Reflection: Marine Corps Marathon 2016

After two full and amazing days sharing Nuru’s story with folks at the expo, I had the privilege of lining up with about 30,000 other runners from around the world to run my fourth Marine Corps Marathon.

This time was really different for me. I had not trained as diligently as I had in previous years, and I had a couple of injuries during the summer. Not only that, but this was the first time I ran the Marine Corps Marathon without Jamie there with me. She was of course busy caring for Sylvia, so I thought this year I would be running for all three of us. This was my first Marine Corps Marathon as a father too.

Thankfully I was at least able to start the race with my good friend JR Pittman. He decided to run for Nuru with me this year, and we had a great run during the first half of the race, and then my lack of training at longer distances began to catch up with me. I made it about eighteen miles before I started cramping up, and I think that was about the same time the sun came out, and the temperature began to shoot upward a little more quickly. Even with the heat, the fatigue, and the cramping, I am so glad I persevered through it.

When I think about all of the runners who have joined me in running to help Nuru fight extreme poverty, I get a little emotional. Thirty thousand people run this race each year, and I’ve been so grateful that slightly under 100 of them have run with Team Nuru. And, I think about all that each one of us gets out of the deal. Not only are we helping others half way around the world, but we are also making ourselves better in the process.

A lesson I learned from my first Marine Corps Marathon in 2013 was that the training and the race provide a great tool for exercising self-discipline, long-term planning, and working toward a larger goal. I’ve been able to translate those same attributes into many other areas of my life, and I can’t help but think that they will help me be a better father and a better husband too.

When I crossed the finish line, I took a few seconds to express my gratitude for finishing the race. I also took a few seconds to pose for a starjump in honor of Jamie since she wasn’t there with me this year.

As the miles began to add up, I remember two distinct voices in the crowd (other than the ones offering hot dogs, beverages, and gummy bears). There was a little girl around mile 17 and a little boy around mile 22. They were probably each around six years of age. The little girl yelled out as I went by, “Keep going, you can do it!” and the little boy yelled, “Don’t ever give up, keep going!” And for some reason, amid all of the various cheers and shouts, the words of these two children yelling with all they could muster made their way into my heart, and my eyes teared a little. Their words of encouragement are what we all need to remember, no matter what the challenge is we are going through.

There is at least One Voice out there that believes the absolute best for each of us, and if we are attentive we can single it out above all of the noise. And, as we apply discipline to our lives and accomplish challenging goals, we become more and more attuned to that voice. May we each keep running and keep our ears tuned in for that Voice.

Our First Road Trip With Sylvia

After an incredibly action-packed first few days, Jamie, Sylvia, and myself loaded up into the Nuru van for our first road trip! As a result of the generous support of a Nuru donor, we were headed to Washington DC to set up a booth for the 41^st Marine Corps Marathon Expo.

Thanks to some guidance given by one of the nurses at Mon General, we were able to get Sylvia situated pretty quickly in the vehicle. And as we pulled out of the driveway, we quickly made a discovery. It appears Sylvia really enjoys the open road. She rested peacefully as we introduced her to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. (To be fair, she had been to these places before, but this was her first time outside the womb).

As we pulled into the convention center at National Harbor a light rain that had persisted through the day began to lift. Jamie and Sylvia made their way out for a walk, and I began unloading banners, tshirts, and other cool Nuru International signage so we could make our presence known for the first time at the Expo. This year marked our fourth year having a team run for Nuru, and since Nuru’s CEO was a Force Recon Marine, it only made sense to have representation at the Expo.

The setup went fairly quick and we were able to get settled in with some good friends in the area, and we had an incredible team of volunteers join us at the booth including current USNA MIDN, and one of Jake’s old roommates from USNA as well as folks who have been part of Nuru from our earliest efforts!

Sylvia and Jamie came down to do some quality inspection of the booth, and after their approval, I knew we were prepared for the opening of the expo. It is incredible that we get to do so much of this stuff together, and I’m in awe of this young lady’s ability to travel so quickly.

