Cinderella

I know this is not even related to running, but I thought today it would be a nice reminder of how much family means to each of us, and how precious are the moments we have with them.

Monday Run-Down

Decided to update the title of my usual Monday mind-dump to something with more of a running theme...thought run-down was worthy.

• Well, I ended up biking in for Bike To Work Week on Tuesday…a roundtrip total of 42 miles. While it offered a nice, serene ride, it was also exciting as I ended up sharing the experience with six or so deer along the way. A couple were trail-hogs. It made for a great opportunity to spend some additional training time on the bike in anticipation of an adventure race coming up this next month.
  
  
• The final night for The ROCK youth group is Wednesday. We're taking the kids out for an old fashioned scavenger hunt around the city…basically deciphering clues which will then take us to certain locations where they need to answer a trivia question about the location. Looking forward to an awesome time...realizing this is our last night. Sigh. Need to talk with Jon about how I can get involved over the summer.
  
  
• Read this totally incredible blog from US marathon runner Josh Cox recounting a 50-mile race he once had…you have to check this out. Wow, how true it is that we need to learn to speak His words? He is so much bigger than we give Him credit for.
  
  
• Whew...it seems the days are already beginning to ramp up with activities, and it's not even summer yet! Praying for some extra peace, a little patience, and more time. Just feeling a bit strung out.

Pella Tulips

I wanted to post some of our photos from last weekend's little excursion to Pella...

100th Blog: Running For Something

Well, today marks my 100th blog post for the Pursuit of Runningness. It's rather funny...I suppose if you would have asked me a year ago what a blog was, I'm not quite sure I could have provided you with an accurate answer. However, since starting this blog last fall I've rapidly learned what this resource is and can do. The blog has allowed me a chance to connect with friends, family, and new running acquaintances, while also allowing me to provide some plausibly interesting and individualistic commentary on life's adventures...primarily through the focus of running and faith. And although I've occasionally found myself stumbling here and there (I'll plainly admit, my writing skills lack), I've come to realize now the outreach and influence that blogging is capable of. And I am ultimately thankful for the ability to have this freedom, not to mention the relationships it has generated.

However, today isn't about a bloggy, journalistic celebration. Because the blog will continue on, much like my running and my faith. Instead, this 100th post is devoted to a vision of combining these two in a more unique way. It's about running for something.

Up until recently, you couldn't have expected me to believe that I will be running in one of the grandest of all marathons to be held later this year...the ING New York Marathon. But what started as a improbable dream has become one of the truest of all running realities for me this spring. That's when I'd learned ING would be accepting me as a sponsored runner for their November event. Admittedly, it gave me more than just goosebumps…it made me realize how blessed I am to be able to run in something I'd always hoped for. To be honest, the ability to run this race has been a longtime dream-in-making for this aging runner. And I know it will be something I cherish for many years to come. But competing in an event of its magnitude has recently led me to consider the question...why me, why now?

I mean, I have been relatively happy running in the Midwest up until now. My typical marathon circuit has consisted of trading off between Grandmas Marathon in MN and the Des Moines Marathon in my hometown. So why do I feel as though everything has effortlessly worked out for me to go to this fall? For example, take the totally unexpected sponsored entry, the cheap airfare we found for my wife and I, the discounted hotel accomodations (cheap for NYC standards) just mere blocks away from where I'll catch a bus to the starting line, as well as my wife's unexpected but totally enthusiastic response of "we're going!" when it all started going down...it just all seems to be fitting some sort of a plan. And although it seems beyond my comprehension at times, I honestly feel God has had a purpose for my participation from the start. I know He wants to use this race for His good.

As you have seen more than once on my blog, I've been following Ryan Hall's story for quite some time now. Ryan is a very gifted athlete who won last fall's 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon and will be racing the men's marathon event at the Bejing Olympics this summer. He also happens to be a man of deep faith and a firm believer of using the gifts God has given us to make a difference. Recently, Ryan and his wife teamed up with World Vision as a way to generate attention and raise funds to help support children and families in AIDS impacted communities in Africa. World Vision happens to be a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to provide things like: clean water, health care, nutritious food, education, and economic opportunities. Their Team World Vision organization has provided a simple way of giving everyday athletes the ability to reach beyond their own goals to where help is needed most.

In 1-John 3:18 it says, "let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and truth." Now, I know it's easy as a runner to set a goal of achieving a personal best in an event…it can be challenging, exhilarating, and satisfying on a deeply personal level. But there's more to experience and a larger impact that can be made - one that goes further than one can ever dream. For far too many years, I'll admit these races have been about me and my goals. So this year I want to purposefully set a goal that goes beyond me. I guess sometimes running accomplishments in and of themselves are empty without being done for a greater purpose.

