North Woods River Runner: November 2019

I’ve been “stuck” as of late. The term “stuck” was used by the character Leslie Burke in the novel Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. She would use the word to describe her Mom (who was an author) when she couldn’t think of what to write next. I guess that applies to me too. Part of being stuck has been the lack of an opportunity. Part of it has been the lack of a noteworthy adventure. Part of it has been the lack of any spark of energy or desire to put a pen to paper. Sometimes I feel like I’m just trying to survive.

But then to survive, a person needs to move beyond what has commonly been referred to as the “Rule of 3’s.” As fifth grade teachers we used to teach and lead kids through the novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Our efforts to bring a novel to life were personal, heartfelt, and holistic. As we introduced students to the setting within the boreal forests of wild Canada, and the character named Brian Robeson, we went through those “Rule of 3’s.” It was important to understanding the story to help predict if Brian had any chance of surviving alone in the North. It was also important for us to learn as readers, as it allowed us to focus on the basics for life. Only then can we move from basic surviving to heartfelt thriving.

The “Rule of 3’s” starts with the smallest measurement of time and works its way up. In an emerging situation you have an average of about 3 seconds to latch on to hope and avoid panicking, which can otherwise paralyze you. A person can survive about 3 minutes without oxygen before it severely affects the brain. They will probably pass out before that, but it’s important to know prior to crawling into a snow cavern or hole in the Earth. Within 3 hours you need shelter. This includes shade when it’s hot, and a way to stay warm when it’s cold. In addition to this is a covering of clothes. This might seem slightly bizarre, but without clothes as a simple layer of shelter, even normally comfortable temperatures can cause a person to fall into hypothermia as it’s well below our needed temperature of 98.6°F. The next level to understand the basics of survival is 3 days without water. These measurements are an average, but without proper hydration a body, made up of approximately 70% water, is going to rob muscles of the water they need to function properly; cramping, confusion, and a swollen tongue are some of the symptoms that are sure to follow. The final rule of 3 is that a human can survive about 3 weeks without food. Twenty-one days is the premise behind a few popular survival type TV shows. After this many days the body has been stealing so much energy and nutrients from itself that nothing is left; fatigue sets in and the body’s organs begin to shut down.

And so since I know the “Rule of 3’s,” and want to live a life that moves from surviving to thriving, I needed a kick-start; at least to begin writing. Running, as I’ve blogged on before (Click on last month’s entry entitled “Twofer”), has provided some of the motivation that I need. The other part of it came a couple of weekends ago. Somehow in the midst of everything else that I happened to be doing over that weekend, I came upon a Charles Martin book on one of our shelves. In the past I have liked how he writes, and the descriptiveness of both the setting and his characters. For quite some time, however, I haven’t read a book or allowed myself to escape into someone else’s story. When I picked up his book on that day, and started reading the first chapter, I became entranced and hooked. It felt wholesome and complete. I read that book in a week’s time; reading it from cover to cover in front of our fireplace over the weekend, and before going to bed on school days. Sometimes after finishing a good book it’s hard to jump into another story, but I did just that to keep the distraction going. After a rather lengthy sabbatical, I’ll have read two books in two weeks. Although it involved reading, it helped kick start my desire to write and tell a story.

Speaking of a story, I’m looking forward to this winter; the preparation of my gear, walks in the woods, and food cooked on an iron skillet over an open fire. Until then I have my running. When I run I’m in the elements, sometimes with friends, and with an opportunity to push myself.

Last month I ran in Chicago for my fifteenth marathon. My wife Cindy and I stayed at a hotel that was fairly close to the start; close enough that it was within reach of Saturday’s Expo and Packet Pick-up as well as the Team World Vision celebration dinner. It was both humbling and motivational to be a part of TWV. I was able to make a final push the night before the race, and achieve my fundraising goal. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your graciousness and kind words my family and friends! The funds we raised brings fresh, clean water to children and communities in Africa by drilling wells. It’s a simple idea that keeps people from picking up diseases, getting sick, and often dying. The efforts of running and giving are well worth the sacrifice. Speaking of World Vision and the “Rule of 3’s,” I was personally able to raise over $3,000, the Heartland Church Team that I ran for raised over $300,000, and TWV as a whole (with all of the various individuals & teams working together) raised over $3,000,000 at the Chicago Marathon. These numbers are staggering. The people that it will help is unbelievable.

It was with these thoughts that I ran the race on that cold, Sunday morning. We watched 45 minutes of runners begin the race before our chute was released and brought down into the starting area. Just short of 46,000 runners would complete the Chicago Marathon on that day. I ran with my friends Louie and Zach for the first 5 miles. We weaved back and forth finding various people that we knew (amazingly enough with well over a million spectators), and enjoyed the event itself. As Zach started moving ahead, I would hang back and talk to Louie before speeding up to keep Zach in my sights. Soon after the 5 mile mark and Lincoln Park, Zach and I stayed together and began churning out the miles. When I saw my wife Cindy at the halfway point, I stopped and handed her my hat & mittens and took off the long sleeve shirt that I had on under my TWV jersey. I stretched out my hamstrings, said goodbye, and continued running. I managed to catch up to Zach around the twenty mile mark. We talked and ran together for a couple of miles before he said that he was going to continue his consistent, steady pace. I decided to move forward and see if I could still try to finish around the 4 hour mark. I didn’t, but it was a strong enough finish that I felt good about it. I finished in 18,186th place (1,329 in my 50-54 age group) with a time of 4:05:39. Towards the end my right hamstring got a little tight, and I was nervous it might cramp like it has in some past marathons, but it held together. It was fun to see Cindy & her friends a few more times before the end, and knowing I was running for a cause that would benefit others helped me to float over the finish line. I felt as though I could have run faster, but at the same time that wasn’t my overall goal for this particular race. I wanted to enjoy the journey, my friends, and the atmosphere. I was able to do that. Goal achieved.

By the end of the day, I ended up covering about 35 miles between my walk to the start early that morning, the marathon itself, the walk to the TWV tent, the trek back to the hotel, and then the hike to a restaurant and back after I got cleaned up.

One of the more memorable moments of the day was when a lady stepped out in front of me during the race and yelled, “You are Relentless!” Indeed I was. I liked that descriptive gift that she gave, and it powered me forward into the masses.

Survival happens within the realm of meeting one’s basic needs; survival through the “Rule of 3’s.” Knowing that we’re all part of a story, and then by looking forward with anticipation to opportunities where I can add to my story, I move from surviving to thriving. Perhaps I’m “unstuck” from those roadblocks that have recently kept me from writing and experiencing the spirit of adventure. The obstacles that hamstring us in life and try to steal our hope, joy, or motivation don't necessarily go away, but with a relentless spirit I can run, thrive, and forge ahead into new chapters of my own life’s story.

See you along The Way...

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PICTURES FROM THE MARATHON WEEKEND: