him.  So the question becomes what has Paul taught us in this letter?  There are several things we have learned and here are some of those things:

• Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4)
• Put the past behind and look forward (Phil 3:13)
• Stand firm in the Lord (Phil 4:1)
• Do everything without grumbling and arguing (Phil 2:14)
• Look out for the interests of others (Phil 2:4)
• Do nothing out of rivalry (Phil 2:3)
• Watch out for evil workers (Phil 3:2)
• Boast in Christ and do not put confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3)

Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstance he was in.  As Paul says in 4:11-12 "I have learned to content in whatever circumstance I am.  I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot.  In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content - whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need."  Do you find yourself being content when you have little or you have a lot?

Being content is nothing that just comes to you at the snap of the fingers.  This is learned over time.  Just as Paul learned, we too are learning and with learning comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Paul follows up his secret he has learned of being content with a verse that has a huge impact in my life.  Paul says in Philippians 4:13..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  He did not say some things....Paul says ALL things.  We all have hardships and trials we go through everyday.  Paul also had hardships and trials.  Even while in prison he learned to be content, rejoice in the Lord and know that it is the strength of Christ that is above all else and got him through these times.

The same is true in my life.  The ministry of Team 413 has changed me from the inside out.  It is a transformation that all goes back to one.  It is not about me, it is about glorifying God in all I do.  Christ is the vine and I am one of the branches using His word to help proclaim the Gospel.  In all of the running events I have been a part of since January 2009, I have worn a Team 413 shirt.  It is amazing to see how God breathed a single verse that is such an encouragement to many.  I hear comments of gratitude from fellow runners how that verse helped them finish the race set before them.  Just like there is a finish line at the end of a marathon, there is also a finish line in our spiritual life and that is Jesus Christ.

God blessed me with the opportunity to spend a few minutes in front of my Sunday school class today to talk about the impact Philippians 4:13 has had on my life and how I am running for Christ with Team 413.  I knew God would provide by giving me the words to say.  I told the class how the strength of Christ gave me the courage and ability to stand up in front of the class and speak.  It was such a blessing to see the response of everyone as I stood up there.  I know it was truly God at work.

Seeds have been planted and I pray that God will continue to use me to help in planting more seeds in order to see His fruit flourish.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

Today was the 7th annual Krispy Kremem Challenge in Raleigh, NC.  This event has grown each year and this year there were 7,500 runners brave or maybe more appropriate...crazy enough to take the challenge.  I was challenged by a friend to sign-up for the race.  I figured, why not.  I couldn't back down to a challenge.

Looking at the weather forecast, I knew it was going to be cold and wet as we have been getting soaked the past 2 days.  In watching previous years video on this event, I knew to expect all kinds of outfits.  So I figured with the rain, this would be the perfect the event to wear an umbrella hat.  Figured I would fit right in.

The rain at times was coming down pretty hard.  I am glad I had this umbrella hat.  As I was standing with a friend under a tree, a cameraman from the local ABC TV station came up to me.  He introduced himself and said my hat was the best one he has seen today and asked if he could interview me.  I said absolutely. I ended up being interviewed by two TV stations at the same time  (ABC 11 and News Channel 14).  It was a lot of fun as they asked if this was my first time running the event, what my strategy was for eating the donuts and of course where I got this umbrella hat.   My friend Mark was taking pictures of the interview.

Now it was time to head to the starting line.  It felt like you were in Times Square on New Year's Eve with the wacky outfits and especially when with 10 seconds until the start, everyone did the countdown.  It was time to run for donuts.  The race started at the NC State Bell Tower and worked its way to the Krispy Kreme 2.25 miles away.  I ran a faster pace than normal in order to run with my friend Mark.  As we approached the Krispy Kreme, he pulled ahead of me by about 20-30 seconds.  I picked up my box of donuts and found Mark.  When I got to him he had already eaten 6 donuts!  I was not surprised as he can eat 20 pancakes at IHOP when they have all you can eat pancakes.  He proceeded to finish and head on the way back.  I in-turn had a ways still to go.

My strategy for donuts was to smash the donuts together.  I started with 1 donut and then I smashed 2 together and for the remaining donuts I smashed 3 at a time.  I had a cup of water to help.  It probably took me about 15 minutes to get through the dozen.  So, the first challenge was accomplished.  Now it was time for the second challenge.  Could I make the 2.25 miles back without depositing the donuts on the route???  I figured I would take my normal pace for the run back.  I felt really good and I was able to make it back with no problems.  I could see some people struggling, but for the most part everyone was able to make it back.

This was also a first time event for Team 413.  I had a few people speak to me that were encouraged by the verse "I can do all through Christ who strengthens me".  One gentleman spoke with me while we were eating the donuts.  He had Philippians 4:13 on a dogtag he wears.  Another gentleman on the run back to the finish came up along side me and said he was praying for me.  Great to see God at work even during such a challenge as this.

Overall it was a fun event.  I've had a lot of people today ask me how it went, but the number 1 question everyone waht to know was if I threw up.  I can say that I did not throw up.  I was able to eat the dozen and keep them down.  So I consider that a success.