After some long and careful consideration, I've decided that I would like to give my training and upcoming NYC experience a purpose. I've come to realize that there is something bigger than me - and it's time to take some action on its behalf. And I've decided as a way of running for something (rather than just "in" something) I am going to partner with Team World Vision for the 2008 ING New York Marathon on Nov 2. After talking with their sponsorship director, I feel this is an inspiring opportunity to hopefully combine my efforts with others to provide something to those who so desperately need it right now.

Up front, I want to clarify that the donations I will be asking for will not used to financially support me or the race in my behalf, and that all funds will be collected and used solely by World Vision for their outreach programs worldwide. Basically, what I am doing is joining a team of like-minded athletes who are using their particular racing event to help raise awareness and funds for some of the world's most vulnerable children.

Throughout the fundraising process, I'll keep track of these donations through a personal Team World Vision website where you will be able to see the numbers grow until the actual marathon event is over. (Currently, World Vision is working to add the ING New York Marathon to their list of team events, and I am waiting for this to be available. When it is ready, I'll be providing more information on my blog, as well as sending it directly to friends and family, about how you can participate.)

If you have EVER in your heart wanted to donate to a worthwhile cause such as this, but just couldn't decide the best way to do it, why not use "such a time as this" to support my efforts through Team World Vision by making a one-time donation?

Here are a few examples of how such a simple, one-time gift would be used:

• $25.00.....provides basic lifesaving medicines and supplies to those who are weak or ill, or helps pay educational support for a child's school fees and essentials like uniforms, backpacks, and school supplies.
  
  
• $30.00.....sends either seeds, tools, and training in Africa that can help thousands of hungry families survive, or goes to prevent starvation (every day, 14,000 children die by the suffering caused by hunger).
  
  
• $50.00.....provides either livestock to a family that would supply a village or family with eggs, milk or even wool, or access to safe water and sanitation that can cut a community's child mortality rate by half.

A donation does not need to consist of much - even a few dollars will help; just whatever your heart leads you to give.

In summary, I simply feel God has given me the ability to do what I enjoy the most. Now I want to do my best to honor Him by using that ability to help others. And hopefully, by teaming with World Vision, maybe I can somehow use this gift to help bring a little hope to children and families in areas directly impacted by poverty, disease, natural disaster and war, who need it most right now.

Seeing the current events occurring around the world, I know we can all say the opportunities certainly abound to lend a hand. Maybe it's time to put a little hope in motion.

Thanks for your consideration & stay tuned for more info -
Mike

Update: If you would like to make a donation, please visit my World Vision Firstgiving page at http://www.firstgiving.com/mikeeilers.

Faith And Distance Running

Ryan Hall, olympic marathon contender, has obviously been busy since qualifying for the games. Yet that hasn't slowed his pursuits or ambitions in becoming involved in worthwhile causes. Nor has it lessened his opportunities for where to spend his energies.

Here is a recent and inspiring excerpt from his elite athlete blog over at TheFinalSprint.com which just solidifies for me what a remarkable and Godly runner Ryan truly is:

The Olympics is not only about unity but unity with a purpose. The Olympic slogan for the upcoming games is "One World One Dream." The organizers describe this slogan as representing the Olympic spirit of "Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream" furthermore it stands for "the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind."

A brighter future for Mankind is something we can all long for. As an athlete in these upcoming games, I hope that I can carry out these Olympic ideals and contribute to the progress of Mankind. The great thing about the Olympics is it gives athletes the opportunity to use their success to help others. Since qualifying for the games, it has been incredible for me to have opportunities to get involved with so many great causes. The most difficult part was deciding where to spend my energy.

When I look at how I want to use my running for the "bright future of Mankind" I think of what are the biggest needs in our world today and how can I use the gifts God has given me to help out. When I was approached by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization working to fight world poverty and injustice, I already had a heart to help the poor but I didn’t truly realize the full extent of world poverty.

For example, I learned that half of the people in the world, nearly 3 billion people, live on less than two dollars a day. Just yesterday, I was doing my easy 35 minute afternoon run and thinking about how every three seconds a child under the age of five dies as a direct result of poverty. It has finally hit me that we have a major problem here. I know that a major problem can’t be fixed overnight and I realize that I am just one man but if I can use the gifts God has given me to feed one more mouth that otherwise would not be feed, then it is worth it. One of my favorite verses from Message version of Romans simple says, "strength is for service." I am convicted that whatever strength I have been given is not strictly for my enjoyment, but also carries with it the responsibility to carry out the Olympic spirit of providing a bright future for all humanity.

