We All Want To Be Somebody

Thomas Merton wrote, “I am finally coming to the realization that my greatest ambition is to be what I already am.” Determining who we ‘really are’ is sometimes an easy task. I know people who have known exactly what they have wanted to do since they were children. However, sometimes, and I would venture to say MOST of the time, it can end up being an excruciatingly long and hard journey of searching within ourselves. If I only had a nickel for every time I have heard someone who is in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, or even older say they are still trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up... I have wrestled with it myself from time to time as I go through different phases of my life. 

I have always considered myself someone who can easily be alone, but as I age (very gracefully I might add) I realize that having healthy habits and  hobbies, and close friendships is what has always enhanced my ability to feel content with where I am and maybe even with WHO I am. As I have moved from place to place most of my new friendships have been born as a direct result of a particular activity I have been involved in. Almost two years ago I found a passion for trail running and once again this pastime has brought some great new friends into my life - you all know who you are. Not only has this new hobby/addiction helped me be more content with where I am in life it has also helped me renew my passion for helping the poor and needy of this world as we have incorporating running into this fundraiser for the Calo Me Lare Orphanage. Many of my new running friends have joined us in this endeavor, and for that reason alone I can say I am absolutely thankful to be able to run.

I have a song on my Ipod 'running' playlist by Thousand Foot Krutch right now that includes this lyric; "We all want to be somebody, we just need a taste of who we are".I have definitely 'tasted' the joy and pain that can result from testing myself on the trails, however, being fairly new to this running game I have not yet allowed myself to declare that I am a “runner”. Maybe that will change if I successfully complete the 100 mile race that I am registered for on March 23rd. And if I finally do proclaim that I am a “runner” I really won’t be asserting anything new. Because even though I didn't run much before April of 2011, I feel as though deep inside I have always been a runner. And as I have applied Merton's philosophy to the bigger picture of LIFE, the lesson I have learned is that I don’t need to try to BE Somebody, I already AM Somebody. Who are You?

--Paul

Operation 100

Jono and I have been pondering new ways to get people excited about donating to the Run To Uganda (RTU) fundraiser. About a month ago I came up with idea that I thought might bring in more donations but it all hinged on getting my nagging foot pain healed up in time to put in some serious training mileage. After a decent week with only minor pain I have decided that “operation 100” is officially a go.

What is Operation 100 you ask? Well, after finding out that my wife and I were going to be having our first child in September I began to think that my long term goal of running a 100 mile race would either have to be scrapped all together or put off for a very long time. For a few months I have planned on running the Prairie Spirit Trail 50 miler on March 23^rd and using it as a good training run for the more difficult and technical Flatrock 101K a month later. But with fundraising in mind we began to think that maybe I should just go ahead and bump up to the 100 miler at Prairie Spirit. Jono could crew for me and pace me the last 30 or so miles and we would run it for the Orphans of Calo Me Lare.

I have imagined that this may possibly be the most difficult thing I will have ever done but every time those thoughts enter my mind I think of the children that Project Hope Worldwide has rescued. Some of these children have had to live in IDP camps after their villages were burned down by the LRA. Most have lost one or both parents to the senseless violence that tore through Uganda. Others have lost parents and siblings to starvation, AIDS, malnutrition, malaria and other horrible misfortunes. As I have contemplated all that these precious, innocent children have been through I realize that no matter how much pain I may have to deal with during the race, I will still never know the pain they have suffered.

So on March 23^rd at 6:00 AM I will set out on a journey to run 100 miles. We are asking you to please consider sponsoring this effort. You could either sponsor me per mile or whatever specific amount is laid on your heart. And to help out, every dollar that you donate will be matched up to $1,000 by me and my wife Casey. This is on top of what we were originally planning to give to the RTU fundraiser this year. I am also in the process of securing at least one other matching partner and if it all works out every dollar that you donate or help us raise will translate into at least three dollars!

We are asking you to please help us spread the word about this project. There are two ways you can donate. (1) There is a blue DONATE NOW button to the right. These donations are processed through Razoo which helps us track all donations easily. The money is sent straight to Project Hope Worldwide and dedicated to the RTU fundraising project. (2) You can also donate on the RTU page on Project Hope Worldwide’s website. It can be found under the GET INVOLVED tab or you can use this link: http://projecthopeworldwide.org/index.cfm?id=61 . If you would like to send a check to Project Hope Worldwide directly please make sure to include Run To Uganda in the memo line.

One last important reminder; All the funds, minus the normal credit card transaction fee, go straight to funding the building of the new school. All carrying costs for RTU have been covered in advance and Project Hope Worldwide has a donor who pays all their admin costs! You can feel good that almost 100% of your money goes directly to building the new school.

