The Ultra-experience...

It's done. 60km/37.5 miles done.  Yes, we did think it was going to 70km/43.75 miles, but when we took the exact mileage from where we wanted to start and end we were pleasantly surprised it was 10k shorter!  I have been trying to think how to put into words about the whole experience...but I am at a little bit of a loss for some reason.  

 Our first sign left by our crew...

So, I will give you some facts to get us started along with plenty of photos along the way.  Hopefully, this will help me capture some of the emotions, highlights and low points of the very, very, long day...

Facts about my first Ultra-marathon:

• 5 months of training = approx. 500 training miles

• RUN DAY:
• 3 pairs of socks and shorts and 3 shirts, oh and 2 pairs of shoes.
• 21 Gatorade's topped with the electrolyte powder of one electrolyte capsule.
• 18 large frozen water bottles
• 5 power bars, 12 GU's and 4 packages of Cliff blocks, salty crackers and homemade peanut butter balls of goodness!
• 1 scale and 1 portable blood pressure gizmo...(medical term)

  

Early morning BP check

• 1 MPH/nurse to run the BP gizmo and keep track of our weight...

Checking in at mile 10 with Keren our stellar nurse

• 6.5 pounds lost 

Weighing in at mile 20

• 1 med kit with ibuprofen...administered by the above person

BP time...

• 8 or more support crew 

This is just what I remember...I am sure there was a lot more because the trucks were full and stuff was scattered everywhere. 

Here are some of the highlights of the day:

• A great dinner and night friends place in Voinjama.

 

 Night before sunset before the rains came!

Relaxing the night before with Audrey...

• Answered prayer for RAIN!  It is dry season-it rarely rains this time of year-but we needed some rain to help with the terrible dust.  When the thunder clapped just before bed-we were overjoyed of the miracle that was taking place.
• 5:22am weather was perfect and cool-sky was overcast-again, answered prayer!
• No stomach issues...trust me this is a blessing there are no porta-potties on the road!
• Meeting our crew at mile 19 great to see the boys and everyone else.

 Support crew getting signs ready

 

 Crew taking a break...Isaac and Steve are getting hot!

 

Kendell ran his 12 marathon training miles with us-great support

• The signs that the crew made and left on the side of the road.

 

One of the many signs left by our crew!

• Sasa and drum playing by our crew whenever we got to the truck for food/fluids.

 

 Taya and her Sasa/drum band...

 Heading out for another 5km before our next pit stop

Soon to be Marathoners...

• Seeing Kou on the four wheeler in Kolohun along with missionary friends cheering us on.

• The moment we realized we had run a marathon and had entered the ultra-zone.

 

Joni joined us for her 12 miles

 

Still smiling! 

• Realizing we were 5km away from Foya

 Our last crew stop..

 Kendell telling us we were 2.4km away from Foya..

 All we wanted to do was sleep...

 

Getting ready to head out

• Seeing staff on the road as we entered Foya

 Let's go!!!

 Alisa found some sort of 2nd wind!

One foot in front of the other...

• CROSSING THE FINISH!

Of course there were some low points...not many but still, come on-you are going to have some over a 10 hour period of time right?!

• PAIN-feet pain, left IT knee pain.

Ice on the knee...

How much farther...

• HILLS-Ironically, going up hill didn't hurt my knee, downhill was a different story.  I got up to a 8/10 for pain-not a fun place to be.

 

Up the hill in the company of a chicken.

Actually, that's it.  Just two, and two that we knew were going to happen-there wasn't any surprises.  Running this far you are going to have pain I don't care who you are.  After training on the road for the past 5 months we knew the hills would be tough-and they were!   

 

Our final stats...and no my heart rate was not 10beats per min. at the end! 110..

Overall, it was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.  I am so grateful to God for a perfect day, the rain the night before, no serious injuries, no dust, hardly any traffic and our AMAZING crew that took care of us every single step of the way.   I am sure I will write more about this experience, but for now I hope the facts, pictures and some of the emotions of the day give you an idea of the journey.  When I think about running a marathon now, it seems like it's not that far anymore! HA!

