Lessons from a half-marathon (Mile 13)

Crossing the finish line of my first half-marathon was a thrilling event. I don’t know how to put it into words, but there was something very special about coming down the last stretch of road and stepping over the curb ,and onto the grass, where cones funneled us through the final 50 yards that led to the finish line. Many spectators, including runners who had already finished their races and were dressed awaiting the awards ceremony, were cheering us on as we jogged our last few steps. There were whistles, claps, loud cheers and even a couple of cowbells clanging as we sauntered home. Best of all, our friends Clay and Lisa were waiting to congratulate us on having completed our 13.1 mile run. It was a memory I won’t soon forget.

Finishing the goal was the best the feeling of all. The energy we had in finishing was better than the energy we had in miles 1-3. Finishing was more joyful than the pace and rhythm of miles 4-6, and made the work of miles 7-9 almost forgettable. When we crossed the finish line, I wasn’t thinking about the wall we hit in miles 10-12, instead, I was taking in the moment and enjoying -- yes, enjoying -- the aches and pains, the sights and sounds and the emotional thrill of victory. We had beaten the course because we had finished.

As I’ve thought back to the finish line, there are three big take-a-ways I have from completing my first half-marathon:

1. Train for the finish line. Traci and I trained hard during the months that led up to the race. We ran two or three times a week, every week, splitting up long runs with short runs, fast runs with slow runs and doing intervals and other types of sprints that helped us build up strength and endurance. And the whole time we were training, we were working toward 13.1 miles. We didn’t train for a 5k (3.1 miles) and then try to run a half-marathon. We trained with the finish line in mind.
2. Public goals are harder to blow off. After we both agreed to run the race, we made our goals public. Believe me, that was one o the best moves we made. Why? Because so many friends and family members were cheering us on through the whole process. I had calls, emails, texts and FB messages of encouragement, in the days leading up to the race. Our friends wanted to see us succeed. That kind of public accountability made it almost impossible to do anything but finish! We had so much support, failing was not an option.
3. Enjoy the journey and victories. Even during the race, Traci and I took time to “High-5” each other when we met certain markers. At mile 3.1 for example, we celebrated the first 5k of the race. At mile 9 we commended each other for the furthest run either of us had completed. At mile 10 we fist-bumped for making it to double digits and when we crossed the finish line we joyfully put our hands in the air and gave it a big “woot woot!” The race is long, the journey is hard but there are always moments to celebrate. And when you cross the finish line, take some time to soak it all in!

Race day was a big learning experience for me. From start to finish, I learned a lot about who I am and what I’m capable of doing when I work hard and choose to not give up. Through the ebb and flow of two hours and forty four minutes of running, I caught the bigger picture of life and realize that I’m on another journey, too. And as great as it felt to finish my first half-marathon, I can only imagine how great it will be to finish this journey with the same commitment and dedication.

I wonder if what I experienced at my race on Sunday was the same time of feeling Paul had when he told young Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my face...” Paul was at the end of his life, and he knew that his journey on earth was almost over. As he faced that reality he did so with an overwhelming sense of completion because he had beaten the course -- he had run the race God had given him.

It’s my hope and prayer to end my race the same way. I want to finish my journey with the satisfaction of knowing I did my very best, that I worked hard, ran thru walls and challenges, that I took advantage of the help offered me, and I encouraged others and allowed them to do the same for me. I hope people will see an excellent runner in me, one who embraced his course and, in faith, followed God where ever He led. And along the way, you’ll see me celebrate the little moments -- the milestones and the victories -- that God gives us each and every day.

Thank you for following along on this journey, and where ever it may lead, your encouragement and friendship has helped make it a reality. Let’s keep running together and pushing for the finish line one day at a time!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water.

Lessons from a half-marathon: Miles 10-12

Every long-distance runner I’ve talked to knows what’s next. Even some top level runners who helped me prepare for the race told me to be aware of it. Facing it is daunting, yet it’s so common that it’s a regular euphemism used in sports, business, relationships and anything that requires any amount of consistent work. What is it? It is the wall. And I hit mine squarely between miles 10 and 11.

As Traci and I came off the hard work of miles 7-9, we received a little energy boost from the mile 9 aid station that featured grapes, donut holes and water. I ate two grapes, 1/2 a donut hole and drank a small cup of water while running thru the challenges leading up to miles 10-12. The challenges offered in mils 7-9, however, were nothing compared to the wall we hit between miles 10-11.

After the aid station, we continued up the steepest hill of the course thru mile 10 and into mile 11. And when we finally crested the top and started a nice downhill portion of the race, a small change made a big impact on our capacity to reach the end with umph. What change? Something as simple as switching sides of the road.

Up to that point in the race, we had been running on the left side of the road. That’s pretty natural since that’s how runners train and how most courses are set up. In doing this, my body had pretty well adjusted to running on the edge of the road with the crown of the road (the high side) under my right foot , and the lower part beneath my left. At times the crown was pretty pronounced, at other times the edge of the road was almost level. Either way, I’m pretty well-adjusted to running in that situation.

In-between miles 10 and 11 though, we were pushed back to the right side of the road, and found ourselves in a different position, with the left foot now falling higher than the right foot. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like that big of change even now as I write this, and at the time it didn’t even cross my mind as we were moving from the left side, to the right side, of the road.

Just a minute after crossing the road, my left foot was screaming in pain; not just discomfort, but genuine pain as the road had changed underfoot. I didn’t hear any other runners mention this, so maybe our inexperience was part of the problem, but whatever the reason, the switch from the left side of the road, to the right side of the road, had a significant impact on my running state of mind.

Traci was feeling it too, so as we crossed the 11-mile-marker and started out on our 12th mile, the challenges were growing stronger. We had most definitely, hit our wall.

When we finished the last of the hills and were mid-way thru mile 12, we found ourselves “jogging” at a pretty slow pace. In fact, we decided a brisk walk was faster than our current jog, so we walked for about a 1/4 mile. Since neither of us had ever run more than 8.6 miles prior to this race, we recognized we had already run 4 miles further than ever before. We both wanted to end by running thru the finish line, so this brief respite before the final 1/4 mile was very necessary.

Our strength was zapped. Our emotions were running high. Our resolve was being tested.

I learned a lot “at the wall” on Sunday. Here are three of those lessons:

1. You must know why you are running in order to keep running when you hit the wall. For me and Traci, the why of this race has always been the same: it’s a metaphor for the place we are in life. The training, the injuries, the set-backs and the race itself, all of it offers a great word picture of where we are in the journey God has placed us on. We were running to vividly remind ourselves to hold the course in life, to stay on the path that God has provided and to keep pressing on even when the necessary strength is hard to find. We ran this race, because we are running the race as we live out God’s purpose for our lives.
2. Never run alone. The wall is formidable, and your resolve is not enough. Sure, you will hit some lesser walls you can manage on your own, but I promise, your journey in life will bring you face-to-face with challenges that you cannot conquer without help. God didn’t place you on this earth for you to live the life of a Lone Ranger, but rather, for you to live life in the richness and depth of a community of people living out their God-designed lives together. We were created for caravans. I am confident I would not have even entered the race had I not been running with Traci. When our race was over, she told me several times she wouldn’t have finished had it not been for me. Together we ran. Together we faced the wall. Together we broke thru that barrier and are reminded of what great rewards God has for us if we’ll do the same with the barriers we face in this life!
3. Don’t ever stop. We slowed down. We changed our pace as we moved from a plotting jog to a brisk walk, but we never stopped our forward progress. Press on when you hit the wall, because if you stop, it’s almost impossible to regain your forward momentum. Walk. Hobble. Crawl. Just don’t ever stop.

What about you? Are you at a wall right now? Has your forward momentum been stunted by a giant barrier? Are you contemplating giving up? Are you going to stop? As you pursue your God-sized dreams, you will come face-to-face with dream-crushing walls that want to discourage you to the stopping point. Let me encourage you to press on. Let me urge you to continue the walk of faith, and to keep moving on the race God has given you. If God has given you the dream, He will give you the means to fulfill it, just don’t ever stop!

The Overboard Life is lived in faith, believing that running the race God has given us is better than any race we could run ourselves. It’s a life that must be lived in faith, using all that we have and are, while trusting fully in all that He is and can supply.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Lessons from a half-marathon (Miles 7-9)

In miles 1-3 Traci and I experienced the energy of the start. In miles 4-6 we enjoyed the encouragement of finding our pace. But in miles 7-9 we discovered the hard work of plugging along. Running a half-marathon is hard work. Part of what made miles 7-9 so challenging was the fact that we had just come out of miles 4-6 that were so pleasant. The downhill part of the run was “easy” and the encouragement we gave to, and received from, other runners was such a boost. We definitely found a good pace and rhythm and then...and then we turned the corner at the halfway point.