Reflection: 2016 Olympic Games

Citius. Altius. Fortius. I remember first hearing these three words in a movie I watched about running legend Steve Prefontaine roughly 15 years ago. The narrator of the movie, who was also playing the role of Bill Bowerman (founder of Nike) in the film, stated that these words were the motto/mantra of the ancient Olympic games. They mean “Faster, higher, stronger,” and again the narrator reminded viewers that it does not say faster higher and stronger than others, just faster, higher, stronger. 

When I think about this mantra I find myself inspired. To me it is a reminder to not be satisfied with the status quo, to not become complacent, to not settle into mediocrity. It is a reminder to daily press forward and to bring my very best into every arena in life. And we celebrate this mantra every four years by bringing some of the most incredible athletes in the world together to compete, and to celebrate the fact that they have daily pushed themselves to bring their very best into a global arena.

For me, every day of the Olympics is filled with inspiration. Whether it is from watching Usain Bolt continue to excel as the fastest man in the world, watching Michael Phelps add to his medal total, celebrating Simone Manuel, Maya Dirado and others earn their first, or smiling as a West Virginian and WVU student earned the first gold medal, these events make me want to bring out my very best as well. Adding to the inspiration is the thought that this year for the first time there is a refugee team. Often forgotten by the rest of the world, these athletes remind us that regardless of our circumstances, we are all capable of pushing through to bring our very best to the world around us. And if these stories are not enough, I am amazed at what technology has brought into these Olympics. The silver medalist in javelin is a Kenyan who learned and refined his skill from watching YouTube videos. 

In the first Olympic games I can remember watching, fellow West Virginian Mary Lou Retton shocked and captivated the world with her gold medal performance. While it was amazing to watch, at the time my aspirations for life really didn’t expand beyond my zip code. I wanted to be a better student, and a better human being, but how that would translate to how I lived my life did not take shape for me until much later. Now, in these Olympics, there is actually a website to connect aspiring future Olympians to pursue their dreams and get connected to an Olympic sports program. Now, the learning journey is just a click away.

But for most of us in the world, the closest we will come to the games is a television or radio broadcast. We will watch and listen intently and cheer for athletes from our home country, athletes who have won our hearts and respect, and/or the entire field of competition for the milestones and benchmarks they have achieved. How can we bring this Olympic fire into our own hearts, into our own communities, and into our own families? 

I believe the answer is in the Olympic mantra, citius, altius, fortius. If we can hold off looking to our right and left to see how we are competing with others, and focus on the interior competition, I believe we can see greatness blossom. Too often, each one of us are plagued with self-doubt, with wounds from the past, and with fear of failure, and so we never really bring our best. What would happen if each one of us brought forth our best effort each day into each area of our lives? Of course I know there will be days that each of us falter, days in which we do not bring our best, and days in which our best is not quite as good as the day before, but that just gives us an opportunity to practice resilience, to dust ourselves off, and to push forward again like Mo Farah in the 10,000 meter race for the gold.

During the Olympic season, and indeed during every season, may we each strive to bring our very best effort and our best selves to the world around us so that we can look back at the end of the day and say that we gave it our all, and left nothing back.

Hiking In Acadia Part Two: The Day We Hiked Our Faces Off

After a rip-roaring start to our first day of hiking in Acadia, we had decided that day two would be an attempt to explore as much of the park as we possibly could. We were due for 7.5 miles running as part of our training for Team Nuru International's Marine Corps Marathon exploits this fall, but we wanted to get some hiking in before our run. So we started on a fairly smooth and textured Ocean Path en route to Thunder Hole, but something about the path was just a little unappealing. It was a gravel path, and at least for the first few hundred feet it ran alongside a very busy stretch of road. We decided to backtrack and took another trail that took us along a small peninsula on the far side of Sandy Beach.

We looped around that trail and found a little rocky hideaway that I quickly became our favorite spot in the park. We enjoyed it so much that it became our place of rest and refreshment all of the remaining days we were in the park, but on this day, it was simply discovered and noted for a later time for further exploration.

