26.2 in 4:40

IT'S DONE...AND I'M STILL ALIVE! :)
For final update and pics from marathon day visit:
http://livingamongthem.com/marathon2.html

Marathon of Miracles 2009 Running Team!!!

The Marathon of Miracles
2009 Running Team!!!!!
(not pictured: Alan, Erik,
Iveth and Adrian)

Countdown...

Distance covered: 315 miles.
Well, faithful friends...this is most likely going to be my last blog before race day on December 13th. Sorry I wasn't much of a consistent blogger, there are just other - in my opinion - worthier endeavors I'm trying to be more consistent at! But it has been fun to post some of my training experiences and thoughts and to hear back from you at times...so thanks for the encouragement!

Let me catch you up on my latest and greatest running feats:

On Saturday November 14, I headed out to White Rock Lake for an afternoon run by myself (and my ipod loaded with Matt Chandler sermons). I was going for 18 miles. 16 miles and 2 hours and 40 minutes later my ankles gave out and that was it...I found myself limping in the dark with only the sound of crickets to accompany me...and I was still 2 miles from my truck! That was a long and slow 2 mile walk and a hard dose of reality to swallow. 16 miles. 10.2 miles short of my goal.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday Daniela and I headed out to warmer, sunnier southern California to celebrate the holiday with my brother and his family. They live close to a large and natural creek bed that runs for miles through their city with a running/walking track on both sides so I showed up out there ready to run. All in all by the end of that week I had completed 3 more half marathons (increasing my total to 6) and on the final weekend my brother headed out with me for one final long distance run. My brother who is 5 years older than me and in great shape himself busted out 9 miles that morning with me before heading home and that inspired me to go another 9 for a total of 18 miles in 3 hours exactly...I finished that day with my ankles still in-tact. Not long after finishing I regretted not going for 20 miles, but I felt much better about my chances on race day when not only will 1000s of other runners be joining me, but most importantly Alan, my brother in Christ and fellow competitor will be pushing me to keep up (he's done the White Rock once before). So I'm counting on the fellowship - excitement - and adrenaline to get me another few miles and then eventually it's going to take nothing less than an angel of the Lord to carry me across that finish line!

Taking it easy this week in preparation. I spoke at Arlington Chinese Baptist Church this past Sunday morning and at the end of my message I decided to go ahead and announce the marathon and pledge opportunity. I actually hesitated doing so just because it was so last minute and I knew the church was committed to and involved in some other charity events, but I made my announcement and afterwards my wife placed the sign-up sheet on a table as we sat down for lunch and fellowship. About 30 minutes later a brother in the church came over and asked me where the sign-up sheet was and we walked over to the table together to find it missing. Then someone raised it up in the air at another table and once the sheet had been handed back to me it had been completely filled...with pledges totaling over $500. Way to go ACBC!!!

Thank you Father for all you've done - all you're doing - and all you're going to do!!!

Tomorrow night our whole running team is meeting at church for worship - fellowship - prayer and pizza. We'll be sporting our team running bibs and going over all the rules and logistics involved...at this point I just hope and pray all of our relay runners can get to where they need to be and find their way back home when its all over! :)

I'll post our new team photo tomorrow night. USE THESE FINAL DAYS TO POINT PEOPLE TO OUR WEBSITE (www.LivingAmongThem.com) AND ROUND UP SOME FINAL PLEDGES!
Blessings in Christ!
Marc

Expect the Unexpected

Distance covered: 155 miles
As men often do, I started this whole marathon adventure with a plan. I downloaded a proven training routine, did research on exercise and diet and looked at the calendar to see how it would all come together. I had everything pretty well mapped out...and then life took over!

