One Week Out

In a week I will be about 1/2 way through the Big Sur Marathon, probably just coming downhill from Hurricane Point (a 2 mile climb of 600 feet). I do believe all marathons are special and teach you something about yourself, but this one, I expect, will be a loss for words experience.

Why? Scenery, location, physical challenge, friends and children.

The scenery is a given, if you have ever driven down Route 1 near Carmel you know what I mean. Only God himself could have dreamed up such spectacular sights. The edge of the US drops into the ocean with force and precision and in turn produces a beautifully assaulting visual.

The general location, northern California, is incredibly special to me. I spent a year there fighting with God, myself, image, expectations, and morality. My brief experience there shaped my mind and heart in ways that I am just beginning to tap into. Following the marathon Bill and I will be spending a day in San Francisco wandering through my past, and then I will spend a day in the city alone, after Bill leaves for Florida. The city used to be my solo playground, where I felt strong and independent. May of 2001 someone stole that from me, and I have not played in the city alone since. Words cannot express how excited I am to return to her, alone and stronger than ever.

The physical challenge of the marathon might seem obvious, we will be running for roughly 5 hours. However, the small summits throughout the course will be challenging mini-goals within the larger goal of crossing the finish line. Now that my body is prepared, I am preparing my mind for those hills. Honestly, I can say that I am hungry for them, absurd as it sounds, after all the talk of how hard it is going to be I just want to scream "BRING IT!". Can't wait.

If I write too much about friends, I believe I will wet down the keyboard. So, I will try to sum it up by saying this: Over the course of 5 days I will finally visit one of my dearest friends since she left Florida for California nearly a year ago, see a Florida angel by the name of Lauren, run a marathon with my priceless friend Megan and a beautiful soul Laura, reconnect with a few cousins who helped me survive my California experience, all of which will be witnessed by my soul mate Bill and heavily cheered by Megan's mother Jean.

Then, there is the children. Specifically those at Tumaini, but children across the globe that are fighting harder then children were supposed to fight. This marathon, while it will be powerful on so many levels, is really just about them. I am ridiculously priveleged, and while I wish I could simply pass that along, I realize that they have things that I will never know or have. Children, if you ever get a chance to read this, know that your beautiful lives leave others speechless and many of us will spend our lives trying to make this world smaller and more connected just for you.