Thanks for all your help,

Paul

Operation: INSPIRE

Inspire: to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on

Friends-

I have recently witnessed both of my parents, Lynn & Connie Becker, do things that could only be described as inspiring.  This is not however an abnormal event, because they have have had an inspirational effect on me for the last 38 years.
 

My mother will arrive home from Uganda today.  She has spent the last month traveling throughout Uganda gathering information for the school at Calo Me Lare.  I am inspired by her courage and her passion to help the children. By leaving the comfort of her family and home, and traveling half way around the world, she is helping shape a better future for the children and the nation of Uganda.  However her love and compassion she shows daily is the true inspiration. Mom you are making this world a better place.  INSPIRING!

A couple of weeks ago, I watched my father give an impassioned speech to a group of "Run To Uganda" team members.  During this speech he spoke of his first trip to Uganda.  He described sitting in his hotel room with Dirk Madden, who is one of the founders and current Executive Director of Project Hope Worldwide, and deciding at that moment "we need to do something for the orphans of Uganda."  From that trip and that decision, 64 orphans currently have a home to live in, food to eat, house mothers to love and nurture them, and teachers to educate them.  Once again the inspiration comes not just from founding the orphanage, but from a daily commitment to love and care about others.  Dad you are making this world a better place.  INSPIRING!

The children of Calo Me Lare have not been as fortunate as most of us.  They are true orphans (No Mother or Father).  The normal inspirational influences in their life have died, often tragically and/or violently, as a result of civil war or AIDS.  In most cases this would arouse feelings of anger, fear, and hopelessness.  It is our goal to provide love and compassion, and hopefully inspire the children to make a positive difference in the nation of Uganda.

However; I do not believe you have to travel worldwide to be inspiring.  We have opportunities everyday. In the spirit of keeping it simple I have narrowed it down to 2 important keys.

1. Love and Care About People:  People are very perceptive and are typically able to see true motivations.  Philanthropic acts with selfish motivations are quickly recognized and usually result in distrust. Actions made out of love and compassion are viewed as a sincere investment, and result in a greater amount of influence. 

“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”
― Kalu Ndukwe Kalu 

If you truly love others it will force you to the second key.

2. Take Action:  This does not necessarily mean to quit your job, sell all your belongings, and move across the world to a remote village.  Unless that is what you are called to do.  Taking action could be as simple as helping a neighbor with the groceries, reading a book to your child, volunteering at a local food bank.  These simple acts of kindness may inspire others to do the same, thus the trickle down effect.  I may sound naive, but I believe this is how we change our world.


What will you do to INSPIRE someone today?


Peace,

Jono

P.S.  Thank you Mom and Dad, for 38 years of inspiration.

Ouachita Switchbacks 50K Race Report

BETTER!

A few weeks ago I found out that I wouldn’t be able to run Athens Big Fork (ABF) marathon because I had already committed to Winter Rock 25k on the same day. I love ‘The Rock’ course but I had heard how difficult ABF was and I was craving a “New Years Challenge”. Granted, the Rock is always a challenge but I wanted something new. On the way home from the race, Aaron mentioned that the Ouachita Switchbacks 50k on the 19th would possibly be harder than ABF. For the past 2 ½ months I had planned on running the Switchbacks so, in the words of Barney Stinson, “Challenge accepted”!!!

Yes there is a trail there
Photo courtesy Russell Bennett

The morning of the 19^th was beautiful. The weather had cooperated and a few minutes after 8:00 AM 30-40 runners headed out to tackle what I soon found out would be the toughest course I had ever run. As I normally do, I started with between ½ and ¾ of the runners in front of me and a group of us settled in a pace that I was comfortable with to get warmed up. But once my muscles loosened up I wanted around some people so I could run at the pace my body was telling me was suitable to how I was feeling.

The first section was pretty technical but most of it was still runnable. However, that would soon change. After the aid station at mile 3.75 the trail started heading uphill. This was the beginning of what was essentially a 5 mile climb divided into 2 sections. The first being about 3.5 miles without much relief, followed by a .7 mile drop before heading up the 1.3 mile section of switchbacks that gives the race it’s name. Once we made it to the top we got to turn around and go back our starting point. Now this was going to be the fun and fast part, right? Well, it was easier on the quads but the trail was covered in golf ball to baseball sized loose rocks with sharp, pointy rocks fixed into the ground. These made it difficult to navigate without breaking an ankle, but to top it off there was a layer leaves and pine needles that hid most of those obstacles. And for a little added fun, little thorny vines hung over the trail mostly shin high just waiting to grab on for the ride. So instead of blazing downhill to make up time I had to take it a little easier and focus on getting down with my ankles and knees in their proper alignment.