After our first major hike of the day, we thought it was an appropriate time to venture toward Jordan Ponds House for some lunch including popovers-an interesting take on a roll that was pretty delicious! As we looked over the lunchtime fare, we decided on a buffalo meatloaf sandwich, and we were not disappointed. But we were pretty full, so we thought this was no time to think about going for a run. Instead we walked off the meal on a three mile hike around Jordan Pond Trail.

From there, we felt like we were ready, so we made a wardrobe change and donned our running threads. We made our way to Eagle Lake. It was a six mile loop, so we started thinking about creative ways to get extra mileage in. Where we landed was two different places on the mileage. Jamie made the statement that she was content with a little over six miles for her run since we had walked so many miles already, and that she wanted to run it easy. I decided the opposite, I wanted to run the distance a little harder, and try to push myself a little farther.

So we started the loop, and every couple of minutes, I would loop back to check on Jamie, and then dart forward again. In my mind, I wanted to push my pace, push my distance, and attempt to increase my steps per minute. The loop around Eagle Lake was a carriage road so it was graveled and even.  After our run we both felt energized and content. We finished together by walking up a connector road to our car and decided that we would call it a day after our run, order take-out, and make our way back to our room for rest and recovery. We logged about 19 miles that day!

Thinking back to it, there was something refreshing and enticing for each of us as we took different paths to push ourselves along trails both walking and running. It was as though the very wilderness was imbuing us with energy as we made our way along loops. I believe that as a result of our time, we are likely to incorporate more outdoor time into our weekly rhythms, and I hope that no matter where you live, your schedule affords you opportunity to do the same!

Clara Grandt Santucci Set To Compete In 2016 US Olympic Trials

Back in December last year, I wrote this post about fellow West Virginia native Clara Grandt Santucci. I felt like it was worthwhile to write another post and share the video below that was produced by Pikewood Creative in Morgantown, because Clara's story is one that all of us from the hills of West Virginia can be proud of. We need to be sharing these good stories more often in our world, and it has been encouraging to see my hometown TV station WTAP share a two part series about Clara as well.



Saturday, February 13 at 1:22PM EST, Clara will be running with 200 top marathon competitors in the 2016 US Olympic Trials, and this race will be broadcast on NBC, and personally, I'm incredibly excited and hopeful for her. From what I know of her, she is an very humble lady who is extremely dedicated to bringing her best to all that she does. She is a woman of deep faith and commitment, and she has been fiercely training and persevering toward this long term goal for the last four years.

Jamie and I have been sharing her story with everyone we know and encouraging them to tune in for the race on Saturday. Jamie can remember running track in high school against Clara (they went to different schools), and Jamie said, "Everybody knew that Clara would win the races in which she competed, and it didn't matter what school you went to, everybody wanted to see her win too--she was just that kind of person--even at a young age."

I want to encourage you to tune in and cheer her on Saturday afternoon, and if you live near the site of the marathon trials in Los Angeles, whether you are a native West Virginian or not (but especially if you are a West Virginian), get out there and cheer Clara on toward her Olympic dream!

Let's go Clara!!! You have already made us incredibly proud, but keep going!!!

Review: Mental Training For Runners, How To Stay Motivated By Jeff Galloway

Last fall, while visiting the Marine Corps Marathon Expo, I had the privilege of meeting former Olympian Jeff Galloway. During my time at Mylan Pharmaceuticals, my weight first crossed over the 200 pound mark. When it happened, I decided I needed to take decisive action. I changed my eating habits, and I started moving (walking/running). At the time Mylan had this walking/running program called the Mylan Milers program. The program was based on the honor system, and encouraged participants to develop a lifestyle of walking/running. There were incentives for achieving 100 (t-shirt), 500 (sweatshirt), and 1,000 (track suit) miles. I decided that I would attempt to move 1000 miles over the course of a year. The year was 1999.

As I started walking and running my way to 1000 miles (I ended at 1,013 that year), I started to get interested in running. At the time there didn't seem to be many books on the subject. (Contrast that today where there seems to be new books and theories coming out every week.) It was back in that time that I discovered Jeff Galloway's Book On Running (one of the best books I've read on the subject). So Jeff Galloway in some ways had served as a coach and a mentor for me in my running life. Although I took a several year hiatus from running, when I picked back up and started training for MCM, I looked to Coach Galloway for advice.