Two realities hit us quickly. First, the wind had been at our back. Truthfully, I hadn’t even noticed the wind up to that point. When we hit the 6.55mile turnaround, however, I realized that we had unknowingly been enjoying the benefit of a tail wind that now was a head wind. The wind was a little nippy, and not terribly strong, but it was very noticeable and our newly found rhythm met its first real challenge. Secondly, we understood that what goes down must go up -- the hills we had been running down were still there but our downgrade was now an upgrade, and not the kind of upgrade you enjoy!

So rhythm came face to face with work. I can honestly say that until the turnaround -- while we weren’t speeding thru the course -- we were enjoying the ebb and flow of the race. We had found a pace that was manageable for both of us and were getting that feeling of, “Hey, we can totally do this!” By mile 7, our optimism had waned a bit.

In fact, last night as Traci and I were talking about these blog posts and the lessons from the race, I learned that she too felt a hint of despair at mile 8. When I saw the mile 8 sign, I had a not-so-fleeting thought: “Yikes. We still have FIVE MILES to go!!” Turns out my wife had the same idea floating in her head but neither of us had the heart to bring the other down, so the thought stayed silent.

For me, there were three factors that made miles 7-9 so challenging. First, as mentioned above, the hill/wind combo surprised me. I wasn’t ready for the change of terrain or the frontal assault from Mother Nature. Second, I started to feel some aches and pains throughout my body. My right ankle was already a little sore from running on the crown of the road and my left calf was keeping me aware of the discomfort I was causing it. Although both of these were mild (not strong, sharp pain), they were nagging, and as miles 7-9 wore on, they stole away some of my focus. Third, I became increasingly hungry. I couldn’t believe how quickly hunger accosted me between miles 8 and 9. I was running along feeling fine, and then I was starving! It was literally that fast, and since we had just passed an aid station at mile 8, and I hadn’t grabbed any nourishing Goo packs, I feared food was not on my radar any time soon.

Isn’t that just like anything worthwhile we tackle in life? You have the adrenaline and energy that comes from starting something new. Have you ever started a new diet or exercise routine? The first few days (ie. miles 1-3) are fun! You’re fired up at the prospect of change and you are energized by others who are traveling with you or have traveled the same road before. Then you hit your stride and as you enter week two (ie. miles 4-6) you are feeling like you can conquer anything. The food isn’t so bad after all. The exercise isn’t that hard. You aren’t that hungry. You’re really not that sore. You hit your stride and feel like you will achieve your goals with ease.

That’s when miles 7-9 show up. You leave the gym Friday all fired up after two weeks of great workouts, and then on Monday the gym has lost its appeal. You smell the dankness. The stuffiness of the locker room is almost nauseating. You realize the green super-shake you’ve been drinking for breakfast is really hideous and you actually don’t like the flavor that much. You step on the scale and see that after two weeks of new foods and exercise, you’re only down four pounds, and honestly, you feel lousy. Your body aches, your stomach wants something different than a blended garden for lunch and you’re wondering if it’s worth it.

Whether it’s diet and exercise, some other life style change, a new relationship or a new project, all of us will hit miles 7-9 in our lives -- the times/hours/miles when the work is hard. The question isn't whether or not you will hit those miles, the question is what will you do when they show up? Here are four lessons I learned from miles 7-9:

1. Expect the hills and wind to work against you sometimes. Whatever you’re tackling in life, the reality is that you will face opposition. Brian Klemmer’s book summarizes it well, If Change Was Easy, We’d All Be Skinny, Rich and Happy. Change, is, after all, a battle of resistances. Especially when living the Overboard Life of faith, you must expect challenges. Paul told young Timothy, “Anyone wishing to live a godly life will be persecuted.” Jesus made it pretty plain that persecution is par for the course for those who truly wish to live out on the water where He is doing His Kingdom work.
2. If you’re not willing to work hard, take your God-sized goals and dreams off the table. Traci and I knew that running a half-marathon was going to be hard. We worked for months in preparation, working through injuries (ouch, this hurts my body), emotions (ouch, I don’t like this) and will (I’m grumpy). During miles 7-9 our hard work paid off because we kept running long after the joy of finding a rhythm had left us. Any worthwhile goal or dream in your life is going to require hard work. Sometimes you’ll experience lots of miles 7-9! The writer of Hebrews says, “...run with perseverance the race marked out for you...” Running is hard work. You must persevere (work hard!) to see the end that God has in mind.
3. Make sure you prepare as best you can for the upcoming challenges. You know there’s going to be tough times, even though you don’t always (ever?) know what they are going to be. Anticipate as best you can. My friend Clay gave me some great advice the night before the run that saved me some heart ache (as well as some aches in other parts of my body. Can you say, “Runner’s Glide”). Next time I run a long race I’ll be better prepared on the nutrition end and not get caught off guard by my hunger. If you want to live the Overboard Life, you’ve got to prepare for challenges while still facing them head-on!
4. Run thru your challenges. When we hit miles 7-9, it would have been easy to walk, to stop at the mile 9 aid station and chat it up with the very kind volunteers etc... But we weren’t in this race to chat things up or to enjoy the sugar-rush, high-energy pit stop buffets. We were in the race to finish, and so when miles 7-9 came up, we had to run thru them in order to reach our goal. Face challenges like a soldier, like a man (woman) on a mission! Keep running, as you move thru the challenges. As Dori would say, “Just keep swimming...just keep swimming!”

Where are you at today? Are you in miles 7-9 in your life? Are you at the hard work stage of a goal, dream or out-of-the-boat expression of your faith? Let me encourage you to press on and to keep running thru the challenges. Living your God-designed life is hard, and requires hard work, but the reward of the labor is worth the effort! Miles 7-9 will make you sweat, but mile 13 is getting closer.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Lessons from a half-marathon (miles 4-6)

(This is part 2 of a 5-part series. If you’d like to start at the beginning, click HERE) [Therefore] ...let us encourage each other, and all the more, as you see the day approaching...”

After the big start to our race, and after a natural separation occurred based on the speed of each runner, miles 4-6 are where Traci and I established a real rhythm. Whereas the start is filled with energy and enthusiasm, stage two is focused on sustaining a pace.

During our race, the Sleeping Bear Marathon, Traci and I found a very comfortable stride as we came out of mile four and began mile five. Mile four ended at an aid station after a pretty steady uphill climb. I grabbed my first cup of water from this table and as we ran past, the lady handing me my water said, “You have a great downhill stretch ahead of you. Enjoy!”

That downhill stretch nearly lasted through the turnaround at the halfway point (6.55 miles). It was a steeper downgrade at first, but leveled out slowly so that we could enjoy the pace all the way down. It wasn’t one of those downhills where you feel almost out of control, but it was strong enough that you felt like you didn’t have to work so hard to keep the momentum going. It was a very comfortable time in the race.

An other occurrence started happening at mile four: Traci and I began to be passed by people on the other side of the street; passed by the people who were on their way back to the finish line. We were just crossing mile four while the fastest runners were crossing mile eight. Made me laugh to think they were running twice as fast as were!

Here we were given a real unique opportunity: We started cheering on and encouraging the runners who were coming back up the hill towards us. It was fun to watch their reactions. The first few people didn’t realize we were cheering for them as we ran past in the opposite direction, so I started calling out their bib numbers to make it clear: “Great job 353!” or “Looking good 230!”

People’s reactions were great. Traci and I got some big smiles, thumbs up and several people hollered encouragement back to us. We saluted everyone coming back toward us, which, since we weren’t setting any speed records on this course, was about 75% of the field! As we cheered for groups of people, they cheered back and miles 4-6 were, without a doubt, the easiest miles we covered on Sunday.

Here are three lessons I learned from miles 4-6:

1. When Traci and I were recounting our experience to fellow racers, Clay and Lisa (Clay finished 1st in his age group, 15th over all, and Lisa was similarly fast!), we described miles 4-6 (where, incidentally, we saw Clay and Lisa both pass us on the opposite side of the road!). Afterward Traci made this comment, “Miles 4-6 definitely went by the fastest, and they were the easiest.” What made those miles the easiest? First, it was the most downhill part of the course, but secondly, and I think more importantly, we were focusing on encouraging other runners. While we were finally getting into our stride, it was [relatively] easy to encourage other runners. As racers, it’s easy to put your head down and run (and there is a time for that!), but when you do, you miss out on the people right near you who might need your encouragement, and who might be able to encourage you. Once you pass the starting phase of a project or lifestyle change, and you get to where you’ve established a bit of your stride, remember to look around you and offer encouragement to those who are racing near you. Maybe they’re along side you, or maybe they’re blowing past you on the other side of the road, either way -- your encouragement may be just the boost they need in their race, and you will find that it helps your journey, too.
2. I wasn’t very far into mile two before I started seeing some runners who had come out of the gate too fast. The adrenaline and energy of the starting line can deceive us into believing we’re faster than we’ve trained, or that we have a 13.1 mile sustainable speed boost. One lady in particular blew past us in the first 1/4 mile, but just beyond the 2 mile marker, she was walking and trying to catch her breath. After a short walk she started back into her run at a much more regulated pace. She was a good runner and I’m sure she finished well ahead of our pace. But she was strongest when she found her rhythm, not when when she was surging on adrenaline. Use the starting energy to get out fast and to build momentum, but remember that you usually (never?) can’t sustain that pace for long. You will be strongest in the rhythms of life, not in the surges.
3. We really enjoyed miles 4-6, almost as much (more?) as we enjoyed miles 1-3. Remember to enjoy the rhythms of life. There are going to be uphill parts of the path, you will experience the flat lands and you will experience the wind, the rain, the sun and the cold and heat, but during the rhythms, take time to enjoy the route. Sometimes we can get caught up in the pace of others, comparing ourselves to them, instead of just embracing the race that God has put us in. Traci and I easily could have been discouraged by people running more than twice as fast as we were, but instead, we chose joy and encouragement on our way.

