+FillUs

If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! "If—" by Rudyard Kipling A close friend is dealing with some difficult health issues. The short story is that he is - in his words - holding a "6 months, 6 years, or hit by a bus” outlook of his life. He shares with us that his new favorite word is now "intentional." Again, in his words, "We only have so much time. All of us. And we don't know how much. Don't miss your life. Live purposefully." ​Time doesn't wait. When the unforgiving minute is gone, it's gone. As I'm spending these minutes typing this, my intention is that we will all be reminded to live intentionally. In the greater scheme of things, we want our lives to have purpose and we strive to live for something greater than ourselves. However, do such meaning and purpos...

Toxaway River* A lot has been going around me and in the world lately. First, death of a dear friend. Then, the war between Hamas and Israel. Genocide of Christians and other minorities in Iraq. Friends going through Chemotherapy. Then more friends find out they have cancer. Death in extended family. I wish there is something I could do. I want to be out there to fight for justice and human rights, to deliver aids, to do whatever is needed. Instead, I live in a perfectly peaceful bubble, sit at a desk eight hours a day, and go home. Perhaps it’s the powerlessness that prompted me to sign up for the Laurel Valley Whitewater Endurance Run the last minute, a race which is known for its difficulty and beauty, and also one that has been on my radar for two years but I never did have the courage to sign up till now.  A few things you need to know about the Laurel Valley run: No one knows exactly how long the course is. Most veterans I’ve talked to agree that it’s 35 miles....

Pre-race (7.11.2014) : When I opened that email with a subject line "Updates on Kevin Childs," the first word that caught my eyes was "thankful." For a brief moment I was ready to believe that it'd be good news, but that was not to be. Pastor Kevin is with our Heavenly Father. Two days later, I'm still trying to comprehend the fact that he's gone. Sometimes life is full of pieces that don't fit together but string together by time. Because after reading that email, I went about my work day as usual. Replied emails. Incorporated some design changes. Modeled. Then, I picked up my bags and left for a trip that I had been looking forward to: spending a few days in Boone with running friends and leaving for a family trip in Quebec after that. Thursday evening was the Bear, a five-mile run up Grandfather Mountain. At the end of the race, Mark Rostan came to me and handed me a piece of printed tile. It took me a few seconds to make out what it...

We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle. -Oswald Chambers Training has been going well, but the increase in mileage and intensity have left me more tired than usual. I went on a solo long run at Crowders today. I forgot that without the great running companions, along with them the extra motivation and captivating conversations, training could be hard! As I pulled myself up the hills, I was reminded of my Promise Land 50k+ experience two weekends ago. I, too, was tired that day. Though I ran a decent race, I wasn't happy with it. That is because I know I could have done better, if I had pay more attention to my diet and rest leading up to the race. More than evaluating a race day effort, I need to look at my everyday effort, "on and off the court." Spiritual discipline is t...

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4 ESV). Leatherwood HQ (Photo credit: Stephanie Moore) I’ve always known that running requires not only physical fitness, but also mental power. What I did not realize till this weekend was mental power did not just mean “toughing it out” or “sucking it up” during the race, but it also meant changing our attitude before and during a difficult race. Last year while running the Leatherwood 10-miler, I was very glad that I wasn’t running the 50k/mile; but this year, I was going to be that person running the 50k. The weather forecast leading up to the race didn’t look good and it had gotten progressively worse. Knowing the slightest rain would turn the horse trails into mud pits, I was not looking forward to it. Just a...

A day after Umstead Marathon, I was stranded at CLT due to flight cancellations and delays. It is only going to be a short trip - which is even shorter now - to renew my work visa. Without my laptop and so much time to burn, I browsed through and caught up in my reading of Runner’s World, Backpackers, and Outdoor. Time didn’t look interesting. I didn’t see the New Yorker. Then, the Harvard Business Journal caught my eyes with bright yellow letters: Work vs Life. While I am sad that we compartmentalize work and consider the rest of our lives outside of work...life, I admit that I struggle with the same thing. We all know the looming fear of Monday after an epic weekend spent with friends, on trails, in a cabin, by the fire, up in the mountains. And when Monday eventually comes… In the article , Harvard business students survey over 4,000 executives in regards to their work/life balance and draw conclusions from almost five years' worth of interviews. The key to such balance?...

DNF is a hard pill to swallow, even if it's not your A, or B, or C race for that matter. More than just the initial disappointment and whatever caused the misfortune in the first place, DNFs cast a looming and lingering sense of defeat every time you think about the race, see that race shirt in the closet, and hear someone talks about the race. I hope I could report a race of triumphant perseverance, but this is not the case.  Since I have written reports on my good races this year, I feel that it's important that I include this one, too. The short story is that I pulled my abductor muscle earlier this week, took two days off, hoped for the best, and toed the start line. When the increasing pain urged me to stop at the aid station at mile 14, I realized I could barely lift my leg up pass 45 degrees. At that point, I realized I had to either take the DNF, or finish the race with an injury. Compounding the disappoint is the knowledge that I am not able earn my finisher...