Day 361

This morning I ripped out 7.60 miles. I joined a team for the Ragnar Relay in mid-July and wanted to get an estimate of my 10K pace. I ended up finishing 7 miles in 62:15- just a shade under 9:00 min. miles. That was a nice hard run for me- not grueling, but not jogging either.

Travis the builder overslept and showed up about 40 minutes late. It was actually nice- before I knew it I was lost somewhere in my own mind. I have been reading a book about a Christian man in China named "Brother Yun." This man's experiences are U.N.R.E.A.L. I am reminded that all of us would like to witness a miracle but none of us want to be in a position to NEED a miracle. Brother Yun constantly needed miracles and he constantly experienced them. He's like a modern day Elijah. It's THAT epic.

Travis showed up just as I was beginning to fade. I told myself at the start of my run that with 19.53 miles to go I could hit the 1000 with three runs under 7 miles. I planned to last 6 miles and change and paced myself accordingly. But Travis's encouragement carried me to an unexpected 7.6. It's incredible what encouragement can do.

I'm starting to prep for 2014. I've been talking with lots of kids about goal-setting and how effective goal-setting can help bring about growth. The 1000 is a nice talking point for this topic. I find it important to be able to explain that I am a man who practices what he preaches. I don't live in some ivory tower somewhere- the principles I spread in counseling are the principles that guide my life.

11.93 miles to go. I'll probably break that into 2 seperate runs- but it's nice to know I could knock that distance out in one run if I need to. The end is in sight.