As I said to my friend Mark as we were walking back to the car when talking about doing it again.  I said that I think I will pass....been there, done that and got the t-shirt!

Here are some pictures from the race today.

NHL All-Star 5K

Today was a great event out at the RBC Center as the NHL All-Star 5K was held.  It was a cold start to the day, but a good turnout of 2,000 runners.  As expected, the Hurricanes were well represented with several people wearing jerseys for the Caniac Nation.  Besides the Canes, I spotted jerseys from Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Vancouver, New Jersey, Ottawa, Team USA and Hartford.

The course took us on a tour around the RBC Center then past Carter-Finley Stadium before heading out onto the roads before making the turn back to the RBC Center.  The finish line was right in front of the lawn outside the arena.

It was great to see Hurricanes play-by-play announcer John Forslund service as host and leader for cheering every runner to the finish.  He made sure to recognize everyone he could.  He gave my wife a nice shout-out as she approached the finish line.  I was cheering her on from one side and she had friends on the other side cheering for her too.  Forslund proceeded to say to her, "Number 187 is the crowd favorite".  That was great to hear.

I ran the race with my good friend Jon.  We booth ran wearing Team 413 shirts.  Started out on a good pace and took advantage of an early downhill stretch to pick the pac up.  As we made our way past mile 1, we started up Trinity Road which is nothing but a steady incline all the way to mile 2.  After making the turn onto Westchase Road heading back to the finish line, I looked at my watch and knew breaking 30 minutes was reachable if I picked up the pace a little.  I proceeded to put in a little extra and was able to cross the line in 29:30.  My buddy Jon was also able to break 30 minutes.

Overall this was a great event and I have to say thank you the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes and NC Races for putting this on.  It would be awesome to see this turn into an annual event.  Even though the All-Star game will not be here, we could still have this event.

Below are a couple of pictures from today's event and the medal given to the first 500 people that registered for the race..  

WDW Marathon Weekend

As the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend arrives, I can't help but think about how much fun this event is. I am excited for the 60,000 + runners who are competing in the half, full or are just plain Goofy!

If this is the first time running any of these races, you are in for a treat. This is a first class event from the expo, the volunteers, the crowd support and the race directors. It has to be if it is at the happiest place on earth, right?

Personally, I am not running this year. I wish all of my Running of the Ears (ROTE) friends all the best and have a great time. I will be thinking of you guys this weekend.

For Chris and Kiki Gillespie of Team 413. I pray that God is glorified by each and every person who comes in contact with Team 413, whether this is by coming to the booth at the Expo or seeing a shirt this weekend during the races.

It seems that the weather forecast is much better than it was for the 2010 race. Temps are projected to be in the 60-70's for daytime highs with lows in the 40-50's. I will never forget last year when heading to the starting corrals for the half marathon and looking up into the lights and seeing snow fall. Definitely a rare occurrence for Orlando. Then on marathon Sunday it was even colder and I never shed any extra clothing I was wearing that day. I had 3 layers on with a pack of hot hands inside of the 2 pairs of gloves I was wearing.

I wanted to share a few if the memories from the 2010 race weekend. Once again good luck to everyone this coming weekend.

Remember, you will finish with more "character" than you started with.

Finisher Medal Display

I have been wanting a way to display my finisher medals instead of them lying in different places around the house.  If you would like a unique way to display your accomplishments, I would recommend checking out Allied Medal Displays from Redmond, WA.  Frames start at $39 and they will work with you on the design of a custom frame.  These frames are a great way to show your accomplishments!  I contacted them to see if they would be able to design a custom frame based on Philippians 4:13. 

Allied Medal Displays provided several "mock ups" of frames and what they would look like with the verse on them.  I shared them with my wife and she ordered one as a birthday present for me.

Here is this great looking frame mounted on the wall prior to the addition of any finisher medals.  The "I" has been replaced with the silhouette of a runner.

Here is the frame with the finisher medals I have received the past 2 years.  The only medals not on the frame are the Disney medals as they are already in separate shadow boxes.

Here is a close-up of the runner that replaced the "I".

Thank you Joel at Allied Medal Displays for your assistance and I could not be happier for how this turned out.

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon

This past Sunday was the inaugural running of the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon.  Overall this was an outstanding event.  I would recommend adding this race to your 2011 race calendar.

It all started with 3 great events on Saturday.  The first event was the Coastal 5K.  My wife completed this race as I stayed on the sides cheering her on to the finish along with our two girls.  So proud of her for completing her second ever 5K.

There was even a guy who ran the 5K juggling the entire distance.  From what I understand, this guys also ran the half marathon juggling the entire distance too!  It is hard enough to run, let alone trying to juggle at the same time.

After the 5K there was a high heel run.  This was interesting as there were 15 participants.  I say participants instead of ladies because there was one guy running the race (no, it was not me).  He ended up finishing last, but he made it.  He was interviewed after the race and was asked why he entered this event.  He said it was because of a dare.  Pretty funny to see.