Once you’ve started moving toward your goals and dreams, once you’ve started tackling the journey that God has put you on, look for the pace that will help you sustain for the long haul. I think all of us want to believe we can go full throttle for the entire event, but reality says it’s not possible! In running events, injuries occur when racers take to a speed that’s too fast, and rarely are goals achieved.

One woman was running the marathon and when she ran past us at mile 11 (she was on mile 24) I said, “Great job...you’re doing awesome!” She replied, “Not really. I led this race until mile 20...and then I lost it!” She was not happy. I was surprised to hear she had been leading (for the women) because several women had gone by us at that point, one probably a mile or two ahead of her. After the race I heard her lamenting to a supporter, “I just started out too fast.”

After you ride the momentum of a start, find your rhythm and enjoy the race. Too many people get burned out in life, burned out on pursuing their God-sized goals and objectives, in part, because they never find a rhythm. What about you? Are you in need of finding a rhythm? Are you in the rhythm right now, and struggling to enjoy it? Maybe you need to look up and encourage others who are around you, behind you and, yes, even ahead of you! Maybe you need to just see the scenery and take it all in while you keep plugging along? Find your rhythm and you’ll find your strength.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Lessons from a half-marathon, (miles 1-3)

Yesterday, Traci and I completed 7 months of training and preparation by running our first half-marathon -- 13.1 miles in the Sleeping Bear Dunes Marathon event. We joined nearly 400 runners (150 full marathoners, 250 half-marathoners) on the very hilly run just outside of Sleep Bear Dunes National Park. A great run with truly stunning vistas. Until our run yesterday, Traci had never run more than 8.2 miles and I had never extended a training run past 8.6. In fact, in the last three weeks leading up to the run, Traci had been battling a foot injury that allowed her just two runs during that time: a 1-mile interval run that ended with great pain, and a 3.5 mile run, just 5 days before our race, that revealed her pain was gone.

The encouragement we’ve received from friends near and far, made it possible to finish the race when our strength was entirely gone. More than that, the comments of our friends after the race has truly humbled us and reminds us of the importance of what this race represented to us. Over the next five blog posts, I want to break down the lessons I’ve learned form this race through each section: Miles 1-3, miles 4-6, miles 7-9, miles 10-12 and mile 13. Thanks to all of you who “ran with us” and are continuing to join us in the journey.

Miles 1-3

Traci and I have had the privilege of hosting 3 different races, and now we have shared in this half-marathon. Most races are quite festive since there are lots of people out to enjoy the event. There are serious runners (like our friends Evey and Clay) and people like Traci and I who are there to conquer the course without any kind of time goals. There are people walking, people running with a goal (yesterday a brother and sister team had “For Ma” on the back of their shirts) and people who just enjoy the atmosphere.

And when you first start out on a race, it is a very enjoyable atmosphere! The energy of all the participants, the loud music and the big start where everyone takes off to cheers and whistles through the large starting gate is a big thrill. It’s also a pretty significant adrenaline rush and sends most runners out onto the course with joy and an extra spring in their step.

Yesterday held that kind of thrill for me and Traci. We got off to a great start and we were definitely feeding off the group energy as we began the race. Running with hundreds of people as we each faced the course for our various reasons was exciting. In fact, the first three miles held the same kind of excitement as each runner was establishing his or her pace, and slowly, the crowd began to spread out.

A big part of each race is relatively easy: you need to start!

How many times have we approached a new venture in work, started a new project or began working on a significant change in our lives with energy and excitement? I think most of us are usually pretty good starters and starting is very important! Traci and I began our race today with two goals: Start and finish. As you might guess, one of those is actually much easier to accomplish than the other.

I love starting. I thrive on the energy of the group, the enthusiasm of new ideas and the life-giving excitement of tackling something hard. My wife loves gathering data, organizing new structures and laying out the long-term plans for achieving her goals. She is fired up when starting out. Can you relate?

Starting is usually pretty fun as we set out with new goals, ideas how to accomplish those goals and the lack of awareness of just how painful or difficult the challenges facing us will be. This was certainly true of how Traci and I started our race yesterday.

There are, however, several potential -- and generally expected -- problems with starting a race (or a new venture):

1. Starting isn’t usually a very fair representation of the actual goal, project or sought-after change. The energy of starting can be swallowed up in the miles that follow and the hard work of grinding out the miles that are come. Ever started something with zest only to a hit a wall that brought a screeching halt to progress?
2. Starting is a vital component to completing any objective, but the objective’s goal must be clear. In other words, Traci and I began a race yesterday knowing what the end goal was. We weren’t running until the end of our strength and then merely stopping and calling it good. Granted, we came very close to the end of our strength, but the goal remained crystal clear: finish the 13.1 mile course. Starting a new plan, going after a new dream or chasing down a great objective without knowing the end goal cannot end in success.
3. Starting energy is an important part of the whole project. While we recognize it’s not a fair representation of the whole process (see #1 above) it is a vital part of the getting the ball rolling. Without starting energy, it’s hard to generate momentum, difficult to generate a strong community and almost impossible to get past the first obstacles you will, most certainly, encounter.

What about you? Is it time for you start something? Are you in the middle of starting energy right now and in need of clarifying your goals? Are you sitting on the outside of the race course contemplating your next move?

Since February when Traci and I agreed to prepare for this half-marathon together, Hebrews 12:1-2 has been a big part of this journey. The writer of Hebrews states, “...run with perseverance the race marked out for you...” In other words -- Start the course that God has laid out for you! We will rarely (ever?) know the result of running the race but we will never be wrong in starting God’s ordained journey for our lives.

Are you ready to start?

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Where will you be in five weeks?

A few weeks ago I was lamenting one of my weekly runs to a friend who has been a running adviser for me. He’s run a full marathon in the past and has been a big help in getting me trained for the half-marathon Traci and I are running in October. As we talked, I whined, “Yesterday’s run was really hard. I still got it done, but for as short as it was, it just seems like it shouldn’t be that tough.” He smiled a sagely little smile and said, “You’ll be glad you did that run in five weeks.”

Five weeks? I’ll be glad in five weeks!? Obviously this friend of mine doesn’t understand my need for instant gratification! Of course, there is nothing in running that is about instant gratification, and he continued to inform me that studies have shown, that when you’re working out consistently, the workout you do today will have a significant impact on your workouts in five weeks.

That’s so contrary to how most of us workout, usually thinking that a big lift today will make tomorrow’s lift easier, or a big run today should make tomorrow’s run that much better. But those who study the science of the body have found that a day’s workout, when combined with a steady and consistent workout routine, shows its greatest benefit five weeks after the fact. So the run I was whining about was going to be my best friend a few weeks later.

Well that stinks.

Once again, running proves to be a valuable metaphor for life. So much of what you and I are doing today doesn’t have its maximum value for our lives tomorrow or even the next day, but rather, as we keep a consistent life of growing and changing and being challenged by God and His Word we reap the benefit weeks later. And maybe that’s why so many people give up after putting in a couple of good days of effort. Have you ever been there?

Have you ever tried a new diet for a couple of days, only to face the discouragement that the scale didn’t change much after a week? So what did you do? If you’re like most dieters, you gave up and drowned your dieting sorrows in a giant plate of nachos or an extra large bowl of ice cream. Why? Because waiting five weeks for results is hard.

Experts say it takes somewhere between 21-35 days (3-5 weeks) to make a new practice stick. After that, it takes another two to three months for that new practice to become an automatic habit. That means from day one of a change you are trying to make in your life, it can take close to six months before that change has become somewhat automatic in your life.

Soooooo, when you make that great choice today, you are paving the way for that choice to stick, and then eventually become a habit. But not tomorrow. Not next week. Not even next month. The great choice you make today will help solidify your change five weeks from today, if you keep working it until then.