I have no doubt that God has many more plans for this young man and his pursuits. I look forward to hearing more about his efforts, both on his quest for Olympic gold and for the causes more precious than gold that he and his wife are embarking upon.

Below, Ryan reflects during a training run around Big Bear Lake earlier this spring. This is a great little video, much like all the videos he has done so far. Enjoy.



Stay tuned for my 100th blog posting later this week...

Monday Mind-Dump

Thought and happenings...

• This weekend I took my wife and kids to visit the beautiful city of Pella. We spent all of Saturday exploring the heritage-filled parks and exquisite shops, traipsing through neverending seas of colorful tulips, and enjoying delicable delights from the famous Jaarsma Bakery. While we were unable to make it for the Tulip Time festival last weekend, this time around there weren't any crowds to battle with and we enjoyed our dutch letter treats by simply sitting on the sidewalk in the sun together.
  
  
• Due to family activities that filled this weekend, I had to postpone my running of Nancy's 10K-On-The-10th until today, though I made up for it by trying out a new 6.2-mile route I comically call the Serious Horse Loop. This is a fantastic run filled with a mixture of hills and trails that takes you out of downtown, past the Valley horse stables found south of Grand, through the back side of Water Works Park and into Grays Lake. A portion of the route follows a serene backwoods park entrance road ... perfect for transporting you away from work for a few precious moments. I highly recommend it.
  
  
• The softball gaffes continue. During this past Thursday's game, I somehow managed to crush (literally) the end of a finger while manning third base. I'm not sure how, but the ball skipped up away from my glove and into that hand as an outfielder attempted a low, fast throw to my location. A couple X-rays taken on Friday show it wasn't broken, but it sure felt like it.
  
  
• Race planning with Tom continues, as we work towards directing the Capital Pursuit race together in September...so much to do yet.
  
  
• Pastor John's message yesterday on "The High Gate of Entitlement" really struck a chord with me. It left me with a lot of thoughts about this unhealthy sense of entitlement - also about its role in politicalized Christianity and in the culture in general.
  
  
• Tomorrow, I will be riding my mountainbike-steed to work in celebration of Bike To Work Week. Happily looking forward to the peaceful 20-mile early morning commute.
  
  
• Final note, I'll be posting my 100th blog this week!

Bike To Work Week 2008

Next week, commuters from all across the state will be joining together to help promote a cleaner and heathier way of transportation by leaving their cars at home and riding to work on their bicycles.

For years, May has always been Bike To Work month. Many cities around the United States and the world celebrate cycling with different activities that encourage people to enjoy bicycling more. This not only rewards those who regularly bicycle, but it encourages first-timers to give it a chance. For us runners, biking not only offers us a chance to crosstrain those weary leg muscles once in a while, but it allows us a realistic way of getting around while promoting cardiovascular fitness.

Started in 2003, a few local trail and biking organizations joined forces to host an annual Bike To Work Day in Iowa. Now, with the assistance and hard efforts of tons of sponsors and volunteers, this has evolved into a full-fledged week event that is promoted state-wide with many employers and government agencies participating.

Being an avid mountain-biker myself (and looking for any opportunity to train a bit harder for that adventure race next month) I've decided to join the ranks this year and plan on spinning the 40-mile loop to/from Des Moines at least once, if not twice. It will probably take around 90 minutes one way, and will have me getting up pretty early, but I know it's worth the effort.

I'm really looking forward to the beautiful, early morning commute it will offer, as well as the challenge it will present. If you are from the area - or even if you're not - I really hope you'll consider experiencing this alternative transportation next week in celebration of the national event. Have fun!

A Package Arrives

Guess what arrived in the mail a couple days ago...my new pair of running shoes! These babies are a step up from the old model...they're Asics GEL-Nimbus 9's I picked up online through an advertised sale at REI...saved myself something like $40 off the normal price.

The old pair, also Asics, I had were nearing 600 miles already and beginning to show some obvious signs of tread and cushioning wear. So, now I can finally put them out to pasture where they will happily roam during my weekly lawn mowings.

I took the newer beasts for a six-mile spin yesterday and was completely amazed at how comfortable and lightweight they were compared to my old pair. And, surprising to me, I knocked a full three minutes off my normal route time. Now I'm left to wonder...was it the shoes?!?

Story of Ryan and Alicia Shay

I stumbled across this earlier today. Please take a moment of your time to view this inspiring and touching two-part video about the late Ryan Shay, Alicia Shay (Ryan Shay's wife) and Ryan Shay's family on life after Ryan.

Part 1 of the video...

Part 2 of the video...

Watching the video really humbled me, for many reasons. From the freedom we take in our abilities to run, to the very preciousness of our lives in general. It is a wonderful gift that we runners have been given, and the chance to touch others around us through this gift is great.