I've been thinking a lot lately about resilience and mental toughness. How do people persevere through hardships of different types and keep going? What is it that helps them to stay focused and motivated. When I saw Mental Training For Runners I had to read what Coach Galloway had to say. I actually ended up reading it during a cross-country flight earlier this year. It is not a long book, but it is well organized and easy to read.

The book is well researched, and rather than jumping straight into the fix, Coach Galloway starts by laying out a few reasons why we may feel unmotivated. He then goes through various ways we can develop mental plans of attack for each of these situations. The irony of the lack of motivation is that there are so many proven healthful benefits to our mind AND body that come from running. As Coach writes, "A gentle paced run activates the attitude-boosting hormones that can instantly transmit good feelings through your body. Within a few minutes, you feel better, more relaxed, have more energy and experience the powerful internal confidence that comes when the body and spirit are working as a team."

One of the best parts of this book is that this Olympic runner shared the fact that as a kid he was overweight and lazy, and that he was able to turn all of this around to become one of the greatest runners in the world. To me, that's inspiration. To know that someone who was once overweight could turn it all around.

Here are just a few of the tactics shared in the book. I won't write em all, but I do recommend the book to anyone who is wrestling with staying motivated and moving whether as a runner, a walker, or just someone trying to move forward with life goals.

1) Smile. This simple act can help you overcome negative thought patterns and change your demeanor and focus.

2) Focus on the positive benefits of the task you are about to (or are currently doing). What will be the result of me achieving this goal?

3) Your reflex brain will start talking to you when your body or mind start to feel stressed. It will work to tell you to slow down, stop, or quit. When it happens, acknowledge it, and speak into it. Laugh and tell it who is boss and keep pushing toward your goal.

4) Concentrate on one challenge at a time. Don't worry about everything all at once.

Whether you read the book or not, may you persevere in bringing your best to whatever you are seeking to accomplish, and may you hone your own mental toughness to persevere through the hard situations you find yourself in!

Reflection: Running And Community

While attending the Nuru all-staff summit I had the opportunity to run together with some of my co-workers/teammates at Nuru. Typically when I go running, its either with Jamie or by myself (most of the time with Jamie though). I knew that there were a few fellow team members who cultivated a habit of running, and so I thought I'd invite them to explore an area I discovered on my first day of the summit. We were able to get out a couple of days during the week until I sprained an ankle, and at the very least, ended my own runs. I really enjoyed these community runs for a few reasons.

1) I knew that we were going to have some long and full days at the summit, and that all of us who were able/willing would benefit greatly from an opportunity to move and to sweat.

2) Running together, helped each of us to have a rhythm that didn't push anyone too hard, but ensured that we each had a good workout.

3) We had some great conversations about work and life that likely would never have happened during the normal rhythm of the week.

4) I was able to get to know some of my teammates better, and that puts me in a better position to support them as together we work to take more ground in the fight to end extreme poverty.

5) Knowing that there were other people who were going to run/workout with me helped me stay motivated to get out there.

Are you starting a walking/running/workout endeavor? Find a group of friends or coworkers to do it with, keep each other motivated, and keep moving forward. May we each find people in our lives who will help us bring our best each day!

Reflection: My 2016 Goals Part One

Every year, as the year winds to an end, I carve out time to take a look over the previous year and consider goals and plans for the year ahead. Over the years, as I've taken time to do this, I notice that my goals are not so much resolutions as they are an opportunity to go deeper on the things I value highly. The year end/beginning is a time for me to do a checkup on my life and recalibrate and refocus for the present and future. I don't necessarily try to come up with ten goals each year, but it seems like that has become the average for me. And what I have found is that the goals themselves may appear somewhat nebulous or abstract, but the pathway to achievement is always found in concrete steps.  As I share these goals, I hope you will take time to encourage me through the year, and, that you will take time to set your own goals and plans for 2016.

