Change

As a part of the changes that we are anticipating in the next year one step I have taken is to start running again. I took some time off from consistent running about 3 years ago after racing in the club cross country meet. Maybe starting back has to do with turning 30, or expecting a major move, or having a son. I bet it has to deal with all of it. 

With the running I am big into knowing what pace I am running. God blessed me to be a strong runner. I see this when I started three weeks ago that 20-25 minutes was I would put myself through. If you didn't know I attended Berry on a running scholarship, and I am a 3 time All-American. So, 20-25 minutes of running then was not even a warm-up. Now that is an entire run. This is for the best. If I start at 45-60 minutes I am just asking for injuries. Who wants that? 

Today I have logged just over 62 mile for three weeks. I am happy about this, even though that would be a mid to low mileage one week back in the day. Thank you Running2win.com for making a user friendly online running log. 

Now I need to find a watch. My 9 year old Timex Ironman Flix with 100-Lap is dead, and my Heart Rate monitor band is busted plus the screen has some pixels out. If anyone has suggestions please share. I am looking for 50-100 laps and the ability to store the runs to recall on a later date with the day of the run indicated when recalling the run.

Four years ago I left the Czech Republic from mission work with AIA. Since then a whole lot has happened. I got engaged, started a new career, married, promoted, bought a house, my wife graduated with a second degree, and we had a son.

I still think about the Czech and receive some updates from Billy Crossan. My prior post about Martin is one of the things I think about. The weather not so much until as of late. I pray the people of Praha and the rest of Europe to be safe and return to a normal sense of life soon from all the flooding.

Now my life is filled with a relationship with my wife Blair, and our now 7 month old son Eames. They are my world. God has blessed me to have them here for a season and I thank Him. Teaming up with Blair to take care of our family has been an amazing growth and development. There are always things to take care of. Groceries, dishes, cleaning, feeding the little guy, and then unusual house repairs.

Having a family, home and career to has been a blessing, I look forward to all the challenges God places in front of me.

Selfless,

the other week as I was working in the garden of one of my teammates I was shown the meaning of selfless acts. Many people of the Czech Republic own small gardens. In these gardens there is typically a small cottage, some look like shacks others are decently made and look very solid. Martin, one of the guys that I run with and now I get a ride with to and from practice, has a garden in Prague. The other day I joined him in cleaning and preparing the garden for the spring season. We spent a couple hours raking leaves and dry grass into a large pile to burn.
The weather in Prague right now changes by the hour. Just two days ago the morning was clear and windy, by the evening there was heavy snow. Within an hour the skies cleared, and then the snow returned about 30 minutes later.
While raking we were walking on ground that has been softened by the scattered showers. In turn my shoes were covered by mud. As I was going to directly to teaching at the university I was trying to knock the dirt off my shoes. As we walked out Martin told me to stop. He then stooped down and gathered some dry grass. With the dry grass he wiped the mud from my shoes. I stood there with my jaw dropped.

racing

I have raced three times now. I have ran three different distances, and over three different terrains.
Race 1.
This race was ran in a park. We had to run three loops. We ran a smaller loop about 720 meters, then two large loops, about 1350 meters. This race was held on new years eve. I had spent the last week running solo, because of Christmas, so it was nice to get into a race that I could at least run with people.
Being that that was my first race in Prague I had no idea how it would go. Are the runners going to start fast, is there anyone really good here, or are they going to start slow? We started at a normal pace, we ran on the paved paths and no kids just ran as hard as they could for the first part. The start went uphill. Shortly there were about 4 of us in the lead pack. I felt good, nice a relaxed. I was also feeling good about there being others there to race. Then we went down hill. Oh my! These guys took off going down the hill. This was no easy down, for you Berry folks, it would be like going down the goat backwards near the reservoir. Thankfully the race was not all down, and the down part of this hill lasted about 50 meters. Shortly I was back with the leaders, we finished loop one and went off to the big loop.
This loop was interesting, we ran up a little more this time and I noticed that the other guys had a little trouble keeping the pace. I took this as a good thing, especially since the race finished right after a solid climb. As we descended the back part of the park there were people still using the park for walking there dogs, and oh, how the Czech love their dogs. The four of starting down came up a group of walkers. Just as we got to them the dog decided that it would cross the path. Two of the guys got tangled up in the mess. As the other guy and I, who did not get tangled, knew this was not their fault we eased up a little and we all regrouped.
Once again these guys took off going down the rest of the hill and I was left in the back just hanging on. I knew my time was coming. We came to the hill, this time going up it. I stayed steady going up and manged to take the lead, now one lap to go. We kept climbing and I knew that I would need to put a little on the others before that downhill part. I kept pushing. Once I reached the top I could no longer hear anyone behind me. I hit the downhill part and pushed there too, knowing that the other guys will be able to roll. No one caught me, I ran the last up and finished out front. Ran a 10:41.
Race 2.
There is not as much to say about this race because I was using it as a workout. The night before I had also ran a 10 600's at a solid pace. This race was a combination of icy roads, and snow covered trails. It was about -12 C, or 10 F making it the coldest race that I have ever ran in. During the warm up I lost the feelings in my toes.
Before starting I saw the shoes that the other people wore. They all wore either spikes short ones of course, or orienteering shoes, which have small spikes in them. Oh great, I am here in racing flats.
The gun goes off and my feet are just slipping from under me. I feel like a cartoon that is getting ready to run fast, like the road runner, except I am not going to bolt off and leave a cloud of dust. All the other runners are gone, even the 80 year guys who run the same pace all day.
I got going and started to pass some people. As we made our way to the woods I got myself up to the 3rd position, and I was gaining on the leaders. Then we get to the woods, and oh my, they took off going up the hill. I got to the trail and prepared myself, and once again I started to slip.
For the rest of the race I slipped from one side of the trail to the other, then the same thing on the road. I finished the race in 5th place in a time 35:50.
Race 3.
First indoor race of the year. 2K, on a soft track. This track is a 20 minute slow jog from my house.
I arrived and found Billy with his kids. My coach told me to run a 5:40. That is 68/400. As I had thought about it before, that is the same pace that I ran my 3K best in. So I thought that it would work for the first race of the year.
I was placed in the 3rd starting position, meaning that there were two people that had entered faster times. We all got ready to start, called to the line and then the gun. Before I knew it I was running in the last position. When the gun had fired the guy next to me placed his elbow on my chest and pushed me backwards. After the race I had a really good talk with this guy, his name is Jan, and he is a high school student who wants to study chemistry.
Being in the back I was okay, but I knew that I should be up to the front. I worked my way up and within 4 laps I was up with the front guy. Now in order to run the 5:40 I needed to run each 200 in 34. When I did catch the leader settled down and took a break. Billy called the next lap in 35 and I felt the pace was going to stay that with this guy so I passed him, on the turn. From there I kept bouncing between 33 and 34. Finished the race in the front and ran a 5:39.

