The Why

 

One of the signs I saw several times on the marathon course was remember The Why.   Why had I signed up to run this marathon?  Why have I determined to run in all states?  Why do I put myself through this training?  Thinking of this in the middle of the race was kind of like, well, good question!  I have a friend who always tells me that I can go on vacation without running!  So why do I keep planning vacations around running?!?  

In the end, when asking myself this question, I realized there are several whys.  One of which is because of this quote by Lori Culnane.  I have to admit, I don't know much about this person except she must have run a marathon.  And although I was not smart enough or soon enough to make this quote, it is truly something I have realized every time I have run one.  The training and the race itself have shown me how much I am determined and what I am willing to sacrifice.  Also, it has shown me how much I am willing to give.  Although I have given a lot of time and effort to running, I have also found that I am satisfied with finishing without pushing myself to run a super-fast time.  I'm not really sure if I could go much faster, but so far, I tend to become slow at the end of my long runs and races.  

But I have also found out that I don't give up.  I may not be the fastest, but I am a finisher.  Part of being a finisher is being consistent.  There are days when training doesn't happen as planned, but by being consistent with the overall plan, then I can be consistent with finishing a marathon.  

During the marathon itself, there is so much that you take in and learn and remember.  Seeing people older than me run right past me is humbling but makes me admire them.  Seeing people push others to the finish line makes me smile!  Knowing how hard it is to just run 26.2 miles, I know that running and pushing someone is even harder.  And then there are the hand cyclists.  That seems really hard!  Maybe because I have always run and not lifted, but it seems that moving a bike by pedaling with your arms is even harder.  

I think to answer the question of why though is multifaceted.  Why?  One reason is I said I would do it, so I do.  I set a goal and I finish it.  I like the idea of doing hard things.  It teaches me to rely on God and that He is the reason I can do these things.  It teaches me to be thankful for what abilities I have.  And in seeing others with seemingly equal or less abilities supersede me, it teaches me humility.  Also, I want to show my children what it means to not quit.  What it means to try to and accomplish hard things.  Life is hard.  You can't simply be in life if you want to succeed and be used in a significant way.  You will have to make sacrifices and work hard to achieve your goals.  Your goals need to be realistic...like for me not ever qualifying for the Boston Marathon...but high enough that it is a challenge...like running in all the states.  

Another why is because I have so much support from family and friends.  I can't quit when I have people texting me that to keep moving, I'm proud of you, great job, you are well under your needed pace, I'm praying for you, and your dad is looking down from heaven and smiling.  I have some of the biggest cheerleaders in my life and am so grateful for them.  Even if they aren't the why to why I sign up, they are part of the why of me not giving up and heading into that donut shop!   

Running this marathon and the 3 others also taught me why I really just want to run half marathons!  And that is my plan!  I hope it doesn't change!  But in the meantime, I am glad to be part of the 1% of Americans who are crazy enough to run a marathon!  And extra glad for my friends who have also gone the distance!      

And I really do enjoy running!

Possibly State 19...or maybe just DC!

On October 29 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon!  This was my fourth full marathon and one I signed up for in 2020.  2020 and 2021 were both virtual only, and 2022 was less than a year post back surgery, so 2023 was my year!  When I first started this journey of running a full or half marathon in every state, I signed up for the MCM to be my Virginia race.  About half of it is run in VA.  But there may be another VA race, Vacation Races Shenandoah Valley Race, that I really want to do.  So, this race may be my State 19, or it may be just DC!

Either way, I ran my 4th marathon and was glad I did it!  Any marathon is hard and this one had its share of hills...especially the last .2 miles of the race to the Iwo Jima Memorial!  

Race day was Sunday.  Saturday evening was spent eating pizza, getting my race day stuff together and meeting up with a group of FB ladies that were staying in my hotel.

It was also spent being evacuated from the hotel because someone pulled a fire alarm!  We had just walked into our room from dinner when it went off.  Immediately, we left the hotel via the stairs.  We were waiting outside when Camden mentioned he did smell smoke...fortunately it was just a man smoking a cigarette!  Of course, all I could think about was if there was a real fire, all my running stuff was upstairs!  But it wasn't a real fire, thank goodness!  

The next morning at 5:30, the ladies and I met up to walk to the shuttle bus.  Camden also got to start his day at 5:30.   

On the way to our shuttle, Camden went to the Metro to get to the Mall for the start of his 10K.  Since he was going on the trip with me, he decided that he would run a race too!  His race started at 7:50 and ran the last 6 miles of the marathon.  He ran it in 41:49 minutes at an average of 6:44 per mile.  