Run A Mile Day

Apparently, today marks the very first National "Run A Mile Day". While May is traditionally National Running and Fitness Month, May 6th is the anniversary of the first sub-4 minute mile ran by Sir Roger Bannister fifty years ago. The American Running Association is sponsoring this date to inspirationally urge people to run a mile. Though their website doesn't have a whole lot of information on the virtual event, the goal is to motivate people to commit themselves to increasing their physical activity level through running.

Inspiration for the national "Run A Mile Day" apparently stemmed from an event at a unique elementary school in Dearborn Michigan. In 2005, ARA current President Jeff Harbison and Executive Director Dave Watt agreed to join ARA Youth Fitness Honoree Rhonda Snyder in celebrating Howe School’s 50th anniversary. The weeklong celebration culminated in an event Howe called "50 for the 50th". Over the weeks leading up to the 50th anniversary date, students walked and ran laps on the Howe School track. Each student tallied their laps and made 50 laps the goal. All students participated, especially the cognitively impaired students who had been Rhonda Snyder’s inspiration. ARA's leadership agreed to celebrate with the students by running 50 laps on the 50th. The event has had such a lasting memory for Jeff and Dave that the idea for a scaled down version was hatched; thus a "Run A Mile Day" is urged at schools and communities across the U.S. to do what Howe School established three years ago.

You, too, can join in on this challenge…it's not too late. And remember, you don't have to be fast. Simply get out there and run or walk a mile. Or if you're already a recreational or accomplished runner, consider designating a portion of your run towards this virtual effort.

"Few of us know what we are capable of doing…we have never pushed ourselves hard enough to find out." - Alfred A. Montapert

Monday Mind-Dump

Warm weather this week...makes it easy to want to get outside for some much-needed long runs. Here are a few happenings from the past week. Sorry, I wasn't able to post yesterday due to softball.

• My three-year-old son played his first baseball game this past week. It was really cute to watch, with each team member dressed up in their miniature uniform and a hat that would continually fall down over their eyes. But he had a blast, and that's all I wanted for him. And if he ends up wanting to play more serious baseball someday, I'm sure I'll look back fondly on these early days when running around the pitchers mound was much more exciting than fielding the ball.
  
  
• Met with the guys from my adventure racing team for a bike workout Thursday. Spent some quality time on both the local gravel roads and some nice & muddy single-track in the area. We're feeling good about training and are looking forward to our first race together in about a month from now.
  
  
• Softball last night was a comedy of errors, as I told my wife after. It all began about three innings into the first of a two-game doubleheader, when I completely fumbled a fly ball while playing left center field. In the process of my misstep, I guess I apparently pulled a hamstring. From that point on, it seemed like every stretch for the ball became a chore. Fortunately, the injury isn't significant, but it will sideline temporarily. Needless to say, I will be forcing myself to take a few days off from running to recover, just in case.

Faith Running

It’s been nearly six months since Ryan Shay collapsed and died 5.5 miles into the Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials. Leaving his wife, Alicia, a widow just months after their marriage, that day literally sent shock waves through the running community. Recent autopsy results said Ryan died of an irregular heartbeat due to an enlarged heart. He had been cleared to compete by doctors who knew about his condition and was a contender in the 26.2-mile trials.

For Alicia, the past six months have been a period of mourning while figuring out what to do next. You see, Alicia and Ryan Shay shared many dreams as a newlywed couple. One of them was qualifying for the Olympics together. But now, she has been left to fulfill this dream on her own.

On Sunday, Shay faces her first career race since Ryan's death; the Cardinal Invitational 10,000m in Stanford, California, where she once broke the collegiate record. And providing a recent abdominal muscle problem doesn't worsen, it will take her another crucial step closer towards the Olympic dream. But this time, that step will ultimately come without Ryan's supportive sideline encouragement she used to enjoy.

"It is so difficult," says Shay. "What I'm coming to realize is that I miss Ryan so much I can't even explain it. I miss my best friend... (but) I have to realize my life is not over. I have to take the strength he left me and the love and the amazing time I had with him. I believe everyone has a wonderful purpose in life. That's what gives me hope and strength every day."

Her plans now carry her forward, towards running at the U.S. Olympic track and field trails in June in Eugene, Oregon. Here she will hopefully get the chance to earn her berth into this summer's Olympics, and grab hold of that dream that Ryan and her once shared.

Shay says, "I believe the Lord uses these situations to help people and be a source of strength to people. I don't believe Ryan died for that purpose. I believe God knows the number of our days, and Ryan passed on."

"I hope that through his death other people take away the reality that our life can be short. Ryan lived with so much passion and love in his heart. My prayer is that people will take that into their own life."