Overall I am happy about my racing in Prague so far.

prayer

Tonight I found out that my grandmother has been taken off of dialysis.

Coach/Team who is it?

The latest news about a team or coach was made and then changed. We decided that the best thing would be for me to work with the coach and help develop the relationship with elite athletes in the club. Since that time the coach has contact us informing us that he will be unable to commit the time needed in order to coach me. This came as another blow in the process of settling here in Prague.
Good news, I have a place to sleep. The place that I am in is across the street from a park that I am able to run comfortable five miles without getting close to crossing over the same path twice. Plus there more trails that I am able to extend my run. Other good news about the location is the bus and tram stops that are near. I am able to get around town with ease and I have choices. Also, I do like the running I can do outside of the park. I am up on the top of a hill and have a great view of the many parts of the city from where I live.
Sad news in the mix of difficulties here is that two weeks ago my hard drive crashed on me. I have some of the information backed up. That backed up information is back in the states. I am glad that I printed off photos of my family, girlfriend, and friends before the crash.
Tomorrow I venture to run with the group that I am going to join. The group is still at the same club. Please pray that I am able to develop open relationships with the athletes and that I will have the correct words to share about Christ. Also, pray that the athletes will hear the truth that Christ is.

Running, coach or group?

For the last week I have been working at getting acclimated to this new environment. The city is beautiful as I have seen before and have been told by many different people. The biggest challenge so far has been getting into a normal schedule, however, this normal schedule that I think I am in is going to change.
Before I got here I expected that I would be part of club team from the start. I was anticipating landing in Prague on Friday the 17th, drop my things off, get shown around town or the school then head off to practice with the team that I would joining. As it turns out God has different plans for me. While raising my support and talking with people about what I am here for I always told them that I am going to be joining a club team, I will be running with a really fast group of guys and that is going to be my main mission field.
God surprised me, the day I left the states what I had been telling everyone was true, there was a group that I would be joining with and I was going to be running with a very fast group of guys. When I left Billy got a call and found out in short that the club I was to join is no more.
With this new news Billy has been helping me greatly try to find what I will be doing. He knows that I am going to be doing something with running. It is just now time to answer how. On Wednesday the 22nd we met with a coach that Billy has been working with for many years now. This guy is great. There are many people that speak highly of him. From all that I have gathered is that he is a top coach when it comes to running.
One big problem, he is not coaching a team. He currently coaches 2 athletes, and they are 800 runners, not the distance that I have any strength in. Second to having no group of runners is that he will be leaving the country now and then in order to go training with his athlete. I still have a great vibe from this coach, he also speaks English.
That afternoon Billy and I went over to a club and found the coach who is working with a group. A group of runners is a real bonus. The downside of this group is that the coach does not speak any English, time to learn Czech. The fact that there is a group makes this option more ideal. Billy and I are going to talk more about the options and soon I will be either running for a coach that has a great reputation, or I will be joining the coach that has a group of runners.
Please pray for the people of Czech Repbulic.