It never rains in Southern California…unless you are running 13 miles- PART 2

The plan was simple – a friend of mine was running a 5k in downtown LA which just happens to be about 13 miles away from my house. The rain drumming on the roof created a perfect melody for sleeping, that coupled with the fact that my bed was extra warm and comfortable made it impossible for me to get up as my alarm sounded at 4:45am….snooze…10 minutes later the alarm sounded again…snooze…alarm…snooze…finally Denise’s elbow in my kidney was just the right amount of encouragement I needed to get out of bed. I dressed slowly in the dark waiting for a valid excuse to skip the run and get back into bed – nothing came to mind, so I set out on my trek to downtown…only 45 minutes behind my scheduled departure time – somehow my mind failed to recognize the fact that I would miss the 5k entirely.



Sidewalks at intersections in California typically slope 5% towards the gutter which slopes back towards the sidewalk 3%, this creates a nice canal for run-off to travel down, so it can get to the drain and eventually to the ocean – as we learned in Nemo – all drains lead to the ocean. These facts are usually of little importance, but on a morning you choose to run in what some Southern California’s would call “a torrential down pour” these simple truths become of paramount importance. The first intersection brought several options – jump over the raging river, go over the river somewhere close to the intersection where the river seem to be at it’s narrowest, or just run through the water and accept the fact that I was going to get wet…I had put ben-gay on my legs the night before and stretched before my run, so I felt limber enough to make the jump…the reflection from the street light seem to go on and on, making me realize I had severally under-estimated the width of the river…SPLASH! Well, that didn’t work out well…in less then half a mile I had to accept the fact that I was completely soaked…12.5 miles to go!



The rest of the run I resigned myself to the fact that just running through the puddles was not going to get me any wetter, so despite odd looks from drivers passing me in the comfort over their cars, I jumped, hopped and maybe once or twice, skipped through the approximately 100 streams I encountered on my run. I arrived in downtown LA 40 minutes after the 5k my friend was running in had started…I know he’s slow, but I don’t think he’s that slow, so I cheered for him…on the inside. I called my wife to pick me up and she was on her way before we even hung up. We planned to meet at an intersection ½ mile up the road. I tried to time her drive in my head so we would arrive at my extraction point at approximately the same time…I sprinted the last block (which for some reason made me feel like I was 10 years old), turned of my iPod and found a good spot for her to park to pick me up...unfortunately LA traffic decided that I would need to wait another ½ an hour. In 13 miles on the streets of Los Angeles I learned that I could indeed run in the rain, that I was an “*@#!(@~! Loco” (as was noted by a man waiting for a bus with his wife), and that jumping over, around and through puddles makes a run go by much faster!

It never rains in Southern California…unless you are running 13 miles. Part 1

The annual rainfall in Los Angeles is typically 15 inches (which usually arrives during the 35 wet days we have a year) and 80% of our days are cloud free. Ideal temperatures and conditions for most outdoor activates…except this past Saturday – I knew trouble was brewing when weather.com said there was 100% chance of rain…this is LA, we never have 100% chance of rain! So, I resigned myself to the fact that I would be running in the rain…besides last years LA marathon was run in the rain, so this would be good “just in-case” training.

I searched the archives in my brain for the rainy day prep I was taught in the Army and married it with the new “I don’t wanna get wet” attitude I had developed in the years since my time in the trenches. So, the plan was simple…I would try to stay as dry as possible for as long as possible, but pick clothes that would not weigh a ton once they did get wet…but I came across the question most fashionistas ask themselves everyday…which shoes should I wear?? My dilemma was more practical than fashion – do I wear the old shoes (250+ miles on them) and risk ruining them, but I was seriously considering those for the marathon…or do I wear the newer ones (less than 100 miles on them) and risk ruining or severally shortening their life? My wife offered no practical advise (sorry dear – “it’s up to you” doesn’t help!) so I did the only think I could think of…eanie meanie minie moe!! Old shoes it is!!

Dancing in the rain?

100% chance of rain during my run tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes...but my expectations are low.

Delusional & Dejected in the LBC

So many things in our lives are centered around numbers…our age, our height, our annual income, the cost of a pound of bacon…all numbers that affect our daily lives in their own special way.  For me, over the next few months all of my running will center around one number…26.2.  Yes, for reasons I still don’t fully understand, I have signed up to run the LA Marathon.  It all happened so quickly…I was strolling through the expo for the Long Beach Marathon (I ran the ½ marathon – report below), my nostrils filled with the scent of new race t-shirts and muscle conditioning spray when I came upon the LA Marathon table.  The nice lady was offering a free t-shirt to everyone that signed up at the expo…WOW!!  Free t-shirt!!!!  So, I turned to my 12 year old daughter…”what do you think, should dad sign up for the LA Marathon?”    “It’s up to you dad…you can if you want to.”   What conviction, what drive...with motivation like that how could I NOT sign up?!?!  So, with one swipe of my credit card my fate was sealed.  On Mach 18^th, 2012 I will attempt to travel 26 miles 385 yards on my legs…I have a feeling I might be a bit delusional – especially considering my Long Beach half marathon performance.

