I'm a Runner - Chapter Two

A Moment of Glory

So how did I go from a childhood of negative running experiences to a guy who ran 3.3 miles last evening after a busy day at work just for the fun of it? I mean, if you think about it, they use running for punishment in school. "OK, everybody, just for that, take a lap!"

It happened in a moment of glory. Well, that's maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but my entry into the ranks of "runner" does point back to a singular event that took place in May of 2003.

It was 6:30 a.m. and Laurie and I and our daughter were driving through downtown Indianapolis looking for a parking spot somewhat close to the starting line of the 500 Festival Mini-marathon. This was to be Laurie's first race in twenty years, almost to the day,when she ran a full marathon in Cleveland, Ohio.



We drove through the downtown area, filled with runners dressed in T-shirts of every imagineable color and design, running shorts and shoes, and of course, a race bib with their number on it. It was a crisp morning and there was electricity in the air. There was a sense of something about to happen. Anticipation. Streets were blocked off. Someone was on a PA welcoming runners to the 28th running of the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. There were news helicopters hovering overhead, for crying out loud. Our daughter leaned over the seat and said, "You know mom, I'm kinda proud of you!"


This was a new world to me. I've never been mistaken for an athlete. But there was such energy in the air as 30,000 plus runners came together for a half-marathon and a 5K race that by the end of the day both our daughter and I had determined that we were going to run next year in the 5K race. We had a whole new take on running. It wasn't just something hard that Laurie did all the time any more. As I looked around I saw every age and body type pounding out the miles in a display of athletic exuberance. I wanted to be part of that! This was something that I could do too!

So this then was the beginning of something new for me. Besides being fun to write about, and hopefully to read about as well, the story of my becoming a runner also has a direct connection to my passion for missions. Missions is viewed by many as that odd thing that some Christians do that has little to do with their life. But just like me and running, I think that everyone can find excitement and fulfillment in getting active in missions. But just like discovering running was for me, what I have to say about missions is probably way different than what you might expect, or at least what you've heard in the past.