Maybe that’s why, so often in the Bible, we are instructed to keep working at growth and change. Like the writer of Hebrews who says, “Therefore let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other, and all the more, as we see the Day approaching...” Did you catch that? We need to keep encouraging other more and more as we establish a habit and culture of building into each other’s lives.

The theme passage for me for 2014 has the same idea in it: “...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Running with perseverance doesn’t just mean to run for a long time, but rather, to keep running day in and day out, knowing that the long term gain happens down the road.

In fact, later in that same passage in Hebrews 12 the author says, “No one thinks discipline [hard work, challenges or punishment etc...] is pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained up by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

So where do you want to be in five weeks? Where do you want to be in five months? Those changes you desire for the future begin today. Those goals you want to cross off your list? those dreams you want to tackle? your work begins today. Hold the course even when the work isn’t fun or easy because you know that what you’re doing today -- that very unglamorous daily obedience! -- is making a difference for the future.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

How to remember a day

Take a moment to think back yesterday. What happened yesterday that really sticks out in your mind? Go back two days, and try to compile your memories from two days ago. How about a week ago? What do you remember about the details of your life from one week ago? A month? A year? Usually when we step back into our memories we see key events; we remember the big moments that changed the course of our lives. When I think back to 2012 I remember a couple of big events right off the block -- our decision to move to Lake Ann Camp, and Traci’s kidney donation surgery -- but there’s a lot of haziness over the rest of that year. Overboard published a couple of books (can’t remember the exact dates), my family took a three week cross-country road trip and AJ’s baseball team won the championship that year in Little League. After that, 2012 is pretty much a blur.

This year I’ve picked up my journal again, and I’ve been recording the events of each day. I’m trying to see each day through the context of my relationship with Traci, and I’m amazed at how challenging that process can be. Sitting down at the end of the day and trying to record the events as they affected me and Traci has been very difficult at times, even though I’m only looking back at one 24-hour-day!

A couple of times I have missed a day or two and I’ve taken the time to go back and fill in each missing day. One time I missed 10 days of writing, so I carefully went back through the calendar and filled in the missing days. There were several times I took 10-15 minutes to try and recall the specific details of a single day and found it almost impossible. On one hand, so much happens in a day that it’s almost like data overload; on the other hand, when trying to see it only using the lens of my relationship with Traci, the data can be sparse (at least my recall of the data is sparse).

The question that keeps popping up, as I continue to journal my life on a daily basis, is this: am I facing each day with the intention to make my life count? In Project Nehemiah I spent some time exploring the idea that a remarkable life isn’t doing the “big things” that so often get labeled as extraordinary or special, but it’s in living in obedience, every day, to God and His Word. When I live in obedience, the other details take care of themselves. The opportunities to impact the lives of others will flow from my daily walk. From there, God may give my the opportunity to impact the President of the United States, or He might give me the chance to alter the day of an elderly person in a nursing home. Neither task is more important than the other, but both require a commitment to obedience.

This morning, as my wife and I went out on a morning run, we were both struck by the challenges of running early, on a warm and muggy day. At one point my wife said, “I feel like I’ve got nothing today” to which I echoed a similar sentiment. But you know what we did have going for us? We were running even when we didn’t feel like it. We were out there fighting the humidity and the early morning stiffness that, in the past, would have sidelined us. The run itself wasn’t that special but the choice to be faithful to running will net results in October when we both attempt our first half marathon.

In the same way, our simple obedience to God’s Word is preparing us for something in the future. Whether it’s to impact your own children or 3,000 campers, or whether you get to be the person that introduces a neighbor to Christ or shares Jesus with a world leader isn’t yours to choose. You get the chance to be obedient, each day, and to trust God to provide opportunities that flow from your obedience. And just like it takes intention to get up and go running on a warm and muggy Northern Michigan morning, it takes focused attention to your walk with God to choose the paths of obedience, faith and love in the decisions you face each day.

After my shower, a refreshing Rev3 drink and a healthy snack I realized this morning’s run was extraordinary. Three miles of jogging, walking and gasping for air is extraordinary? You bet! Because today I got up did what I was supposed to do in order to be ready for what’s next. I want each day to count like that (and not just for running!), and that means I need to be who God wants me to be in obedience, so I’ll be ready for whatever God wants me to do down the road. And that kind of faithful living, every day,  is indeed, extraordinary, and worth journaling!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Hi: My name is Joe and I'm a quitter.

If you could hear the thoughts bouncing around in my head while I’m running, I’m pretty sure you’d demand immediate psychiatric evaluation. It’s crazy what goes on in my brain as I train for my October half-marathon, and one thing is certain: I’m a quitter.  

Tonight I ran my first 10k distance: 6.2 miles of non-strop running. I actually logged 6.24 miles (but who’s counting?) in just over one hour and four minutes, and the battle to stay out on the course was significant. I originally began the night thinking I’d try to run 5-miles again, since I had just completed my first 5 miler last week. But after I finished 3 miles, I had this crazy thought to push through to 6, and as I got closer to 6, my legs told me to go ahead and finish up a 10k.

Sounds sane, doesn’t it? Once I got past the one mile mark however, the conversation in my head was a constant battle. On the one hand, I really wanted to achieve this goal, on the other hand, I wanted to quit and head back to the house to sip a cold beverage and admire how easy a mile was.

As I finished up three miles, my wife split off from me and I headed out on my own. When I’m running with my wife, I know I have her encouragement to stay on the trail and keep up pace. As soon as she peeled off, my desire to quit grew even stronger. So as I turned to complete my second 3-mile circuit, I did a mental check:

Me: Self, how are you feeling?

Self: Lousy. I hate running. My feet hurt. My back hurts. My eyes hurt. My hair hurts.

Me: Wait...your hair hurts?

Self: If that will get you to stop running, then yes. My hair hurts.

Me: Liar.

Self: Okay, but I was serious about my feet and my back.

Me: Baby.

Self: I really don’t like you.

It was crazy, every step of the way I kept trying to come up with reasons why I should quit. Do you ever do that? Are you ever looking to stop?

You know what I realized: there is always a reason to quit! In running, every step is a reason for me to quit: My feet can be sore, my calf might be aching, my back gets tired of the bouncing and, as you can tell, my brain is working against me. Tonight my shoulders were tense, and even though I tried to consciously relax them, I kept finding myself tensed (not sure why!). Even on the night of a good run, like tonight, there is always multiple reasons to quit!

What about you? What are you trying to fight for, but find yourself in the mental battle about quitting? Are you wrestling in your marriage? There will always be a reason to give up. Are you contemplating how doable your God-sized dreams are? There will always be a reason to quit. Are you struggling under the burden of debt? Every day you will have the chance to put it off another 10 years! Are you working hard on improving your health? Temptation to give-in is always just around the corner.

You see, the easy choices in life don’t require much effort. Choosing to stay unhealthy is easy. Letting my marriage go to pot doesn’t require any work on my part. Giving up on my dreams is as easy as making Netflix a 2-hour/night habit. The easy choices don’t require much effort. It’s the ones we really want that require effort. And even more than effort, they require a reason!

And I realized tonight that what kept me running after mile 3...and 4...and 5...and 6 was a BIG reason; it wasn’t my effort, and it certainly wasn’t my passion for running. My preparation for this race is a picture for my life right now -- I’m running because this process represents the work that I believe God is doing in my life. I’m in the middle of a long stretch of His working, and He is opening up doors and opportunities for me that require patience, discipline, hard work, endurance and even some joy in the journey! As I physically prepare for a 1/2 marathon, God is teaching me that what it takes to run long distances are the same qualities needed to run spiritually, and to chase after God-sized dreams.

Hebrews 12:1-2 have become my theme verses this year. The writer encourage the readers to strip off anything that hinders them, so that they can “run their race(s)” with perseverance and focus. "Running our race" is a spiritual discipline, that's hard, requires a great deal of effort and sometimes doesn't feel very rewarding in the moment. But God uses that discipline to make us into who He wants us to be, so that we can do what He wants us to do.

Yet, as most of us know, discipline isn't pleasant. We often like the results of the discipline, but the process of being disciplined is far from enjoyable. In fact, we usually tend to resist it and that's why we don't "run our races!" So as the passage goes on, the author gives the big reason why we should run and endure the discipline: “...but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (12:11).

Physically, I'm looking forward to the fruit of discipline that will reveal itself when I complete my race in October. Crossing that finish line will be a big accomplishment, whatever form it takes (even if I'm crawling across!). Spiritually, I'm looking forward to the fruit of the discipline that is required to achieve the God-sized dreams placed inside my heart. In both cases, I have to be willing to be trained by the discipline and the hard work of grinding out the pavement, mile after mile.