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

One look at my training schedule above and you can see things haven't been going exactly according to plan! The circled boxes represent all the running days I've been missing lately. What I hadn't PLANNED on was my back going out after my first true LONG distance run of 9 miles and needing to take a week off to let things heal up nor had I planned on missing a week of work and another week of training due to the flu (H1N1 according to the doctor even though my test was negative!). I hadn't planned on the surprise visit from friends from Taiwan and 4 days of tour guide service around Dallas. I hadn't planned on RAINY mornings, alarm clocks not going off and bad heartburn after eating at Calle Doce (best Mexican Food in Dallas!)...I think you get the point. And what do you think happened to me as I began to see MY PLAN unravel? I'm sure you guessed it...frustration, disappointment, anxiety! Why was all this happening? How was I going to pull this marathon off now!? And who do you think these questions (accusations) were often aimed at? You probably guessed it again...the ONE who has always been in control and never let me down yet. The One who promises to work ALL things together for the good of those who love Him. Yeah, God and I have had some interesting conversations lately. Then just when I started to throw around the idea that maybe it would be better for me to just go for the half marathon instead of the whole enchilada, my good friend and brother in Christ, Alan (who's also running the whole marathon for Living Among Them), put an end to that quick. Thank the Lord for brothers and sisters who are willing to give us a gentle, but firm kick in the rear right when we need it most! This past Saturday Alan and I successfully ran 11 miles (1 hour + 50 min.) out at White Rock Lake and then celebrated afterwards by feasting at IHOP (come on, we earned it!).

I hesitate to say that I'm back on course with a scheduled 14 mile run for this weekend...I think a better choice of words is that I'm back on board with the reality that every day is a gift from God and every step I take with Him is a step in the right direction (even when...no ESPECIALLY when it's a step in the opposite direction I planned to go).

Can I explain what all lessons I'm learning through this whole marathon experience? At this point not really. I only know that the more things go the way I plan them to go, the easier it is for me to think that I made it happen, when in reality:

"It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Philippians 2:13

So I'll make my plans, but thank God for directing my steps to get me where I truly need to be!

(Important and wonderful side note: my wife and I had PLANNED on having our first child after 3 or so years of marriage...HA! God willing, in June 2010 we'll be welcoming our little unplanned BLESSING into the world!)

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20:21

Distance covered 85 miles.
Good to be back on the blogosphere! This blog is supposed to be about running and the thoughts and feelings running through my head and heart while training, but the reality is that I'm running so early these days while the moon is still bright in the sky and my brain is still asleep (and my body is basically on auto pilot) that there aren't many thoughts to speak of! Basically my brain goes through the following checklist each and every morning as my feet are pounding the pavement:
Okay feeling good today... Nice and loose...Crap! I hate this hill...okay that wasn't so bad...Let's get into a good rythm now. Okay...let's see the orphans are A - Alejandro and Aracelli, B - Beto, C - Cristiano, D - nope, E - Ernesto...no ESTEBAN!, F - nope, G - nope, H - nope, I - nope, J - Jorge? Jesus? JOSE!, K - nope, L - Lucio, N - Nichita, O - Orlando, P - Pati, Q - nope, R - Ricardo and Rosa Linda, S - Sarita and Samuel! And all the while I'm counting on my fingers and hopefully end up with 14. If not, I repeat this process over and over again until I either get 14 or until I get back home and can check the poster on the fridge! If I successfully make it through the list of names then it's on to James. Before getting married, while my wife and I did the long-distance dating thing with her here in Texas and me over in China - we committed to memorizing the whole book of James. We both had the first 4 chapters down COMPLETELY when we got married and then forgot (neglected) nailing down that final chapter... a whole year passed and on our first anniversary we recommited our vows and our determination to finish James. So...currently I am quoting James chapters 1 and 2 as I run. And that my friends - orphan names and the book of James - is about ALL that's going through my head mile after glorious mile!

Alan (my friend who's also running the full marathon with me) came over on Saturday and did the 6 mile run with me. Talk about a quick 6 miles. We chatted the whole time and before we knew it 59 minutes (and 6 miles) had passed. Then on Monday night my wife and I hit the street covering 1.5 miles together and once again she distracted me from any awareness of exercise (she's especially cute in her running outfit!) and the time flew! I did another 1.5 on my own in 11 minutes and 20 seconds..I was moving! And I kept up the same pace the whole 1.5 mile lap around the neighborhood...I was missing my wife!