Cultivate my relationship with God. For me, it is as simple as this. Because my relationship with God is my anchor, my compass, and my lighthouse, this needs to take precedence over any other activity. That means that it needs to come first in my day, and that I need to daily start by connecting with God by taking time to listen, to pray, to read scriptures, and to cultivate spiritual disciplines. This goal helps me stay attended and aligned daily with my ultimate purpose, to be with Christ, become more like Christ, and to live more fully for Christ.

Pursue physical fitness and become physically stronger than I have ever been. I need to move. Barring injury, I plan to dedicate 30-60 minutes per day to movement of some type. If that means walking, I'll walk for at least 30 minutes. I am actually conspiring with a small group of friends to start doing some early morning/pre-dawn bootcamp style workouts in Morgantown. While a group of us have been talking about this for about a year, I need to give a shoutout to my good friend Stephen Beckwith and his friends at F3Nation for helping to give shape to this plan. This year, Jamie and I are already thinking through our training plan for Marine Corps Marathon and hopeful that Nuru International will be able to be a charity partner again.

Maintain a positive mindset. Again, this is a goal that is best worked out with a daily routine. That daily routine is simple. Aside from devotional activities and fitness, I have found that one of the most powerful contributors to a positive mental outlook, resilience, and tenacity is a sense of gratitude. Each morning, I commit myself to take a few moments to reflect on one or more things for which I am grateful. And when the events of the day seem like an onslaught of catastrophe, I am committing my mind to find the silver lining. I've noticed that it is just to easy for myself and for others to dwell on the negative. I don't want to ignore problems when they arise, but I do want to buffer myself against allowing a negative thought to spiral out of control and distort reality.

Write, read, and reflect. Every day, I will find time to write, read, and/or reflect. Every day is special and there really are no "ordinary moments" so I want to carve time to savor moments. I'm committed to blogging an average of at least once per week over the course of 2016. For inspiration, I am drawing on the encouragement I found last year from my friend and coworker at Nuru, Thomas Hong. I want to enjoy, savor, and learn from each day, and to do that, I need to be mindful and intentional about it.

Get outside. These days, it seems like more and more of our time is spent inside. Growing up, inside was probably among the last places you would find me and most of my friends while it was daylight. We were outside playing basketball, jumping rope, hiking, fishing, or pursuing the adventure of the day. This year, I want to spend at least 30 minutes per day outside. Of course there will be some days that won't afford this opportunity, but when possible, I want to go beyond the 30 minute goal. I want to soak in the sun and of course Jamie and I will be planning to plant a small garden again--planting and maintaining a garden on one's property is practically a guarantee to be outside. Just as much as it is important to get outside and enjoy creation, there's a valuable relationship with our food that most of us are losing because we've never grown it ourselves.

I'll share the rest of my top top goals in a future post, but in the meantime, I want to encourage you to consider (if you haven't already), what are your goals for 2016? Personally, I'm looking forward to a lot of growth this year! (And may none of us ever stop doing looking forward and growing!)

Reflection: Running And Solitude

A few weeks ago, I traveled solo to the annual Nuru All-Staff Summit in Costa Mesa, California. Most of the time I get the privilege of traveling with Jamie, but on this occasion, we felt like it would be better to save money for an upcoming fifth anniversary vacation, and also allow her to support her team better at Healthworks. btw did you know that one of her coworkers (another fellow West Virginian) is training to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon team? You can read/watch her story here and help support her efforts!

Any time I travel westward, my internal clock has me wake up really early, and this was no exception. What was fantastic about the early wakeup was that it allowed me an opportunity to continue to apply some of the habits I had been cultivating late in 2015. I woke up, I read the Bible and prayed, and I began a little personal fitness. As I started, I thought, "I wonder how far I am from water?", took a look at a map, and realized that I was less than two miles from Newport Beach's Back Bay and Nature Reserve. So I decided to get out the door and get moving.

The first part of my run was anything but quiet. I was running along six lane roadways as people were beginning their early morning commute in LA. Within the first few minutes, I also ran past a cross fit gym. This was somewhat comical because there were people coming out of the gym to do a quarter mile run as part of their workouts. The folks I saw each gave me a somewhat puzzled look that was a mixture of "Great job! Keep at it!" and "I don't remember seeing you in the gym this morning, who are you?"

