Sunday morning June 28th at approximately 6:50 AM we invite anyone who is awake: 1/2 marathoner, 5K participant, spectator, volunteer, or passerby to join us near the intersection of Waterloo Road and Utility Parkway for a few moments of encouragement and prayer of thanks before we head to the startline. I am excited and look forward to this time together!
Coach Don

Scripture/commentary for the week

Proverbs 4:11-13 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

Psalm 119: 32 I run the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

Commentary: It is important to know the route for your training runs or the course for a race. God's Living Word sets us free to run the straight and narrow path in life. I believe that God will bless us if we seek to do His will in all we do, including running.

this Wednesday

If you'd like to join a group this Wednesday, there's one meeting in the CF REC parking lot at 6:30 a.m. to run three miles. This group is running the 13 on Sunday, so they are tapering down this week. Would love to have you join in!

we're only running 1 marathon in October?

My dad called to tell me that the Des Moines Register had an article this week featuring a man who is going to run 11 marathons in 11 days across Iowa. If I can find the link, I'll add it. Eleven marathons in eleven days!?!?!?! Nuttie B'guttie! I have noticed that as our longer runs get longer, I am starting to think of the shorter runs as, well, shorter...like last Saturday, I ran 9.5 miles, so today at our group run, I found myself thinking, "I only have to run 7 miles today." I can clearly remember when 7 seemed unthinkable. But to get to the point where 26 miles is a "short run"? I don't think so! On this note of amazing, here's another marathon trivia fact:

7 Days, 7 Continents, 7 Marathons. Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr. Michael Stroud went seven for seven during a grueling week of marathon running and transcontinental travel. The pair ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents from October 26 - November 2, 2003. Fiennes and Stroud's first marathon was in southern Chile, followed by ones in the Falkland Islands and Sydney, Australia. The two men then ran 26-mile races in Singapore, London and Cairo, before finishing their amazing seven-day feat by completing the New York City Marathon. Besides battling the exhaustion that any marathon runner faces, Fiennes and Stround also had to battle jet lag and dramatic changes in temperature and humidity during each race. The feat was even more impressive for Fiennes, who suffered a heart attack just four months earlier.

fog run

This morning, seven of us took off to run at 6 a.m. in the dense fog. We began to cross over that bridge that goes from Pfeiffer to George Wyth, and it was like a scene out of a Lord of the Rings movie! Fog enveloped the bridge and you could only see about the first half of the bridge. It was So cool! Kind of reminds me that God never lets us see too far out in front of our lives. He just wants us to have enough faith to keep stepping forward in what he does reveal and trusting Him that there is solid bridge under us beyond in that unseen future.

How's everyone's training going? Thoughts, insights, a'ha moments, challenges? Anything you'd like to see this blog address?

This Wednesday run

All are invited for a group run this Wednesday, June 17, starting at 6 a.m. from Karla Chestnut's house at 114 E. 14th St., CF (east off of Main St...it's the green house on the left across from an old church parking lot..real, real close to CF Rec Center). We'll be going 5 miles.

This Week's Scripture/Commentary

Philippians 4:4 I say it again, "Rejoice!"

Romans 5:2 And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. No only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Commentary: God reminds me to run rejoicing, even when suffering. Remember that we suffer for the joy set before us. (Hebrews 12:2)