An Aside

It is not mentioned much on this blog (nor will it be) that I (Kris) compete in triathlons. If you've followed the link on the sidebar to my Janus Charity Challenge page, you will have realized that The Normies are a part of a larger fundraising endeavor for me as I am competing in the 2007 Ironman Coeur d'Alene. I'm racing in it as a method to get the word out about extreme poverty and hunger, and how we have all the resources today to end this plight...if only we had the moral will to do so.

This morning was the Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte. I competed in the relay division, which means that I ran the first half of the marathon (13.1 miles) and two other friends shared the second half. It was bitterly cold out there, reaching record low temperatures in Charlotte for the day. When I begin the half-marathon it was around 25 degrees and by the time I finished it was still below freezing.

The cold weather really made running hurt; I couldn't feel my legs, the sweat coming through my wool cap and upper body clothing was freezing as soon as it reached the surface, and I had to labor to keep everything moving. Around miles 4 through 8 of the course I was asking myself the question, "Why?" I could have been at home sleeping. I could have been warm in thick clothes and drinking coffee. I could have not chosen to compete in these races and live this lifestyle.

Then the thought came to mind: "You are doing this to prepare for the Ironman. You are doing the Ironman to help the world's hungry." That gave me the boost of confidence I needed. The last four miles or so of the course were still difficult, but I was able to lift my head up a little more and improve my pace. In the end, I finished the 13.1 miles in one hour and 39 minutes, which is only nine minutes off my personal best for the distance (which took place in upper 70 degree weather).

I just looked at the results and we (me, Doug, and Patrick) finished 2nd out of 9 men's relay teams. We had a finishing time of 3:26:16. So we still did very well considering the conditions. We are all pleased with the day and we definitely learned from it.

~Make a joyful noise to the Lord