The Post Turkey Run

With all the turkey and food that we all eat with the Thanksgiving holiday, it seems that the post meal run is even more essential than ever! This morning offered a victory to the post turkey runs and with an hour of running I felt pretty good about it. I was in a foreign town, had to deal with county dogs that felt it necessary to let me know that they did not know me, a light rain, and damn near perfect weather! It was beautiful out there and it was the sort of run that makes you wonder how you ever miss a run - I mean ever! So thank goodness for the dark meet on the bird, thank goodness for the mashed tators, thank goodness for the super tasty desserts, and thank goodness for the run that we are driven to do no matter what because the fear of what the wonderful food might do to us if we do not do it! Thank goodness for the long slow run that probably doesn't even come close to burning the calories you ate, but makes you feel like you came close even though you were no wear near it. :-)

The Today Show and Running

The early morning run with the guys in Memphis, at least for a short time while Sarah was working early, found me at my brother's house afterwards for coffee, a shower, and the Today Show. So now with the morning BCM run Matt, Meredith, Al, and Natalie are back in front of me! Yay!

Today this story was on - click here - and it's about the new TSA searches and "patdowns" that they are doing before you can get on a plane. Apparently people are upset and feel... "dirty" afterwards. Well, I had a brief experience with this myself on my last trip back to Memphis - wasn't as complete as some of the things I've seen on TV this morning, but it was more invasive than normal. All I could think was, "man, and I didn't even have to buy this guy a coffee first."

As I sit here after my run and see our nation getting ready to travel like crazy for Turkey Day, I cannot help but find this all a little silly. I mean, do you really think the guy in line really wants to feel you up? Well, we are runners so maybe when they see us coming they do get excited! But seriously, those folks are just doing their job as delegated to them by their superiors and believe me, if we could fly safely without being "felt up" I'm quite sure we would! I'm quite sure if they could just wave and say "get on the plane" with no x-rays and no touching that they would do it!

So calm down America... and if you have too much of a problem with a free "touching" then drive instead of flying!

It's Working... sort of... but it's still working....

So the idea has been to create a group run to make sure that I run! I know, lame to say the least, but for some reason I have not been able to rouse myself early in the morning to go run by myself. But when the run is at your place you have to go just in case some random person shows up - and suddenly I'm able to get up! Ha - I tricked myself into pulling myself out of the bed. The picture to the right is a seven week marker for my Beard challenge and as you can see I'm mimicking Old Dominion University's mascot. Today this picture is a celebration of my inner running child! Yay!

The Beard - Does it Change the Running?

So for those of you who don't know, I'm currently locked in a fearsome beard growing competition with the Methodist guy who has a building right next door to my Baptist building. We are growing them in a charity based challenge and whoever raises the least amount of money will have some grievous change to their beard that has been grown (we are doing this till April 1!).

In seminary it was brought to my attention that having a beard seems to change my personality. Hmmm, I thought what you are thinking right now probably - "that's a bunch of poppycock if I've ever heard it." But every now and again I would hear someone say something that was outlandish. People would laugh and look at me with that look of, "Gosh man, I can't believe you said that." Pretty soon I realized that the beard had the power to say things through me in spite of my knowledge. It was as though I could hear the words but had not the control to form them.... and then I realized that one of the people laughing was actually my beard as well!

So it's been some time and with that time I have learned somewhat to control the Beard's personality, but now we are talking about giving the Beard some real power - length beyond anything I've done before! And I'm asking now if it will change my running at all? I've run with a beard through the summer and not noticed much. The only time I've ever noticed is when I shave my beard in the winter - a cold freezing face is what you get. My hope is that the growing beard will inspire the running through supernatural goading - one more voice in the ring to spur me onward. We will see - either way I'll look more funny running down the road with a giant beard.

Brett

The New Idea

So as described in previous blogs I have had some trouble finding the rhythm I need to establish my running here in Norfolk. I have had some success and some failure but my desire to go by the local running store in order to find my new running buddies gives me great displeasure for some reason (it is wrong to not just go but I cannot make myself - not yet).

And so it is that my mind has found a way to combine my job, somewhat, with my need for more active and habitual running. I will begin a group fun from my campus ministry building that will eventually meet every single morning at 7 am. This will start off for the students and will eventually incorporate anyone who desires to join from within the community. Our building will get more exposure, students will see us and be aware of our presence, the community will see that we care about them, but most importantly I will be running more! Beeeeyaaaahhhhh!

The plan has been set and a quick start to this plan will be starting on Wed morning. If everything works well I will have reached optimal physical performance level. Oh did I mention that I'm now lifting with my students too - effective today! Let's see what else we can cook up in our efforts to rejuvenate these college kids spiritually and physically!