As I pressed onward past the traffic and the crossfitters, I made my way to the Back Bay. This was my Monday morning fortress of solitude. My run was my intentional space for reflection and contemplation. I watched as birds flew across the bay, and greeted the occasional walker, runner, or other fitness afficionado. And simply kept going. I had run through the Western edge of the bay along a dirt path and into a neighborhood. There was something meditative about the rhythm of my run, my breath, and the slow rise of the sun across the bay.

Running in solitude allowed me space for a few things that day. And as I think about it, offers us a space for these things each time we go.

1) It gave me an opportunity to test my intentions and resolve. No one would know if I took the day off. But I would know. Running alone gave me the ability to know that I can stick with a goal even if I'm the only person going toward it.

2) It presented me an opportunity to practice gratitude. My mind was filled with joy and my heart with gratitude as I looked upon the bay and thought about the fact that this incredible gift was just a few yards from the place where I was staying, and that by getting out the door, I could appreciate the world around me even more.

3) It it gave me a mental space to prepare for the day/week ahead. I knew that the day and week would be full, and activities would likely not end formally until 9-10PM. It was the start of the day and week. I wanted to bring my best. This run in solitude gave me a space to prepare for my time with my team.

4) It made a big and busy space seem smaller and more intimate. Here I was in one of the most densely populated areas of the United States, and I was able to find a park in the early morning that was quiet, expansive, not clothed in the same busyness and fast pace that seems to comprise much of a major metropolitan area.

If you run or pursue fitness in some way, my hope for you is that you can carve out some space for a workout in solitude where it is just you and the trail beneath your feet, and that you experience refreshment along that journey.

Help Clara Grandt Santucci Make WV Proud!!!

This morning, thanks to a social media post from Tony Caridi, Jamie and I learned about the video at the top of this post that was created by Pikewood Creative. The video tells the story of one of Jamie's coworkers, an incredible West Virginian named Clara Grandt Santucci. Clara grew up in Doddridge County, and Jamie can remember running against her in middle school and high school--in some ways they have been connected to each other for most of their lives. But I would say that their friendship has blossomed during the time they have worked together at Healthworks. I've had the distinct blessing of being able to connect with Clara a handful of times, and probably the thing that has stood out most to me is her humility.

For the last two years, she has WON the Pittsburgh Marathon (which is pretty cool because she's also a pretty big Pirates fan). She competed against some of the best in the world during that race and she came out on top. She's humble, but she is also tenacious. And personally those are two of my favorite qualities in any human being. I enjoy stories of people who are genuine, authentic, and relentless as well, and from all I can gather Clara is very bit those things. To me, she embodies some of the best character qualities of people from our state, and she is as committed to her faith as she is to training as an elite athlete.

She has created a Go Fund Me page to raise funds to help her get to the Olympic Trials this year so she can compete in the 2016 Olympic games for Team USA. A law office in the southern part of our state has committed to matching every contribution up to $2,500 to get help her get there. Personally, I know Jamie and I are going to help at some level, but we just need to determine the amount. When I watched her video earlier, I was inspired, and it thrills me to know that one of our fellow Mountaineers will be able to represent our great state on a global stage once she finishes in the top three runners during the 2016 Olympic Games.

Will you help spread the word about Clara and her quest to represent West Virginia and the United States of America in the Olympics? Thanks so much!

And Clara, we will all be cheering you on back here in Almost Heaven! Make us proud!!!

Reflection: Marine Corps Marathon 2015

Last month, Jamie and I joined over 30,000 runners from around the world to run the 40th Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. We were part of a team that has run the marathon to raise funds and awareness for Nuru International over the last three years. Each year, on the afternoon before the race, we gather with runners from Team Nuru to share some laughs, tell our stories, and a little bit of the transformation taking place on the other side of the world as a result of our combined efforts. We also take a moment to grab a team photo. Not everyone can make it, but for me and Jamie this has been one of the high points leading up to the race. There's something powerful about seeing people come from all over the country (but especially West Virginia) not only because of a shared commitment to run a long distance, but also because of a desire to be part of making the world a better place. And this year, we had a couple of interesting additions. We had a second married couple run as well as a father and son duo. And one guy raised money for Nuru by selling sponsorships for his race shirt. Donate a certain amount, and he would put your name on his shirt. Donate a larger amount, and he would place a photo on his shirt. Donate a $1,000, and he would run the first mile with a cardboard cut-out of you (unfortunately no one took him up on the last offer).