The marathon started at 7:55 with a little more fanfare than the 10K.  We had planes fly overhead and a live singing of the National Anthem.  In fact, it was an extra special national anthem for me.  I am 99% positive I know the singer!  The lady who sang the anthem was Sharon Williamson and she used to go to my church, Charleston Baptist.  She was introduced as a military wife and obviously someone who could sing.  This fit the description of the lady I knew from CBC.  I was so far back from the front that I could not see her, but she was another point of inspiration for me as I started the race!

Before the race started, we waited in a runner's village.  Lots of potties!  And it was not super cold as a place to wait.  

We walked to the starting line and had about a 45-minute wait.  I should have used the bathroom again but thought I would be fine.  After we heard the marine yell at us that "we were not authorized to quit", I started running and looking for the first port a potty!  

After finding the first potty, I was then running the hills of Rosslyn.  I had good time for myself, but those hills were rough!  It was nice to get out of them and run downhill into Georgetown.  I saw a donut shop that looked really good, but I didn't stop!  

Then we ran through Rock Creek Park.  The changing leaves were really pretty!  The course took an out and back into the park.  Going in was a gradual uphill but going out seemed flat.  Strange feeling when I really wanted to be running downhill!  

Then we headed into downtown DC by way of running past the Kennedy Center.  We also ran past a Marine band playing the Marine Hymn.  Another motivating part of the course.  

Then next long part of the course was through Hains Point.  Not much there except the Wear Blue Mile which had a line of signs of Marines who have died in action followed by a line of people holding American flags.  It was very moving.  

On the way out was another line of signs that were motivating in another way...mostly funny!  Like "This was a good idea 6 months ago", "Education is important, but running is importanter," and "Toenails are for losers".  Some were Burma Shave type signs that had song lyrics like "Don't Stop Believing."  But one of my favorites was an Eric Liddell quote.  Not that I was running very fast at that point!

After this park was the National Mall.  This was also right after the first gauntlet at mile 17.  You had to pass it by 12:55 and I got there around 11:40. I was feeling good about my time and the cushion to reach the other two gauntlets.  Then I got a text saying that the first gauntlet was now being closed at 12:00 due to humidity.  The temps were only in the 70s, but the humidity was in the 80% range.  Many people were getting sick, and one man had to be airlifted out.  I didn't feel the effects of the weather since I am used to this kind of humidity, but I maybe I would not have slowed down if it had been less humid!  

The next part of the race was the mile and a half bridge into Crystal City.  It was long and sunny and boring, but once over it, I was in the last 5 miles of the race in Crystal City.  There were people cheering us on even though I was getting slower as I was getting tired. 

Couple goals!  Maybe Dave will do a marathon with me when we are older!

I was still getting encouraging texts from Dave, my mom and my friends.  Also, Camden was sending them...especially texts that said to hurry and run faster!  Paybacks for all the times I yell at him when he is running!  While finishing up mile 26, Camden was able to see me from the side of the road.  He started filming me and then I dropped my air Pods trying to put them away.  It was very hard to stop and bend over and pick them up!  Great video!

Then there was the last hill.  It was the last .2 miles of the race, but my watch said I had already run 26.2 miles!  It was hard to make it up the hill.  I tried running, and although I was running, it was barely!  But I did make it!  Right up to the Marine that gave me my medal in front of the Iwo Jima monument.  It was a great ending to almost 6 hours of running.  

  

Ecuador 2023

I have three stamps in my passport, all from Ecuador!  The most recent one was for my mission trip to Quito to work with the Dunamis Foundation from September 1-13.  The Dunamis Foundation works with girls who have been removed from their homes for various reasons, the main reason being sex trafficked.  I worked with a team of 19 people from my church, Charleston Baptist Church.  

My specific role was to help teach the girls to quilt so that they will have another life skill that they may use in the future.  At the time we were there, there were 9 girls in residence.  We had very specific instructions to not ask the girls questions about their past, but to simply love on them.  I don't know all of their stories; however, I do know some.  One girl, a 17-year-old, had escaped from a gang that was prostituting her and drugging her so that she would be compliant.  She smiled the least of all the girls there.  Another 13-year-old girl had a 6-month-old baby girl.  Another girl appeared to have cerebral palsy and she had been molested from when she was young as her disability made her seem not as worthy.  To look at the girls, however, you did not always see trauma filled lives.  Especially on worship nights.  Most of them loved to sing worship songs!  And they were interested in finding and reading Bible verses.  And they smiled and laughed during sewing times.  One of the staff that worked there, McKelvey, noted it well.  They just wanted to be regular girls.  But unfortunately, that was taken away from them by evil people. 

The facility itself was a well-protected area.  There was a wall around the property and a guard on duty at all times.  Some of the girls go on family visits, but no family comes to the property.  We were not even told the address of the place.  The girls were very well protected.  It was a beautiful place!  At 12,000 feet elevation, we were in the clouds a lot of the time.  When it was clear, we could see the volcanoes, but other times we were literally in the fog.