And that's why I kept running tonight.

What's your BIG reason for pushing on? Why will you fight for your marriage? How will you keep pressing on toward your God-sized dreams and goals? Where will you find the strength to eat up more pavement when your brain is telling you to quit?

When we live the Overboard Life, we are focused on the BIG why's in our lives, pressing on in the race that God has given us. It's not easy and the process of discipline hurts -- but it has a big payoff when we've truly been trained by it.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Project Nehemiah was written to help people identify their goals and go after them with passion and faith. This tool is available in our bookstore in both print and e-book formats (and soon in audible format, too!). Grab a copy today!

I'm half-way dead...what now?

It has finally happened...I’m turning 40. I remember when I used to think 40 was old, now it definitely seems less old than I used to think. I remember when my oldest brother turned 40, nine years ago, and I was thinking, “Wow...my brother’s getting old!” Sorry about that Dan, I no longer think 40 is old. Of course, you’re approaching 50 and that is...

Time has a funny way of putting everything into perspective. According to statistics, today I’m officially half-way dead. The life expectancy of American males is just a smudge over 80 (depending on who you ask) and at 40, I have used up half of my shelf life. There are twinkles being made today that will still be here, and still be a tasty treat, long after I’m gone.

Over the past 40 days I’ve written about where my life has come from, the lessons I’ve learned over the past 4 decades, and ultimately, I’ve revealed what I believe God wants for my life in the future: an Overboard Life that is lived by faith, out of the comfort of the boat, and out on the water where Jesus is building His Kingdom.

Tonight I’ve been reading over 50 different birthday cards that were sneakily sent to my wife the past month. I’ve been torn between hilarious and sentimental all evening, but have been blown away by the kind words and gracious comments by so many dear friends. One card in particular was on the sentimental side but hits the nail on the head for what I’m feeling about 40. It’s from our friend Gail in Olympia, WA:

“You’ve got your bearings, and you’re right where you should be --

at 40 and at your best, right smack between

experience and possibility and perfectly

positioned for a great new decade...”

I definitely feel like I’m in the sweet spot of life. I am confident that the best days of life are ahead and not behind, and that the story God is going to write over the second half of my life will be worth sticking around for! I can’t wait to embrace the race that is set for me, the highs and lows, the obstacles and the downhills, and through it all my prayer will remain the same: God, please use me to do your work, with your help, for your glory.

Friends, I hope you’ll join me in living the Overboard Life. I know that I can’t live this life without the help of great friends who love the Lord and want to live Overboard, too. I’m confident in the next few days, weeks and months I’ll need some encouragement to hold the course. And I give you permission to call me on it -- if you see me living lazy in the comfort of the boat, call me out! Remind me that I want my life to count, and little counts when you’re living in the boat!

Thanks for following this 40-day blog, and for joining me on this Overboard journey. On Monday I have a couple of really special announcements and an opportunity for you to join me in helping to create an Overboard movement. I can’t wait to share some details with you and to see where this will take us all!

Here’s to “Life: Part 2” and to all that God has for each us as live outside the boat for Him.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Hold the course

In preparation for my first half marathon I’m finding out why I really don’t enjoy running that much: it’s hard. Yes, after several months of running I’m finally breaking thru some barriers, but running is still hard work for me. For example, on almost any given day I can hop outside and run 1.5-2 miles without much pain. But after two miles, my brain starts in on this little game I like to call, “Let’s go home and eat a frozen pizza.”  

If my running thoughts were broadcasted, I would be somewhat humiliated. I’d be running by someone’s house and they’d hear, “I wonder if I just ran into that tree in their yard, if they’d call 9-1-1 and I could get a lift home?” Or the other day when a guy stopped his car on the road to ask directions he would have heard, “Yeah, I’ll tell you where the baseball park is if you let me hop on your running boards for the next mile!” The problem with that plan is that the app Map My Run would have shown a split mile time of 45mph and most of you wouldn’t have believed I actually ran that fast. You guys are such skeptics!

The flip side of the hard work though, is the joy -- yes, I just used the word joy describing an aspect of running! -- that comes when you set a personal new distance record or meet a time goal. Just last night Traci and I ran for 4.13 miles, out on the road for over 46 minutes. It was the first time I had run that far (previously I hadn’t run more than 3.57 miles) for that long (42 minutes was my previous time).

I was actually pretty pumped to share that with others, even with my running friends who hit 4.13 miles during their “warm up” runs before the race. There was something profoundly important to me, and thus joy-inducing, when I hit those two marks; it was hard, and the difficulty of it created its own reward.

This half marathon training has really been the perfect metaphor for this year. As I approach the half way point of life (statistically speaking), I feel like I’m just hitting my stride. I’ve worked through the challenges of starting, I’ve climbed a couple of hills and enjoyed coasting down a few slopes, and now I’m in the grind. Now I’m in the part of the run where my mind is looking for shortcuts to the finish line, where I’m wondering why I keep running even though my feet ache and I’m frustrated that I’m being passed by so many other runners who don’t seem to struggle at all.

Part of me is looking back at the course and wishing I had started my training earlier. “If I had done this or that, I would be [insert over-inflated sense of self accomplishment here].” Part of me is looking ahead, knowing some more big hills are coming, and wondering if I’ll have what it takes to run my race to the end.

The writer of Hebrews must have been a long-distance runner, because he understood run psychology. He writes in 12:1-2, “...let us throw off everything and that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...”

I’m learning that distance running requires two traits, and neither of them are physical. The first is sheer grit. You have to run with perseverance. You have to choose to stay on the path, to keep running even when you’re being passed, to commit to holding the course on the hills when your mind is fairly certain you’ve accidentally gotten off course and stumbled upon Mt. Everest. The most athletic people in the world can struggle in distance running simply because of the mental toughness that’s required. While learning to run, I’m learning how mentally un-tough I am, but I’m working on it!

The second trait distance runners need is focus. You have to find a way to engage your mind while you run. I’ve talked to a lot of runners, and they all have great focus, they just focus on different things. I have one friend who just counts his steps and thinks about each stride as his feet pound the pavement. I have another friend who said she spends time creating lists while runs. Shopping lists, to-do lists, honey-do lists...by focusing on the lists, she takes her mind of the distance and runs with more ease. I’ve heard of runners who fix their eyes on a point on the horizon and set mini-goals for reaching those points, and I’ve heard of runners who count spectators or trees and I’ve known some who put on their earbuds and play music, listen to a book or dial up a podcast in an attempt to keep their minds focused while they run.

Running long distances (and I believe anything over two miles is long distance!) effectively, requires perseverance and focus -- two of the same qualities needed when making an Overboard Life. The writer of Hebrews said “run with perseverance” and “fix your eyes on Jesus” to help us get through each of our races. You have to hold the course when things get tough, you have to persevere with laser-like focus so that you can experience the joy of the journey, and the thrill of finishing well.

A few years ago I became mildly obsessed with the story of Ernest Shackleton. He was a great sea captain who was determined to be the first man to plant a flag for his country (England) on the South Pole. He loaded up his ship, The Endurance, and headed south with his crew. His journey is one of the most amazing in exploration history, for what they endured and survived.

After being stopped by ice, everything that could have gone wrong, did. The ship was crushed by ice floes, many of the emergency supplies were lost and the sled dogs became sick and injured. Realizing they were marooned on a floating island of ice, they sought shelter, tried to find another party of travelers (the Germans were also making haste for South Pole fame) and ultimately built an ice-cave “home” where they weathered a horrendous winter as prisoners on the South Pole.

Months after first getting stuck, Shackleton and two other men made a desperate last-gasp attempt to get help at a Norwegian whaling village on a very small, very remote island in the middle of the southern seas. With no navigational equipment except a compass, taking off in what became an absolutely horrendous storm, and riding in a life boat that had been salvaged from the wreck, Shackleton and his two-man crew headed for the island that was like finding a needle in a haystack.

While 20 and 30 foot swells crashed down on them, the clouds blocked out the moon and stars and with the knowledge that being even 1/2 a degree off would mean certain failure and death, they made every adjustment they could to keep the path. Shackleton’s chief navigation officer kept the boat on course. He never let them waiver, even when it meant facing the eye of the storm. And as the clouds finally rolled back, as the storm slowly relented, a when a small beam of moonlight shined down upon calmer waters, Shackleton and his two fellow sailors beheld the most beautiful sight in the world -- the tiny island they had aimed their boat toward.

They had kept the course and the reward was theirs -- Shackleton, and all but one member of his crew, were rescued.

Shackleton and his crew became famous. He would lead a few other expeditions in his day, but ultimately would settle to become a fairly well-known speaker. He would talk about his crew’s hardships, he would share the lessons he learned about leadership and courage, and he would never forget the journey that changed his life (probably more than if he had been the first to the South Pole!).