The morning of the race the weather was slightly warmer than it had been over the last couple of years...and it was raining. It was a light rain, and actually was a bit refreshing as we began to build up the miles in the cool, humid morning hours along the tidal basin. As we ran, we looked around us, and there were just so many people running and working to encourage people around them (and themselves) to dig a little deeper, to consider others, and keep pressing onward. All along the course, there were men, women, boys, and girls holding signs, cheering, and spurring on the crowd of runners. We ran through Rosslyn, and across the bridge into Georgetown, and all along the way we were feeling good. 

And then we arrived at Mile 12 which is called the blue mile. A nonprofit that encourages runners to run in support of fallen members of the military and their families had placed sign after sign along this stretch of the race. Mile 12 is the point where you are almost half way through the race. You have left the crowds in Georgetown and DC, and you are making your way along a long solitary stretch of the race. And then you see the signs that serve as a reminder and memorial of the young men and women who gave their lives in service. Each year when I hit this point I get a bit emotional, and this year I found myself more emotional than I had ever been. As I passed by each sign, I thought about these individuals, their families, their friends, their aspirations, and the reality that their lives were cut short because of evil in this world. I silently prayed as I ran, and then I came upon a long column of American flags and men and women holding those flags cheering each of us runners onward. 

As I ran through this memorial, my mind went from those who had served and died to those who Nuru was serving--our farmers and their families. I began to get more emotional as I considered the challenges of my neighbors who are needlessly suffering in extreme poverty. I thought about the folks who had donated to Nuru because a group of us had decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that running a race could be a catalyst for many people to join the fight to end extreme poverty.  As the weather got warmer, and the miles kept adding up, I thought about the other folks who were running for Team Nuru, and I was really inspired. 

There was my friend Justin who has known me for a long time, and who was probably close to the finish as I hit the blue mile. And then, I thought about Erinn, one of our neighbors, and a woman who is passionate about justice, about the good things coming out of our great state, and who is one of the most disciplined and determined people I know. Then my mind went to Aaron--this guy (unbeknownst to him) had three of his buddies secretly sign up so they could run their first marathon together just a few days before he got married. Imagine his surprise when his three friends showed up the morning of the race to support him, and then, as the howitzer fired, they revealed their race bibs, and crossed the starting line with him (by the way, none of these guys had trained--they just wanted to support their brother!). And then, there was Andy. Andy was Jake's roommate during plebe year at the Naval Academy. Andy and his wife have been supporting Nuru's work from the beginning. And I knew he had approached his training with discipline and rigor--as he approaches all of life. I knew these folks and many others were out there running and sharing Nuru's story so that one day we might see the end of the desperation caused by extreme poverty!

Jamie and I continued side-by-side all the way to the finish line. When she and I started training for our first marathon in 2013, we made a commitment to each other as we trained that we would train together, and run the race together. I believe that this commitment helped us to be successful in our endeavor. As we closed in on mile 26, we committed to each other that we would run the last two tenths of a mile with whatever we could muster for the quarter mile uphill run to the Iwo Jima Memorial. We crossed the finish within seconds of each other, and we celebrated together. We had finished the race.

When I think about the time all of the runners put into preparation and even the race itself--its a powerful testimony to discipline, endurance, and perseverance. Each of these runners committed at least six months of their lives to preparation. I can attest to the fact that life is busy, and there were many mornings I did not feel like running or putting time in. But, just like all of our runners, I did it anyway. And that translates well to other areas of life. Whether you are preparing for a marathon, preparing for combat, or simply preparing for another day of life, developing discipline and endurance helps you persevere. And as I stand on the other side of the race, I feel a sense of pride (in a good way) as I've come through the challenge, I've tested my mettle, and I know I have what it takes. And so I look to continue the trend of discipline, goal setting, and quality routines for life. 