View from my bunk

The foundation is trying to be self-sufficient.  They have cows, sheep, llama, chickens and bunnies.  They also have horses that the girls used for therapy in addition to using them to learn vet tech skills.  They also grow vegetables for eating and golden berries to sell.  The last day I was there, a calf was born right outside the mission house.  We were wondering why the cow was mooing all night!  In the morning, we found out the reason.  And now the girls will have fresh milk to drink.  

Dave the sheep

Golden berry plants

The calf...hours old

The most important thing about the foundation is its emphasis on the need for God.  The founder, Boris, knows and teaches the girls that the only way to have hope is through Jesus Christ.  He was not shy about his faith and helped teach the girls during devotions about God and their need for Him.  Many of the girls seemed to know and believe this too.  And truly, that was the real reason why we went to work with them.

Like I noted, I was on the sewing/quilting team.  The goal was to teach the girls to quilt so that they could supply the mission house with quilts and provide an opportunity for them to be sold to various mission teams.  We were able to finish two quilts and start another three.  All of them have been sold to our team!  In addition to the money helping the foundation, some of the money will be set aside for the girls to earn and have when they leave Dunamis.  The one quilt that is not being sold was the favorite of all the girls...Moana.  I stayed three extra days to help with the quilting, and in my free time was able to finish a baby quilt to leave in the house that is being prepared for mothers and babies.  

The quilting team and Moana

Girl's baby quilt

The first pieced quilt the girls made...not the finished product, but how the top was laid out.  The girls had fun placing the blocks they had made!

The second pieced quilt.  Similar, but a little different.  The third one that we started had a triangle pieced block to make it a little different.  

The huge pile of material we brought from Charleston!

Along with several sewing machines.

Our well-lit room...even though the first night we worked up there we couldn't find the lights and sewed in the dark!

We were not allowed to take pictures of girls or even have our phones with us, so I do not have many pictures of what we did in the sewing house.  But the rest of the team didn't work as much with the girls.  The other women did rotate through the girls' house and worked with them.  One lady was able to offer haircuts and the girls really liked that!  They were all smiles when Carla gave them updated hairstyles.  There were two other groups that worked on construction.  One group worked on a house on the property that will be used for a school and workshop.  Eventually sewing will happen in this house.

The other group worked on constructing a second greenhouse.  I like to be active and was happy that I got to work with this group two different times.  It was hard work digging holes and passing buckets of cement up and down the steep mountain.... did I mention the elevation!  But we all worked together, and that group was able to get a lot of the poles cemented into place.   

The poles where the new greenhouse will go below the existing greenhouse.  That shows a lot of work!

The llamas Larry, Toots and Merica (she was born on July 4)

CBC left their mark!

Working on one steep hill!

In addition to the work on the property, most afternoons, a group went into the community to do outreach.  

We stayed in the mission house on the property, and it was a really nice facility.  Even if we did have to throw our TP in the trash can!

Hanging out with my good friend Janet!

In addition to the work we did, we had some fun too!  We played cards each night and had two fun days as tourists.  

The first was at the Middle of the World equator.  This was the second time I have been there, but just as interesting!  It is super fun to stand in two hemispheres at one time.  And this time we had two huge shoes to fill!

This time I was able to get the egg to stand up, but I still could not walk the equator line!

We were able to go to the market in Quito and then went to a coffee shop that is run by former Dunamis residents.  I don't like coffee, but they had tea, and I got a really good Chai Latte!  First time I had this drink, and it was yummy!

  

  The other fun day we took a two-hour drive to Otavalo to go to a huge market!  More shopping!  And I even was able to barter a little.  I could at least ask how much in Spanish, but then could not understand what price they told me!  But I was able to buy some nice things for family and friends...and myself!  Supporting the local economy!

Breakfast on the way to Otavalo

This part of Ecuador grows most of the flowers that are sent throughout the world.

Girls that sang and told us about their traditional outfits and sold us bracelets.

After shopping, we went to lunch at a restaurant by a lake at the bottom of a non-active volcano.  It was named Puerto Lago and I ordered trout stuffed with fruits of the sea!  Basically, trout stuffed with seafood.  It was super yummy!  

Volcano named Imbabura

During the last three days when I stayed extra, I was able to go to dinner two times thanks to McKelvey getting us taxis.  Both were yummy Ecuador restaurants.  Lots of rice and plantains!

 

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to serve God in Ecuador.  Every time I answer His call, He always provides.  Literally, He provided, through many people, all the money I needed for the trip.  And He gave me a supportive husband and family who held down the fort while I was gone.  

I hope to go back in the future, but in the meantime, we all need to pray for Boris and the ministry.  It is a God honoring ministry that is unfortunately necessary.  And I am honored that I was allowed to work with them.