You and I will experience storms in life. We will have every reason to be derailed and to give up. The clouds will block the sky, the swells will come crashing down and the possibility of hitting the right mark will seem as unlikely as Shackleton and his crew finding a tiny fishing village in the middle of the ocean. And that’s when we must hold the course most of all. That’s when we must run with perseverance and focus, and we must, we must, hold fast.

Jesus didn’t promise us an easy life, He just promised us one that is possible with His help. In Matthew 14, Jesus didn’t call Peter out of the boat onto warm, tropical and calm waters. Instead He called Peter out of the boat in a storm, in the middle of the night, with waves that had been slamming against the boat, and with a wind that was howling -- that’s the environment where Peter was summoned. And I believe that’s the environment where life’s greatest joys, victories, accomplishments and faith-stretching occur. The eleven men who stayed in the boat never experienced the thrill of walking on water, the joy of strolling through the storm and even the rush of being rescued by Jesus. They stayed put.

In the same way, the joy of the victory comes to the runners who finish, not to the spectators who watch, and not to the runners who give up along the way. I’m learning that the speed at which I run is far less important than the perseverance and focus I run with. On a future fall day in October, I don’t think I’m going to be that concerned with how fast I run my first half-marathon, but rather I will be thrilled that I run and that I finish what I set out this year to do.

Are you running the race God has set you on? Are you running with perseverance even in the tough seasons and storms? Are you focused on Jesus, the One who will always supply you with exactly what you need, when you need it? He promises strength, resources, joy, hope, comfort, help and more if you will just get out of the boat and start running your race.

The greatest life you can have will not be measured in dollars or by how much property you own or stuff you possess. The greatest life will be lived in faith-based experiences, driven by God-sized dreams and full of the joy and satisfaction that can only come from those who run the race God has given them to run. And that race will require great perseverance and focus.

I’m gearing up for the second half of my life, and, with God’s help, I’m ready to hold the course whatever may come. I’m trying to keep my gaze fixed on the Author and Perfecter of my faith, so that when my race ends, I will have finished with joy and strength and will be hearing the words, “Well done, you good an faithful servant.”

39 down, 1 to go!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Are you super busy...doing nothing?

A few months back I made a commitment to my wife, and publicly shared it through this blog, that I was planning to run a half marathon with Traci in the fall. At the time, I had nine months to prepare for this race. Keep in mind that when I made this announcement, I had never run more than one mile at any one time in my life and I have never particularly enjoyed running.  

Today I’m at the five month mark and I’m glad to say I’ve been running. Last week I had my longest single run for distance, at 3.57 miles, and little by little I’m stretching out the distance I am able to run. My goal is that when the 13.1 mile event rolls around, I’ll be strong enough to run the whole time, even if it’s at a snail’s pace down the stretch.

Now imagine if I had done nothing since making my announcement. Imagine race day is tomorrow and today I decide to go buy a pair of shoes, pick out a good running shirt and then head to the starting line in the morning to run my first half marathon. Is there any chance I’ll run the whole 13.1 miles? Of course not! I can tell you right now I don’t even know if I would finish the event if I had to walk it. I’d be too overwhelmed with shame and humiliation being passed by those sweet little old ladies who power walk from start to finish, that I’d pull up at the five mile mark, grab my hamstring and pretend I was hurt!

If I choose to do nothing leading up to the race, I will lose out on the joy of finishing, the joy of seeing my hard work pay off and most importantly, the joy of experiencing the journey leading up to the race.

I know a lot of people who are doing nothing today. They look at others who are crossing the finish line and they wish they had prepared for the race, they see others sharing in an accomplishment and they long to be included. Even more, they get that they don’t have the shared experience everyone else is talking about, and they desperately want to be included. But when it was time to start, they did nothing.

A few years ago as a youth pastor, I led my students on a series of summer mission trips. In back-to-back-to-back weeks, we visited inner city Philadelphia, we worked with a church outside of Eugene, Oregon and then ran a community event in our own town. We talked about these three trips for months and started doing homework and fund raising five months before the trips started.

I had one student who really wanted to go. I met with the family and we talked about him participating in the trips, and I handed them the schedule for our training which included some Bible reading, attending a few training sessions together and several fund raising goals. This young man was excited to go!

A month later, he had not attended any training events (there had been at least one, and maybe two by that time) and had done none of the required fundraising. Two months later the same. At three months, I met with him and his family again, and informed him that he would not be allowed to participate in any of the trips.

He was crushed. His mom pleaded with me to let him go, but he hadn’t done the work, and it would have been unfair to the other team members if he skated free while the others had worked so hard. I also felt like his lack of movement revealed some character issues going on in his heart, so he had to sit this one out.

When our summer trip was over, those that had traveled were changed people. They had bonded together as a team and we had shard experiences that included fun service projects, not-so-fun service projects, long travel days, funny stories, tearful stories, sweet moments of ministry and painful stories of messing up. But all of it combined to make a pretty amazing summer that really drew the team together. But this young man was on the outside looking in because he did nothing when it was time to start preparing.

Most people want to be ready when the time comes for them to experience a truly remarkable moment. Honestly, don’t we all want to be in the right place at the right time when that special thing happens? But the reality is that many people aren’t doing what is necessary in order to be ready when that event happens, or when that relationship is ready to blossom. Instead, they’ve been doing nothing, they’ve not given any real direction for their lives and so they sit idly by while others enjoy the experiences they crave.

Don’t get wrong. I’m not suggesting they are doing “nothing” in a literal sense (although there is that crowd, too!) sometimes these individuals are the busiest people I know. Sometimes they can be so busy living life at a frantic pace that they don’t have time to focus on the goals, dreams and future that they want. They make excuses like, “I don’t have time to....” or “I’m too busy to...” and so on. (Oddly, the most successful Overboard people I know never talk about lacking time or being too busy and they always seem to be in the right place at the right time.)

What are you doing to be in the race today? How are you preparing? When I read the Bible it is so clear that God is looking for men and women who are doing the right thing, who are standing in the right place, who have already entered the race even though they may not know where it’s going. He picks the shepherd boys, not the mighty warriors, to bring down the giants. He chooses the strong and wise women to preserve kingdoms. He picks righteous and faithful old men to start nations. He chose a gracious and humble woman to give birth to the world’s Savior.

David, Deborah, Abraham, Mary -- and the list goes on and on -- weren’t looking to become what God ultimately used them for, but they had started! They had chosen to follow God each day, to stay connected to Him, to be readers and doers of the Word so that when the time came they were ready. When God called them in to action, they had already been practicing and they ran the race set out for them.

I wonder how many warriors watched 13-year-old shepherd boy David kill Goliath, and think, “I wish I had been that brave!” How many women watched Deborah lead Israel to victory and think, “I want to be like her!” David and Deborah weren’t better than anyone else, they were just ready. And if you want to experience the thrill of the Overboard Life, you have to do something to move you out of the boat today!

How is your preparation going? How are you doing in practicing your running today? Are you moving toward something, or are you so busy (or so lazy) that you’re actually doing nothing that will move you closer to your goal of being a better parent or spouse, a more faithful servant or better-prepared teacher? Whatever God-sized dreams and goals you have, the fulfillment of those begins the day you start moving. Dreams become reality when you work on becoming who God wants you to be, so that you can do what He wants you to do. When you get up extra early to spend time with Him and His Word. When you stay up a little extra late to finish the day’s work. When you start using your gifts to serve others and not yourself. When you take a moment to look up from the daily grind and enjoy the world around you. When you stop staring at those who are out of the boat and on the water, and jump out to join them.

I’ve yet to meet the person doing nothing who is happy, fulfilled, overflowing with joy and begging others to join the in their life’s journey and experiences. Quite the contrary. The meanest, saddest, most entitled and selfish people I know are doing nothing. They aren’t even cheering others on in the race, they’re at home angry about the noise that’s disturbing their slumber. I’ve had seasons of my life where I was very busy doing nothing, and I pray that in the second half of my life, I will have many fewer of those moments.

We don’t always know where God will take us while on this wild journey of life. But we do know this: He is working and moving, and He is calling for us to join Him. It’s not about being perfect, but it is about being in process, about growing, trusting, following and serving while stepping into the race. Like Peter in Matthew 14, Jesus is out there on the water inviting us to join Him. Will you be like Peter who had prepared himself for that moment so that he was ready to jump? Or will you be like the other 11 disciples who sat in the boat and watched?

I hope I jump every time. I’d rather fail miserably on the water than live another day, comfortably, doing nothing in the boat. How about you?

37 down, 3 to go!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

The Jaycee Relays and the Boston Marathon

It was a beautiful afternoon at Swegle Elementary School, in Salem, Oregon. Our third grade class headed outside to the track, and prepared for Jaycee Relay time trials. This annual event featured a 100m run in which the top-4 fastest boys and girls were invited to be on a relay team for each grade, representing your school. It was a high honor and third grade was the last year in which I would be given that honor.