And I want to encourage you to do the same. I've been reading a book by a couple of Navy SEALs, and in their community they have a saying, "Earn your trident daily." I like the sound of it. What if you and I made the decision each morning to bring our best to shape the world around us? What if we pushed ourselves just a little harder to make certain we are the kind of folks that those around us can count on?

May each of us apply discipline and rigor to our lives so we can bring our best to the world around us and spur others to do the same!

Reflection: Arriving In Taper Town In Preparation For Our Third Marathon

For a variety of reasons, 99.5% of the population of the U.S. will never run a marathon. For a select few of that group, because of circumstances beyond their control, they cannot. For the majority, they either choose not to run, or they choose to believe it is something that they could "never" do. For the people who thought they could "never" do it, I would say that Jamie and I were somewhat in that camp. We were not sure we could do it, but one thing we were sure of--we were willing to put forth the effort to find out.

Three years ago, Jamie and I committed to run our first ever marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. to support Nuru. Jamie and I are constantly trying to think of ways that we can help raise funds and awareness for Nuru's work of ending extreme poverty and invite others to join the effort. Three years ago, a group of my friend Jake's classmates from the United States Naval Academy had committed to raise $98,000 for Nuru, and among the ways we brainstormed to get to that goal was having people run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. Jamie and I figured we could train together, run it together, and know that the training was not only helping us become more fit and disciplined, but also it would be helping our global neighbors in Kenya and Ethiopia to have access to tools and knowledge that could change their lives for the better!

This is our third year of running the Marine Corps Marathon to raise funds and awareness for Nuru. (As a side note, if you want to help us toward our fundraising goal, you can click here.) Our training regimen over these last three years in conjunction with our travel schedule to share Nuru in various locations has given us some incredible quality time together without distractions and has enabled us to explore a number of cities, countrysides, and trails in this beautiful world. We have been motivators and encouragers for each other every step of the way and helped each other push through mental blocks and the distractions we all encounter to train appropriately.

And this weekend, we arrived in "Taper Town"--the phrase used to describe the period between your longest training run and the actual race. The photo above was taken when we were about eight miles into our run. Taper Town is an interesting concept. At this point it means that all of the training has been put in, the miles have been logged, the body and lungs are prepared, the mind is focused and knows that it can complete the race. It is the last major training exercise before we run the race.

It's an exciting point of arrival, but not just for the above reasons. It's exciting because of all that has come before it. One does not arrive in Taper Town without discipline, without planning, and without perseverance--those same tools will come in handy on race day too, but on race day, all most people will know is that we, hopefully, completed a marathon. During the six months leading to Taper Town, our training has consisted of incrementally adding miles and increasing effort to be ready. It has meant early morning runs and late evening runs to move toward a big goal.

And as I reflect on the training and the path we took to get ready, I'm filled with gratitude. I'm filled with gratitude because Jamie and I have the physical ability to run 26.2 miles. I'm filled with gratitude because I know that this is one of many tangible ways we can take action to help our neighbors living in extreme poverty. I'm filled with gratitude because not only are we physically able to do this, but we were willing to plan and discipline ourselves to discover that we had this ability. Three years ago, when we signed up to run the Marine Corps Marathon for Nuru, we did not know if we would be physically able. We trained smart in 2013, and because of that, we arrived at the finish line. Most of all, I have gratitude because the whole training regimen is a tangible physical reminder of a value we both have and strive to incorporate into every area of our life (though not always successfully), and that is to bring our best effort to whatever we do.

Now whether you ever decide to run a marathon, I think there is some real merit in testing your mettle and determining just how much you are capable of bringing into this world. In many ways the marathon is a metaphor for so much of life. Want to accomplish some massive goal? Do the little things to get there. Make a plan to get to your destination. Push your limits. Put in the effort, even on the days you might not feel like it. By putting in the effort and time incrementally and habitually, you can build your capacity and push the boundaries of what you can accomplish. And, if you put in the training, you will be ready for whatever your life's journey might bring your way.