The final event on Saturday was a Doggie Dash.  There were many participants who ran with "man's best friend" for the 1.5 mile course. 

On to Sunday and the Mini Marathon.  The course was to take you by many landmarks at Myrtle Beach by starting at Medieval Times at Fantasy Harbor.  After crossing the Intracoastal Waterway we would make our way past Coastal Grand Mall and on to Broadway at the Beach.  After leaving Broadway we would make our way to Ocean Boulevard and finish on the brand new boardwalk on the beach.

Prior to starting the race there was an important challenge that had to be decided....what knight would get the honor of starting the race.  The only way to settle this was a duel.  There were 6 knights who battled it out with sparks flying from their swords and shields.  We eventually had a victor and it was time to pound the pavement. 

Working up the biggest hill on the course just before mile 2 on the bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway, you had to look up to make sure the Spirit Airlines jet was not landing on top of you in the final approach to the airport.  That took your attention away from the hill, which made the climb to the top easier.

As the miles progressed I was looking forward to seeing the family at Broadway around mile 8.  As I approached, I started looking for them and spotted them at the 8.5 mile mark.  It was great to see them and get that extra encouragement.  As I passed, my youngest daughter who is just shy of turning 2 wanted to run with me.  My wife had to stop her and as she did, she drops to her knees and starts crying saying, "daddy, wait".....too cute!

The final stretch in the race is just spectacular as you make your way down the new boardwalk.  Awesome view of the ocean on your right. 

As I came to the finish line there were a couple of great moments for me.  I was coming to the line by myself so on the loud speaker they called out my name as well as recognizing Team 413.   That was a first to actually hear my name being called out.

The second was giving Bart Yasso from Runner's World a high five as I crossed the finish line.  Bart was there all weekend and was supporting everyone.  That was so great to see that support.  In the photo below, you can see this.   

As you can see in the last photo, the finisher's medal is huge!  This is a surfboard with a shark bite.  The shark bite can actually be used as a bottle opener.  They added a large magnet to the back of the medal for anyone who wants to stick it on their refrigerator.

What a great event! 

Countdown to Rock n Roll Chicago Half

Tick tock....tick tock....

Less than 3 weeks away now from the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon. This will be my first Rock n Rock series event experience and I am really looking forward to it.



Last week I received an email with the final race instructions and to download my confirmation sheet. The race is sold out and there will be over 25,000 runners in the event. I have a predicted finish time of 2:20:00 and I am in corral 18. It will probably take 15-20 minutes once the race starts at 6:30 am on August 1 in order to actually cross the starting line. Reminds me of how it was for the Disney Marathon.

What a blessing it is having the opportunity to glorify God throughout this event via Team 413. Throughout these 13.1 miles, I will encounter many fellow runners who will see Philippians 4:13 on the back of the shirt and that will aid as motivation to them helping them pull through to the finish. Our God is an awesome God! We exist to glorify God and make disciples of all nations! I pray that Team 413 will have a large impact in Chicago.



I have not run a race since the Disney Marathon this past January, but I can still remember all of the times throughout the run where fellow runners would tell me how that verse helped them get through a difficult stretch in the race. I recall one lady at mile 24 that came up to me and said, "thank you for wearing this shirt. That verse is just what I needed to see right now to help me push through these last miles." God was truly at work at that moment.

Tick tock....tick tock!

2010 Disney Marathon Scrapbook Pages

I am able to relive the excitment from the 2010 Disney Marathon Weekend back in January all over again. My wonderful wife made these two scrapbook pages. It is funny to look at the photos and see how bundled up we were because of the weather. There were actually snow flurries falling as we made our way to the starting line for the Half Marathon. The snow flurries turned in to rain which did not help.

Then on Sunday, the wind chill was in the teens as we work up. The temp did not get much better throughout the day, but no need to complain. As one of the pages is titled, I was "Getting Goofy"!

This first page is the overall 2-page spread called "Getting Goofy". The page contains the course map for both the half and full marathon. At the expo, there was a both that had some 12x12 paper with the Goofy logo which added to the page. I am also an ambassador with Team 413. This is a running ministry dedicating to spreading the Gospel to all. I heard comments all throughout the weekend as I was running the races showing encouragement for spreading God's word. Several fellow runners took the time to tell me what an inspiration the shirt gave them as they read the verse on the back....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...Phillippians 4:13.



Here is the left side of the Gettin' Goofy page.



Here is the right side of the Gettin' Goofy page.



The second page is a great layout showing my accomplishment of completing my first full marathon. Hard to believe that I actually did it, but as the Disney finisher certificate states, "Congratulations on completing the most magical 26.2 miles!" I really like how this one shows my bib from the race and incorporates all of the character stops along the way where I had pictures taken. My wife added a few silhouettes of running that she slightly altered using her Gypsy. Notice anything special on top of the runner's head? The runner has his very own set of Mickey ears! That is a really cool touch.



Here is the left side of the Marathon page.



Here is the right side of the Marathon page.