Aside from a stupid misstep at an easy water crossing leaving both of my feet wet, the trip back to the aid station was pretty uneventful. I still had plenty of gas left in the tank and thought I would cruise on in to the start area. However, I was beginning to remember this next section of the trail being a long downhill section on the way out which would mean another climb was in coming up. My memory was correct and according to my Garmin it was around 1.75 miles of hills followed by technical ups and downs all the way to the parking lot. I ended up speed walking most of the hills and made the 17.9 mile round trip in 3 hours and 55 minutes.

Back at the start line I had some soul searching to do. My feet and knees ached from the rocks, my troubled Achilles was sore and my IT band had flared up at mile 2 and was still annoying me. The Race Director, Tommy Brennan, was there with a big smile on his face and lots of encouragement. I told him that I wasn’t sure if I could run another 13+ miles on trails that were that technical. He assured me that the next out and back section was not near as technical but did have a hill to climb both directions. I decided that I hadn’t come all this way to run 18 miles, so after re-filling water and getting some food down I headed out looking forward to some less technical and more runnable trails.

One of many Road Blocks
Photo courtesy of Russell Bennett

After the first mile I was cussing Tommy. This trail was even more treacherous than the first and I don’t think it was just because I was already a little fatigued. So it was time to break out my secret weapon…Music. I took off my hydration pack while hiking up the almost 2.5 mile hill, took out my phone and ear buds and got ready to see if a little music could get my spirits back up. When I turned on my phone I noticed I had a missed call from my dad. Since I had cell signal I decided to call him back. I needed someone to listen to me bitch and moan a little. After a brief and winded conversation I put on my ear buds and picked up the pace to the music. But it wasn’t long before I felt like I had had enough of the rocks and was contemplating turning around. It was about this time when a verse from a song changed my whole mind-set back to where it needed to be. “In the end, what leaves you broken; In the end…Makes you Better.”

It’s funny how 13 words completely changed my perspective. I was going to tough this thing out all the way to the finish, and more importantly, I was going to do it the way I try to make myself run all my races…With a smile on my face. Persevering was going to MAKE ME BETTER. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally. By the time I hit the TATUR staffed aid station I was whipped but still managed a smile and a positive attitude. It was at this point that I found out I was in 5^th place. I didn’t think there was anyone close behind me so I took it easy on the roughest sections and kept about a 10 minute/mile pace on the runnable areas for the next 1.5 miles to the river and the turnaround.

Photo courtesy of Russell Bennett

I had only been running for about 1 minute after the turnaround when I passed another runner coming at me. It shocked me that he was so close behind so I decided to turn up the speed and do everything I could to not get passed. I tackled the last 2.5 mile hill as hard as I could, running any section that was semi-flat and hiking as fast as I could on the steeper parts. Running between 8:30 to 9:30 miles on the semi-flat areas I made it back to the parking lot with a 31.1 mile total time of 7 hours 33 minutes and still in 5^th place. My Garmin showed 11,400 feet of elevation gain for the race. Donovan, who I rode to the race with, and Russell were there to cheer me in. All but 9 starters decided that the first 17.9 miles was where they would end their run, and almost all of them had already gone home so there was no celebrating or after party for me. Just a quick bowl of chili, half a beer and the 3.5 hour drive home. Now it’s a day later and my muscles ache, it’s hard to get up off the couch, and my walk with the dog was more like a shuffle, but, in the end…It made me BETTER!

Kids Know How to Run

Friends-

All of us started running for different reasons, but my guess is "Fun" was probably not at the top of the list. Then you began to plan future races or to meet a weight loss goal and you developed your training plans to reach them.  You began to learn about all of the stuff  that will make you a better runner, if not, at least make you look good.  At some point you caught "The Bug" and running actually became enjoyable or maybe even FUN. 

BUT then the novelty wears off.  You may have finished your big race or you are fighting injury.  You find out all of the running stuff you acquired (shoes, clothes, compression socks, garmin watches, sunglasses, and hats) not only don't make you run a lot faster, but may just be a burden. And then you have the sudden realization, "This is not fun anymore".  This is part of the natural progression of any activity.  It is a great chance to sit back and ask yourself  "What value does this bring to my life?  Why do I run?  Is it to stay in shape?  Show off?  Compete? Have Fun?"

I love to run, but I go through these difficult phases as well. When I initially started running distance, I fought a lot of injuries and pain.  I began to study running technique to help prevent injury.  One day as I followed my kids running barefoot around the block,  I thought, "WOW that is perfect running form."  They are light on their feet and their small pitter patter strides create little impact on their feet and legs.  It is our natural stride that has not been influenced by so called experts and heavily cushioned running shoes.  I also learned a much more important lesson from watching them. They are not concerned with future races, lap times, or looking good.  They do it because it is FUN!  

