One week till Richmond 26.2!

Hi Friends and Family!

Well, time is really winding down now.  I can't believe that it is only one week until the marathon!  Time has gone by quickly!  I've got to admit, my body is going to be really glad when all of this training is over.  What's harder than running 26.2 miles is going through the training that it takes to get there.  The marathon itself only entails some pretty painful leg cramps and a little bit of throwing up afterwards, potentially.  But training for it has its big struggles, in all aspects of life.  Training for a marathon teaches you a lot about life.  There are times when you're running along and everything is going fine.  At other times, it's a really huge struggle.  Some days you can rip like through like it's nothing.  Other days, every step about kills you and it's all you can do not to give up.  But no matter what, you need to keep the end goal in sight.  I have that end goal in sight, and it is just within reach.

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful little niece, Callie.  She is a light and joy to my life.  I wish I could do more for her.  I'm sure that there will be other things to come in the future, other opportunities to help her.  For right now, though, I'm giving her as much support as I can.  I'm including links on this post to the donation website, and to the website for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, an organization dedicated to SMA research.  If you have taken the time to read my blog post, all I ask is that you also take the time to visit these websites, learn more about what SMA is, and how you can help children like Callie.  Please feel free to make a donation if you wish.  My appreciation goes out to you in your effort to support this cause.

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Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

Thank you!

Bumps in the Road

So, when training for a marathon, sticking to your training schedule might not be the easiest thing to do.  And this week was tough.  I scheduled myself to run a total of 40 miles this week.  However, about the middle of the week, I got lazy.  I missed my Wednesday run, I ran 4 miles on Thursday, and on Friday I wanted to get in an 8-mile run, but instead I got busy and didn't end up running ANY miles.  I did a 10-mile run on Saturday, at least.  All in all, I finished the week with 30 miles, which is a heck of a lot more than the average American, but still, I came short of my goal.  I ended the week feeling a little bit discouraged.

This got me thinking about others who try to overcome addictions.  They set goals for themselves, and say they will accomplish them, and for a few weeks, they might do very well.  But then, after a few weeks of doing really awesome, a relapse comes along.  They fall short of a goal; they take a drag of a cigarette, or they go out drinking with some buddies who pressure them into doing it; perhaps they succumb to a peek or two on a pornographic website.  Whatever the addiction, the feeling is the same.  They fall short, and it looks as though they can never get back on track.  What they don't realize is that they have control.  God has given us our freedom to choose what we will do.  That freedom to choose is so crucial - perhaps the most crucial - when we make a mistake and fall short of what he expects of us.  We have two choices when we make a mistake.  We can choose to stay down, and be as a pig rolling around in the mud, and cover ourselves in more and more filthiness; or, alternatively, we can choose to lift ourselves up with the help of our brother, Jesus Christ, and clean ourselves off and return to the path that will lead us to God.

I had a few bumps in the road with my training schedule this past week, it's true.  It got me tripped up a bit.  But I'm not going to let that discourage me.  I know that if I do not pick myself up now, I will not be ready to run the marathon by November 10.  So here I go.  I'm picking myself up.  I woke up this morning, I ran 9 miles like I scheduled myself to do, and I ran them very well.  I'm getting back on track, and I know I can do this!

P.S.  I had a dream about Callie a few nights ago, and it was hilarious!  We were in the Mount Airy chapel, and Aimee was demonstrating how Callie associated the color blue with boys, and the color pink with girls.  She held out a pink cup and said, "Callie, is this a boy cup or a girl cup?"  Callie looked at it and said, "Pink.  GIRL CUP!"  It was cute, everybody laughed, and then we asked, "Callie, is Josh a boy, or a girl?"  She got a mischievous grin on her face and said, "Extra Pink!"  I thought that was so funny, and for a minute I couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality!  I know she's starting the terrible twos, and she might be getting a little clever like that!  Still, she is such a sweet, precious soul.  How blessed we are who know her and have her as a part of our lives.

Callie is the #1 Motivation. Period.