When my teacher said “go” I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Mr. Burns laughed hysterically as I crossed the finish line and gave me a childhood nickname, that thankfully, didn’t stick: “Crazy legs Castaneda.” More importantly, though, I had a fast enough time to make the boys team.

On race-day, I was so thankful for that team of runners. I wasn’t the fastest guy on the team (in fact, I’ve never been a very fast runner; always envious of the fast and natural runners around me!) but I knew that with our team we could do well. If we made clean baton handoffs, if we stayed in our lanes and focused on our running and not the runners around us, I knew we had a chance. Our second place finish was testament to the power of team; the power of community.

Now that I’m preparing for my first long-distance run, I’m even more envious of the fast, natural runners. I read Born to Run and I’m not convinced there’s a natural runner residing somewhere in my body, however, I’m committed to learning and making my 1/2 marathon as meaningful as possible.

One of the first people I met who is a true "natural runner" is Evelyn Young. I was the youth pastor at Bethany Baptist in Salem, Oreon when Evelyn and her husband Aaron started attending. It wasn’t long before Traci and I learned about her passion for running. She is a runner. She runs because it’s in her blood. She can’t help herself.

When my wife and I hosted our first 6.21k solstice run, Eveyln came and competed. She took first for the women that year, and then again for three years in a row. She usually jogged from her house, to the park where the race was hosted. She took a few warm up laps around a nearby track, ran the race, then ran it again to “cool down.” She loves running and she has been a source of information, and inspiration, for me as I’ve undertaken a running goal for 2014.

In fact yesterday, Evelyn competed in her first Boston Marathon. You might remember last year’s marathon was tragically ended when a bomb exploded near the finish line. The ensuing car chase, man hunt and eventual shoot-out led to a whole community coming together. Strangers housed strangers to get them off the streets during the chaos. Stories emerged of people serving the medical needs of others even risking their own safety in the unknown aftermath of the first bomb. The event brought people together in such strong fashion, even the Boston Red Sox used it a motivation for their playoff run and world series victory in 2013.

Yesterday, Evey was uniting with thousands of runners who were standing with Boston and with the global community that was a part of the event. These runners were letting evil people know that Boston won’t be deterred, and the community won’t give in to fear.

Community is a powerful weapon against fear. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to make sure you have others in your life who are headed the same direction you are -- others willing to live the Overboard Life with you. We all will face opposition. We all be confronted by real and often dangerous fears, and we will all need the support of others to keep going.

Maybe that’s why the writer of Hebrews uses the “us” and “we” pronouns instead of the “you” and “your” in Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...” If everyone’s race was an individual event, seems like he would have just said, “Since YOU are surrounded...throw off everything that hinders YOU...and fix YOUR eyes on Jesus...” There is power in “us” when we run the race Jesus has set before us.

How strong is your running community? As you think about running your race, I think it’s a great idea for you to have a coach (someone helping you) and a student (someone you can help). And As you strengthen your running community, I think you’ll find your race a whole lot easier to run.

8 down, 32 to go.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Three thoughts about running

By Joe Castaneda I’ve started training for my first 1/2 marathon. When I started 5 weeks ago I didn’t like running. Ok, that’s a bit of an understatement because I once told a guy “I’d almost rather have all four of my wisdom teeth pulled out again, then run for any length of time.” True story. But now, after 25 miles on the treadmill...I still pretty much hate it. Honestly, running just isn’t my thing.

But the discipline of running has helped me learn a few lessons, and for today’s three thoughts for the weekend, I wanted to share what three lessons I’ve learned from running.

1. 

   It’s ok not being able to run as fast as others: I like excelling at what I do. When it comes to running, however, I’m not at the front of the pack compared to my running friends. A few weeks ago my friend Aaron posted on facebook, “It felt good to run for the first time in 9 years [slight exaggeration], and the fact I ran a 5k in under 21 minutes made me feel pretty good. Can’t wait until I get a 5k back under 2 minutes [slight exaggeration].” Some of you running types chuckled at a 21-minute 5k, but Aaron will get that down, mainly because his wife runs a 15-minute 5k [pretty sure that’s NOT an exaggeration!] and he’ll want to keep up. My best 5k so far? I barely ran it in under 11 minutes/mile -- my best 5k was 33 minutes and 59 seconds! Aaron’s wife Evey would have lapped me, then handed me a cup of water at the end of my run after she had run a 10k, painted her toe nails and mowed the lawn while waiting for me to finish. She’s a runner. She loves running. And it’s A-Okay with me! I’m learning that my running isn’t about beating anyone else but me. I’m just working to get out of my own head so I can “run my race” and finish the course in front of me. It’s ok not being able to run as fast as others. My growth will happen as I work to finish the race -- not as I work to beat any particular runner. Aaron and Evey, I guess you’re safe for now!

2. There can still be joy in running: Have I mentioned that I still don’t like running? Even as I write this I’m dreading the fact that I am choosing to work out again tomorrow, and that means another 25-35 minutes on the treadmill. Yea. Here’s a bigger problem -- I don’t have to like running but I can still choose to receive joy from this activity. This is where I can really dislike the Bible, because it reminds me how much choice God has given me in the joy and happiness I experience in life. Most people equate joy with circumstances -- if things are “going good” then they are happy. The Bible however, reminds us that joy is a choice. “Rejoice in the Lord always” said the Apostle Paul, “again I tell you, rejoice.” Joy is a choice not a reaction to my journey. That means when I put myself on the stationary torture device tomorrow, my attitude will have nothing to do with the speed at which I’m running or the ease -- or lack-of-ease -- I’m feeling in my pace. My attitude will be decided long before I step up.

3. 

   Running is challenging my mind to be stronger: Have you ever heard of a “runner’s wall”? It’s the mental barrier a runner has to get through in order to reach their long-distance goals. My wall used to hit me in the first 100 feet of running [NOT an exaggeration!]. Now I can run a mile without straining too much, but from mile 1.5 to 2.5 I hit this mental barrier that slaps me silly every time. It’s almost embarrassing to admit how much I want to quit running during that mile stretch. My feet start complaining, “ouch…running hurts us” and then my calves chime in, “Hey, you feel this strain? You’re not going to be able to use us for walking for a year if you don’t quit RIGHT NOW!” Don’t get me started on my hips, my abs and my lungs -- the higher you go the worse the whining gets. I start out with the desire to run 3 miles and at 1.5 I’m thinking, “Maybe I should just stop now and lie to all my friends about how far I’ve run.” Seriously, I’m pathetic. However, the experience of getting through that wall and choosing to get past my feeble attempts at stopping are powerful tools in my arsenal. Every time I choose to keep going when I want to stop, every time I press on through the discomfort, and every time I choose to go another 1/4 mile and another 1/4 mile and then another 1/4 mile…I give myself confidence for other, non-running barriers, too. Like those days when marriage feels too hard, I’m able to remember what it feels like to kick down a barrier and I can step up my game and press on into my God-given role as a husband. "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church" is much more about choice then about how I'm feeling! Have you ever wanted to just give your kids away and be done parenting? In those moments I need God’s help to be mentally strong, to choose to make good parenting choices even when I’d rather take a shortcut. It’s not easy, but running has helped to strengthen my resolve.

I don’t like running, but I’m thankful for what I’m learning. I want to keep pressing on in this training, because this 1/2 marathon is so much bigger than just a road race. It’s a big metaphor for God’s work in my life in 2014, and every time I step on the treadmill I remember the words of Hebrews 12:1-2, “let us therefore throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” And with those words bouncing around in my head tomorrow, I will keep running my race with joy, even though I’m slower than many, because I know I’m getting stronger.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life -- even running! -- is always better on the water!

Happy 40th, Danny Ray!

by Joe Castaneda Time is a funny thing. Years pass by in what seems like a blink of an eye. And hours can take forever to pass. I’m sure at some point in your life your parents or grandparents or neighbors have said to you, “It just seems like you came home from the hospital  yesterday...” on your 24th birthday! 24 years -- 8,765 days -- can pass like the blink of an eye. But take a visit to the dentist and spend 90 minutes in the chair while the doctor does her work -- time seems to stand still.

No matter how “slow” or “fast” time seems to pass by, one reality is true: it’s moving at the same rate for all of us. Seconds become minutes, minutes turn to hours and days, days march on to weeks and soon become months and years.

During time’s march, there are some interesting markers. The zeroes always seem important: 10, 20, 30, 40 and so on. Each new decade brings with it the opportunity for evaluation, goal setting and course-correction.

This past February 14th, my friend Danny Ray crossed over one of those markers. 14,610 days prior, Danny had been born, and on this Valentine’s Day in 2014 he celebrated 40 years of life. By today’s standards, Danny is crossing the half-way point for life expectancy among American born males. 40 is a big marker.

