Hope for Japan

 Done! 26.2. After months of training and anticipation, I have now completed the NYC Marathon. It is funny how some time can make us forgot the struggle and grueling experience. It should not have surprised me how tough it was. This was my 7th marathon. Yet, this race was both brutal but brilliant.

The slight chance of rain ended up being constant rain the entire race. From the start in Staten Island, it was one mile of slight incline going over the bridge to Brooklyn. I knew right away that this was going to be rough. My training had little trails or hills. So, the bridges and 5th Avenue were killer. Even with performance socks, the rain (and puddles of Gatorade) led to 7 blisters on my toes. This slowed me down from my ideal time to finish at 5 hours 5 minutes.

After painting anguish, it may not seem like I loved the experience. But, it was incredible.  Over 50,000 runners. The worlds largest race. Raising millions of dollars for great causes. Over a million spectators cheering us on. I loved it. Like every race, being on foot gives you a fresh view of the city and its makeup. Almost half the race was through Brooklyn, where I would see Jewish temples next to Hispanic Pentecostal churches. You experienced the diversity and beauty of NYC.

We are currently at a church planting training in Minnesota. But, we’ve met some friends from the city. Cedric pointed out how I ran through his section of Brooklyn. Kim’s youth group kids handed out water in Harlem to me around 1st and 100th. Michael wondered why I didn’t stop by his church in the Bronx 🙂 And Stuart and Jody are preparing to launch in the Upper East Side, near the final leg of the race.

You see the diversity in the live music throughout the race. Bands played Bryan Adams “Summer of 69,” Incubus, Weezer, “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, DJs, hip hop MCs, Gospel Choirs, taiko drummers, school bands, drum lines, etc. One cool scene was a teacher being high-fived by all the kids in his Brooklyn class who came out to cheer him on.

I am grateful for this wonderful experience. And I am thankful that my running is able to provide aid for women in desperate need of hope and restoration, as they are caught in sex trafficking. Thank you to all who have given to support the work of Restore NYC. So far, we have raised over $2,000!! If you still want to make a final donation, please visit https://donate.restorenyc.org/fundraiser/1002976.

In the final miles, your body keeps asking why in the world you would do this. Your mind makes you question if you would ever do this again. At that moment, you may feel it is crazy. But, there will be more races 🙂