So I learned that in running - just as in life - fellowship is sweet and empowering! Next Saturday Alan and I are meeting at White Rock Lake for our 10 mile run. By the way, Alan has a sponsor who's pledging $2 a mile and throwing in another $100 if he makes it the whole way ($152!). Anyone want to throw out the same challenge to me!?

We're heading to Louisiana for the Labor Day Weekend to visit my parents in Lafayette and I have to run 8 miles down there on Saturday in the muggy swampland! I was driving home from school today wondering how I could figure out an 8 mile course when I walked through the front door and discovered the following message and surprise on the entry way table: ( is my wife amazing or what!!! Yes, I go by "baby" sometimes! :)

Turn that frown upside down!

It didn't take me long to realize that while our ministry and website name is on target in regards to cross-cultural mission work - running through my suburb of Dallas, Texas wearing a shirt that says "LIVING AMONG THEM" was bordering on tacky if not controversial! Sure people were looking, but what were they thinking? And why were so many of them frowning?

So, I quickly added a new domain name to our website...see my new training T-shirt above.

(Just trying to be more sensitive like my wife tells me I should be! :)

Here's the profound revelation that came to me during my 6 mile run today...I need new shoes! Anyone have any suggestions on good long-distance running shoes?

Whenever your pinky toes start poking out through the sides of your shoes, it's a sure sign of needing new footwear...or a pedicure.

Ran my 6 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute this morning (not sure if that's a good pace or not!?). The MOMENT of PUSH came just before the 5 mile marker on a long uphill climb with the sun positioned right in my face. What kept me going was the fact that 5 different people (families) have pledged $130 so far...that's motivation!!! As I ran I thought about the motivation that will propel us on marathon day if we've reached our pledge goal of $10,000...THAT will keep me going when the MOMENT of PUSH comes during the marathon...and then comes again and again and again.

Determination and Desire

Well everyone (all TWO of you :),
Tomorrow is the last run of my 3rd week of training - it will be my longest run so far - the big 6 daddy miles. After tomorrow morning (God willing) I will have covered 37 miles. But let's get back to that 6 miles...S I X miles...hmmm. I knew going into this that the key was a slow and gradual conditioning of the body. Much like climbers of Mt. Everest have to spend considerable amounts of time at higher and higher altitude levels so their bodies can acclimate, I knew that I too would have to gradually push myself then push myself and then push myself until 26.3 miles wouldn't be as impossible (and suicidal) as I once thought. Notice that up until this point its been all mental! Then came the 5 mile run. I was going to double a route that I usually only run once (wasn't sure of the exact distance, but figured it to be about 2.5 miles around). During that whole first lap my mind was pointing out what was about to come, telling my body that we were about to go to the next level! The moment that first lap ended - my mind abdicated and suddenly joined my body in one screaming chorus, "STOP. OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH. OUCH (my feet joined in too)! LET'S GO HOME NOW!" Their objections to what we were doing grew so annoying that I actually cut the second lap shorter and headed for home...all the while my mind assuring me that we were still going to be right at 5 miles!!!

The experience reminded me of an interview I listened to a few days earlier on NPR...the host was talking with different athletes (runners specifically) about the domination of people of color in track and field (I'm not sure if that was the overall angle of the show, but that was the topic during the moment when I tuned in). A former Canadian child running star was on the show debating this question. This former Canadian Youth Champion had at the age of 14 been the fastest youth runner in Canada and had beaten other athletes who would later go on to win Olympic medals and fame. He said that in his opinion it wasn't race - or genetics - so much as it was determination and desire. He said that at the level they were all running at there wasn't much difference in physique or skill, but the difference lay in the attitude and commitment to training. He described how his father had raised him to pursue the enjoyment of many activities in life and so as he began to be interested in other things like girls, social events, reading, board games, music etc. - these began to pull him away and distract him from running. He talked about one specific moment in training where the thought suddenly popped into his head...WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? So I can be the fastest. WHY? So I can win. WHY? Ummm. And that's when he decided HE DIDN'T CARE enough about running anymore to keep pushing himself. SO HE QUIT. Those others who went on to win Olympic Gold did not. He said the difference was that simple. Then he added that the reason Tiger Woods is so dominating in golf is due in part to natural talent and ability, but much more to the fact that he gets up at 5AM every morning and hits 1000 balls before most people have had their breakfast. That's the real difference.