So how would you celebrate the half way point of your life? Many people like to use these key dates as opportunities for big parties. Some prefer a quit reflection. Danny? He faces these key dates like he does every moment of life -- by challenging himself to be more and more of who God made him to be. This year’s celebration? A 40-mile run on his 40th birthday.

If you know Danny, it won’t surprise you that he took on this challenge. The man that locks himself in water tanks, dodges bullets, screws down the cover of a coffin while lying down in it and literally puts his eye in the path of a rusty old hay hook is prone to big challenges. What might surprise you is how he did it, incorporating 40 of his friends to join him, one on each mile. I had the privilege of “running” mile 34 with him from my home here in Michigan. A friend doing ministry in France also ran with Danny from afar. Many others joined him stride for stride through the streets and hills of Yucaipa. Mile after mile, friendship after friendship, Danny ran, runners prayed together, and the challenge marched on.

As Danny completed his sub 7-hour race, he had a following. People were running with him the last two miles, total strangers were following in cars and honking their support, and facebook was lighting up with messages with #nowaydannyray. Like his stage show, Danny was inspiring others to do more, to take on challenges and ultimately to live life without regret -- without leaving anything behind. This 40 mile run was a powerful metaphor for his life.

Truthfully, I’m not sure Danny realized how much this run was going to affect others. I was thinking about it all day, and while I ran on the treadmill during the early hours of Danny’s run, I was thinking about him, praying for him and praying for the team of people surrounding him. When I logged into facebook I saw prayers going up for him and started to see how much this personal challenge was influencing others:

“Such an honor for [my hubby] to be a part of this milestone celebration for such a dear friend.”

“Super proud of my brother...”

“He made it! What an awesome experience!”

“Congrats Danny! Really inspiring, thanks brother.”

“It truly brought a tear to my eye [a video of Danny of running] to see the family of God in full force! It was an honor being a part of the wee hours of the morning dawn patrol run. So glad so many people got to be a part of this...”

On and on. And the posts didn’t stop the day of the run. Just today, March 4th, I saw this one:

“Partly inspired by Danny’s birthday challenge...I wanted to come up with something different for my birthday...Today marks 30 days until I turn 30. What better way to end my 20’s and kick off my 30’s than to start a 30-day, random acts of kindness challenge?...So from now until my birthday I’m going to perform 30 random acts of kindness, one each day...”

This 40-mile run was bigger than Danny. And that’s why I think it’s the perfect metaphor for his life. I’ve not known many people who intentionally direct their lives toward a bigger-than-life goal like Danny. On the stage, his magic isn’t about you seeing his greatness, it’s about creating some mystery, stirring some inspiration and challenging people to ask the important questions that beg asking. Danny wants you to connect to God, the biggest bigger-than-life you can ever connect with!

I’ve been privileged to know Danny for just a few years now. But I’ve seen the same attention to detail he applies to his magic, be applied to his off-stage life. I’ve watched him create powerful moments for his children to experience personal growth and to see glimpses of God. I’ve learned from him as he has prioritized his marriage, ministered to his extended family, stopped the world to help a friend and taken time to keep his own connection to God going strong.

So I wasn’t surprised by Danny’s run on his birthday. I wasn’t surprised to see the crowds follow and people be honored to share in his journey. I’m not the least surprised that others are following suit and thinking about their next milestones (Danny has impacted my upcoming 40th celebration, too!). The only thing that surprised me in this event? The fact that Danny was surprised that so many other people were watching.

Thanks for leading the way, Danny. Thanks for inspiring us to run further, to join together and to live an extraordinary life of faith in all that we do. This facebook comment maybe sums it up best:

“Today was an extraordinary day. Being part of something bigger than myself was inspiring. Running along side Danny Ray reminded me that supporting others in their endeavors can remind us of the amazing things God is doing in us. Sometimes we are the ones doing great things as others partner with us. Other times we make small contributions that help others achieve their goals. Incredible.”

I’m guessing the magic-man is already thinking about his 50th celebration. Even more, he’s working, planning, dreaming and praying about the second 40 years of his life. Somehow, I am confident that even with all we’ve seen God do in, to and through Danny, that like one of Danny’s mind-blowing performances, God’s greatest reveal is yet to come.

I will be enjoying every moment of the show. Happy 40th my friend.

Go ahead and follow Danny by taking the plunge…life is always better on the water!

Be sure to check out Danny's web site, follow his blog, and see what he is up to at: www.dannyray.tv

When's the last time you ran over 500 miles?

By Joe Castaneda Unless you were born ‘Down Under', my guess is you’ve never heard of Cliff Young. He was an Australian farmer who spent almost his entire life on a farm or ranch. He didn’t acquire a lot of wealth, was prone to giving things away, and he died, unceremoniously in 2003 when cancer got the best of him. There was little to set him apart from the crowd.

But Cliff was anything but ordinary.

In 1983, what was believed to be the world’s toughest ultra marathon was an annual event held in Australia between Sydney and Melbourne. This 875km (543 miles) event took elite runners almost 7 days to complete and many who started failed to finish.

You can imagine the shock on people’s faces when on race day in 1983, a 61-year-old farmer, dressed in overalls and boots, picked up his race number and headed to the starting line. No one took Cliff Young serious or thought he had a chance of finishing the race. In fact, most people were hoping he wouldn’t even begin the event fearful that he would die over the grueling course that lay before him.

Most of the runners there had the same basic strategy. They would get up and run for about 18-hours each day, then they would sleep for 6 and get up and repeat this process until the race was over. However, no one told Cliff about this strategy.

On day one, the elite runners took off and left Cliff in the dust. To no one’s surprise, the old man was at the back of pack, practicing his odd style of shuffling along. He didn’t really “run”, he just kind of shuffled from step to step (“ruffling?”). But when the other runners bedded down for the night, Cliff continued to shuffle across Australia. He did this for two days, and after the first 48 hours of the event, Mr. Young had covered over 200 miles (321km).

Finally, Cliff laid down for a quick nap, and an hour later (yes -- one hour later!) he was back up and “ruffling” along. At the end of day 3, Cliff took the lead and he never looked back.

As you can imagine, local and national news outlets picked up on this story and Cliff did not disappoint. He kept ruffling along, all the way to the finish line, beating his closest opponent by 10 hours! He had broken the previous record by 9 hours and Cliff became an instant Australian sensation.

At the finish line, Young received the winners check of $10,000 -- an award he didn’t even realize was part of the race. Instead of taking it however, he deflected the praise for his work and talked about how much harder the other racers were working. He took the prize money and split it up 5 ways, giving the next five racers each $2,000; he didn’t keep a penny for himself.

In the years to come, Cliff would run crazy distances, all the way up to his 78th birthday in which he completed a 921km race (572 miles). To a man who grew up chasing sheep because his family couldn’t afford a tractor or 4-wheeler, distance was not really a problem for Cliff as a runner. He didn’t have the best “form” or style, but he could run and he could run for days!

Cliff was tough, too. In 1984 he entered the same race, but this time finished 7th. Why the big change from first to seventh? Two main reasons. First, Cliff fought severe shin splints, an injury that would sideline many other runners. But probably a tad more painful was the moment when his hip popped out of socket and he had to pop it back in, in order to stay in the event. I almost pass out just writing that sentence.

Cliff Young was an Aussie icon after the 1983 race. He entered more races, was given cars and prize money (sometimes he was awarded things just for entering the race!) and he always gave his winnings away. In his mind, someone else deserved it more than he. But for 17 years, he just raced, and he raced very well.

Most of his success was found, not in his mechanics, but in his mindset. When asked what his race tactics were the old farmer simply replied, “I run to the finish line.”

That might sum up the Overboard Life more than any other phrase: “Just run to the finish line.” The Apostle Paul, as he was approaching his execution at the hands of Rome, said this to Pastor Timothy: “I have run my race…” How did he do it? He set his eyes on the prize and he ran toward to it with all of his might. He gave up things that were hindering his progress, he sought forgiveness when he slipped up and ran off course, and he pressed on, knowing that progress -- not perfection -- was the goal.

Are you running toward the finish line? Are you aiming your life toward the final goal? Too many of us are running aimlessly, without purpose and without faith. We don't know where we're going, and we're perfectly happy to stay on the path that's comfortable, but leading nowhere. The Overboard Life must be aimed at pleasing God and moving toward Him in faith. It cannot be lived in the comfort of the boat, or in wandering aimlessly on the shore.

You will find your finish line, when you put your trust in God, grab the side of the boat, and take the leap onto the water. Then you can follow the sagely advice of a great Australian farmer: "run to the finish line."

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

For more on Cliff Young, check out this link:

http://paddyupton.com/newsletter/the-remarkable-story-of-cliff-young/