Training for this marathon is really taking dedication.  Lots of it.  It has really been helping me to have a running schedule posted on my refrigerator.  I have not missed a run yet.  I just hope that I can keep this up. I had a really good running experience that I would like to tell about.

          Yesterday (Saturday the 25th) Hannah and I went to the temple in Washington D.C.  We were planning to leave at 9:00 a.m.  I had work until 11:30 the night before, and Saturday is usually the day for my long run.  So, I wanted to get my run done in the morning.  It was 11 miles, and I was going to wake up at 6:00.  Well, you ever have those mornings when you don't wanna wake up when your alarm goes off? (Which for most of us is every morning?) Yesterday was one of those mornings.  I dragged myself out of bed at about 6:30, but by the time I was ready to go on the run it was after 7.  I asked myself, "Is it worth it?"  I debated running 8 miles in the morning instead of 11, and making up the other 3 miles in the evening.  I guessed, however, that we probably  wouldn't be getting back from the temple until dark, by which time it would be too late to go for a run.  I knew Hannah wanted to leave around 9:00, so I didn't want to destroy those plans.  But, I wanted to get my mileage in for the day.  So, I asked Hannah if it would be okay with her if I got back from my run a little later than I planned and we would leave for the temple at a later time.  She said it was okay, so I went for the run.  It was a good run, kinda slow, but good.  

          I got back from my run, and I was telling Hannah about it, and about how if it weren't for Callie being my motivation, I probably wouldn't get up and run.  So I was stretching down, and preparing to get ready for the temple, when all of a sudden Hannah (who is also on a running schedule) said, "Would it be alright if we got a later start to the temple so I can go on my run?"  I said that would be fine, and that I would run with her.  As she was putting on her running shoes, I said to her, "I got to you with talking about Callie, huh?"  Hannah nodded her head yes.  If it weren't for Callie, neither of us would be in this.  I am so glad for such a wonderful motivation to keep going, mile by mile, step by step.  Seriously, any time that I get discouraged and don't want to be in this, I think of Callie, and she makes all the difference in the world to how I feel about running.  I am in this for her, so that one day she, and other children like her to come, might be able to walk.  I love this.

Richmond or Bust!

Hi Everybody!

So, you may or may not know, but my 2-year-old niece Callie has a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which I will not go into detail about, but there is more info about the condition and about Callie on my sister's blog at joshaimeecallie.blogspot.com.  Long story short, Callie is unable to walk, and her chances of being able to walk in the future are slim to none.  It's a pretty deep subject matter to get into, and I only know a little bit about SMA, so as I said, I'm not going to go into detail about it.  But Callie is a precious angel in my life, and always brings such joy and happiness to me whenever I get to see her.  Anyone who meets her will tell you the same.  She is such a darling.

As part of fundraising efforts, my sister's cousin Jessica has been teaming up with Gwendolyn Strong Foundation to raise funds for research for SMA, and as part of this, she is running the 2012 Richmond Marathon in November.  My mother is training for this marathon as well, and so am I!  I am so excited to be training for my second marathon!  It's going to be a mountain climb, that's for sure, but I know that with motivation and dedication, I'll be ready for it in three months.

This will be my second marathon.  I'm a runner, but oftentimes it's hard to feel the motivation to run every day.  Since I returned from my mission, I thought I would be able to get right back on a running routine.  You know, wake up and run every day.  But at that point, I didn't have a purpose... whereas before, I did have a purpose.  I'd be part of a team, or at least I'd have goals that I'd be committed to.  But right after my mission, I didn't see much point.  I'd think to myself, "What's my motive?"  So I'd run, but maybe once every couple of days.  Those of you who are runners know what good that does a guy.  Not much.  This time is different.  What's my motive?  Callie's my motive.  Every day when I think to myself, "Ughhh, I don't wanna run today," or "Ughhh, I don't have time for my run," I think of Callie.  I think how in a few years, she would do anything to be able to run, let alone walk.  So I'm running the miles that she won't be able to.  And it's going to be the most meaningful marathon I'll ever run.

If you would like to donate to SMA research and help out Callie and other kids like her, please click here.