I began to hear this same question during my 5 mile run...WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? And at the same time I began to think of all the other things I would rather be doing (mainly still sleeping). I know I will face this question many more times during my months of training and probably even during the marathon itself.

This is why every morning before I run I look at the small poster I printed out with all the Casa Hogar Canaan orphan's faces and I tell myself THIS IS WHY...BECAUSE I CARE.

May God give my mind AND body the fortitude and strength to CARE ENOUGH to make it to the finish line.

How sweet it is...

I'll be catching everyone up on my latest running adventures soon, but in the meantime I have something really cool to announce: WE JUST GOT OUR FIRST ONLINE PLEDGE TODAY!!! A couple in Indiana sent an email to contact@livingamongthem.com saying they would like to sponsor one runner at $1 per mile (we'll make sure its the runner who makes it the farthest!). That quick email couldn't have taken them more than a minute to write and send our way...one minute that made my day and one minute that's going to change some orphans lives!!! God bless Indiana!!!

Finished my first week of training...only 19 more to go! 12 miles logged. Any of you financially or faithfully daring enough to sponsor me at $1 per TRAINING mile let me know!

As a part-time Bible teacher I'm always looking for sermon illustrations and I have to say that I think this whole marathon training / fundraising experience is going to be a gold mine! This morning I felt the Lord pointing out to me (as I was running out of breath) that the faith / works relationship the Bible describes in the book of James is a lot like our team believing and KNOWING that He (God) will meet the needs of these orphans in a big, God-sized way...but we've got to get up, get out of bed, put on our running shoes, stretch out and hit the pavement...in other words PARTICIPATE. Is God in control? Sure. Is the outcome completely in His hands? You bet. Does He already know the result. Of course. Here's the BIG question: does God need us to accomplish these results? No, but the reality is that God chooses to ACT on our behalf when we ACT on His (Jesus makes it clear that this involves acting on the behalf of our "neighbors" - all those around us). With each step we run, we are more than believing in God...we are participating in HIS GLORY!

I know my homemade t-shirt doesn't make much of a fashion statement, but if just one curious driver pays the website a visit and decides to sponsor a child or contribute to the marathon then it will be worth all the funny looks and dizzy spells from the magic marker fumes (my run was an especially euphoric experience this morning...thank God I made it home)!

Training Day 1

Well, no one said this was going to be easy (all those of you who have actually run a half/full marathon are going to enjoy this I'm sure)! It's never a good sign when on the first official morning of training your wife looks over at you and says, "Maybe you should just run the half marathon...so you don't get hurt." Ouch. Of course in her defense she is the one who has to listen to me complain about all my growing aches and pains. What worries me most is that in just our past first year of marriage my wife has proven to have a propehtic/sixth sense if you will about things...BUT NOT THIS TIME BABY!!! :)

(Still, please keep me in your prayers...and if you want to go ahead and fast from time to time while you pray that will be even better!)
marc

The BIG picture

For all the official details visit:

http://livingamongthem.com/marathon.html

Marathon of Miracles

So why are WE calling it the Marathon of Miracles? Well, first of all because it will be a miracle if any of us actually finish. Secondly, because through partners like you (hopefully dozens, no hundreds of you!) a precious group of orphans in the southernmost state of Mexico will be further blessed, provided for and able to grow up in the wisdom, power and grace of the Lord. What will a handful of young (eventually adult) lives committed to the Lord accomplish for God's kingdom in Mexico and possibly the world? Hmmm...I don't know about you, but I love the fact that the answer to that question is for a sovereign and loving God to determine and display! I can and will say this...whatever happens...it will be miraculous!