2 hours 30 minutes…2 hour 30 minutes…2 hours 30 minutes…this was my mantra for the first 9 miles of the Long Beach marathon.  The prep was good, I did a shorter long run, but my legs felt good the week before the run and everything seemed to be going ok…staying clear of odd food, drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of rest.  The pre-race was pretty uneventful…and except for the uptight runners yelling at the guy with the dog in the stroller, it was pretty relaxed…considering there were 20,000 people jammed into a tight space.  (Did I happen to mention that running a race with a stroller is a kin to spitting in someone’s face? Just sayin.)  The first five miles went by well…on perfect pace for a 2 hour 30 minute finish…despite the fact that Famous Dave’s decides to start cooking those amazing ribs at 6 a.m…it took every bit of will-power in my body to run past Famous Dave’s without stopping for a quick half rack of baby back ribs.  Then I got to Denise and the girls…Katie jumping up and down, Denise taking pictures and Danielle peeking out from underneath her blanket as I ran by…such a great morale boost!  They almost made me forget I was developing blisters in both my feet. 

Half way mark (6.214 miles) time: 1:08:44 – average pace: 11:28 – perfect pace!  Then it was on to what I had expected to be the toughest part of the run….the 3 miles along the beach bike path…I had imagined a feeling of being in a desert, surrounded by sand, camels and searing heat…in reality, it wasn’t that bad…except for the blisters…oh and I started to feel sick…I really thought that if I stopped I was going to hurl…so the conversation started in my head…maybe getting it over and done with would be better…that was all I could think about for ½ a mile…hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl,.  Unfortunately the increasing pain in my feet made the state of my stomach less urgent…and so it happened…after 9 miles of fairly consistent running, I started walking.   

The next 4.2 miles were wrecked with pain in my feet from the blisters and a decreasing urge to lose the previous night’s dinner plus I was starting to get dizzy.  Not an ideal running physical state.  I could feel 2 hours and 30 minutes slipping out of reach, which only served to further increase the feelings of dejection.   Then like a mirage in the desert, there was the hotel that marks mile 13…I was at mile 11, but I could already see it; or was I imagining it, either way, I decided to use all of my powers of persuasion to force my legs to run through to the finish…instead they rebelled…maybe I should have fed them some ribs at mile 5…2 hours, 43 minutes and 43 seconds after I crossed the start line, I stumbled across the finish line, I got my medal, my banana, water, and the kind of gross coconut water drink knowing that 26.2 miles is technically only twice as long as 13.1 miles, and yet it will require so much more than twice the effort…what have I gotten myself into?!?!        

Running while sober? Preaching with chains.

I am always amazed by the things you see while running...there's the usual...road kill, beer bottles and more cigarette butts than you can count. Every once in a while you run you come across something unique...the credit card sitting in the middle of a parkway, the coyote in the middle of the city and the guy who was trying to help me avoid a RWI (running while intoxicated). During my run Friday night I came across a cyclist that motioned for me to slow down...not that I run that fast, but apparently he had something he needed to share...danger up ahead?...little Jimmy fell in the well?...with a serious face he warns me, "hey man, watch out, the cops have a sobriety check point ahead!". REALY?? Boy was I glad I got the heads up on that one!!

Church today was awesome. Talked about how Peter viewed his imprisonment as an opportunity to expand God's kingdom. His chains were not an obstacle, but instead they were an opportunity to evangelize to the guards. And sure enough...Roman soldiers helped to spread the message of Christ as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire. So what "chains" do we have that God can use?

1st Post

There is just so much going on in my life, so the logical thing to do is to share it with the world!  The blog is called "I run by faith."  Simple explanation...for about 2 years I have been running.  3 half marathons, 1 10-k, and a few 5-k's.  I may not be too much faster than an 80 year old lady on a scooter, but I find running to be very relaxing...in a painful sort of way.  The faith part...well, I'm a deacon in a Lutheran church and I am in the process of becoming a pastor.  So, in addition to work, family and everyday stress, I wonder if I can survive 26.2 miles and I wonder why God can't find someone who isn't as messed up as me to be a pastor...there must be 100 guys more suited to the task...just in my neighborhood!! 

So, that's it...this blog will be about my runs...the pains, blisters and struggles of the road...and the struggles of writing sermons every week,  caring for the people who put up with me every Sunday, and trying to find a way of writing a 3 page autobiography for seminary without sounding cheesy.