So if you are experiencing some running doldrums or battling injury, go watch your kids run.  It is a great reset button.  Not only will you get a great lesson in form, but you will get a perspective only kids can show us.  Running should be fun and so should life.  Maybe the best thing we can learn from our kids is not how to run but how to live.  How to have fun and enjoy work, family, missions, exercise, etc...   

"Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares."

- Jim Fixx

Peace,

Jono

All I WANT For Christmas!

Preface:

I don't know if it is proper to use a preface for a blog, but hopefully you will understand my intended application once you read it. 

The idea for this blog originally came to me Tuesday during my Business Ethics class (Sorry Mr. Nelms).  I quickly wrote the main points with the intention of finishing Saturday morning.  This morning when I got up to write, the tragedy that occurred in Connecticut was really sinking in.  I had a house full of 5 children, and the realization that there are no promises in life brought me to tears.  Suddenly the accusatory tone of this blog didn't feel right.  Don't all parents want to do everything they can to make their children as happy as possible.  

I told my 11 year old daughter, Marlee, I was not going to post the blog, but asked her to read it anyway.  After reading it she told me I should post it.  So after some deliberation, I have decided to post.    

My motive is never to be inconsiderate, but only to make us question the "Status Quo".  What if the greatest gift we give our children is an understanding of truly caring about other people.  What it means to make sacrifices so that other's needs are met.

All I WANT for Christmas!

If your family is like mine, you start preparing your Christmas list shortly after you take down your Halloween decorations. After all, it takes a lot of planning to spend the $854 that the average American plans to spend on Christmas this year(1). Next we have to decide how to dispose of the extra 2,000,000,000 pounds of trash we created over the holidays(2).  WHAT?????

What do we really need to have a "Merry Christmas"?  Is it the "stuff" that brings you joy.

Go look in your kid's closet.  I know if it is like ours, we struggle to find a place for all of the toys.  Look in your own closet.  Are you constantly running out of hangers for all of your clothes?  What about your desk?  Is it difficult to find a place to plug in all of your electronic toys?  Now imagine an orphan's closet.  If they even have a closet, do you think they look in it after Christmas and try to determine where all of their new stuff will go.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the holiday season.  I just think we could feel the same amount of joy, by using all of these resources to make a much larger impact on our world.  So I ask you: "What value does the exchanging of gifts bring you?"

I challenge you to do 3 things this holiday season:

1)  Spend quality time with the people you love.  Find ways to show them how much you care without spending $854 on gifts.

2)  Look for ways to reduce a portion of the extra 2,000,000,000 pounds of trash.

3)  Consider what kind of impact you could make by taking just a portion of that $854, and donating it to someone who truly needs it.

YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

Peace,

Jono      

(1) http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/16/news/economy/holiday_trash/index.htm 

(2) http://americanresearchgroup.com/holiday/

100 Push-Ups

Friends-

Our one year adventure has begun, and the realization of our task is setting in.  We have a tremendous team, who  I am confident will complete the 8,225 miles to Uganda and raise the $50,000 needed to build the school.  However, after driving Route 66 recently on a trip back from OKC, I began to question my ability to run 125 miles in 3 days (3 ultras in 3 days).  

My original plan was to complete the Route 66 marathon, and then begin rebuilding a strong foundation balancing my running miles with regular yoga, swimming, and gym workouts.  However the truth is between family, work, school, running, and volunteer work, the extra workouts are not always realistic. I have spent the last couple of weeks looking at different options and schedules and have yet to begin any new workouts.  My running has even suffered.  As I was trying to determine what my routine would look like over the next couple of months, I heard my least favorite quote from my former boss, "Becker, you have analysis paralysis".  It reminded me, Sometimes you just have to start with something.

So, remembering one of the themes of this year's journey (minimalism), I determined I would begin my extra workouts with push ups.  One of the reasons I was drawn to running was its simplicity.  All I need is a pair of shoes, shorts, and some open space, and I am good.  There is no extra time or financial requirement of going to the gym.  The same applies to push ups.  They are an efficient work out, and when done properly they work the entire body. My goal is to work up to 100 push-ups per day.

Every journey starts with one step, "The First Step". This year is not only about transforming the lives of orphans, but also transforming all of our lives.  My goal is to transform my own life, and one goal is to take action.  To take that "First Step".  A goal of 100 push ups per day may sound like a small goal, but it is a "first step".  What "first step" are you going to be willing to take?

Peace,

Jono