Joni put all the video clips into a mini-documentary and at the end she interviewed Alisa and I and asked: "Would you do it again?"  There is a slight pause and then and the exact same time without any pre-planning our answer we both reply "YES!" and burst into laughter.  That's what it is all about-looking back at the journey, God's faithfulness through the ups and downs and still wanting to do it all over again...

Adjusting...serioulsy?

I am sure many of us have heard someone say "God has such a sense of humour!" As you chit chat over a latte at Starbucks or in the church foyer. It could be about how you accidentally bumped into someone that you haven't seen in years, who you had 'just been thinking about' and BAM there they were!  God is so fun like that eh?  Or the couple who are about to finish their adoption process to receive a child and BAM they get prego!  LOL! Don't worry...I am not pregnant...not sure how funny I would find that :). You know what I am talking about.  But then there are times, at least I find, that it's more of a 'hardy har...sooo funny' (insert thick sarcasm) or even an 'are you kidding me' (insert troubling gaze to the sky...)

Well, in case you are wondering where I am going with all of this-first go back and read my last blog post.  You know the one about "adjusting with Grace" then come back and start reading this post.  Ok, you done?  Let me start by quoting myself from that last blog...

"I am glad that I am starting the year with a long run that will make me practice what I preach that will lead me to His grace."

Little did I realize that it would be more than just a long run that would test me to practice what I preach!  Of course the passing of David has been a huge adjustment, but I can say that God has given us all grace and comfort to move forward. One of the reasons I was looking forward to being back in Liberia was to be with our SP team during this time of grieving.  Well, God's timetable was a little bit different than mine.  The first major adjustment was the amount of flight delays and cancellations due to weather that kept many of our staff arriving as planned.  At the time when we all just wanted to be together and see each other-we had to wait.  For some it was just a few days for Joni it was a whole week!  Yeah, I would give myself a 5/10 on gracefully dealing with all the delays. But finally, we were all together-now time to plan for our big run!

The reason for flight delays...

Or maybe not...my running mate Alisa, came down with a terrible stomach bug-I mean this bug was having a party in her tummy!  She was down and out for two days-the week that we were supposed to attempt our 70km/44mile run from Voinjama to Foya.  The decision was easy, postpone the run until healthy.  This was probably the easiest adjustment-there was no way we were going to do this run with one of us not at 100%!  Still, we had to adjust-picking a new date that was not easy, we are both pretty busy people :) We also adjusted our training plan to add a few more weeks no prob bob.  New date: Feb 9th...pending any adjustments...  I would give myself a good 7/10 for this one.

Voijama to Foya road...we are still coming for you!

The last major adjustment (there are little ones everyday but I am used to those :) is the recent resignation of one of our program managers that works closely with me.  Rachel has been our CDF PM for the past two years and has done an incredible job-I am so thankful God brought her to us!  She has been offered a great job and we are proud to send her with our blessings.  But, we have to adjust again-to find someone to fill those big shoes and also adjust to not seeing a great co-worker everyday.  I would give myself a 9/10 on this one, mostly because we always encourage our staff that if they have an opportunity to further their career we want them to take it.  Also, I know Rachel has left the CDF program in great shape.

And then there is Kendell...with the London marathon 80 some days away-he has been suffering with plantar fasciitis.  So we have had to adjust his training program a bit.  It has been frustrating for him and trust me nothing is more frustrating to a runner than a nagging injury!  However, he is taking care of it and after taking a week off he is back running small small.  I think the adjustment has been harder for him than me-as I have been injured before and know that you can come back and still get the job done.  For that, I give myself a perfect 10/10 :)

Good point...

All of these big adjustments were in the first week of being back.  Isn't funny how God works that way? (again insert sarcasm).  The words I wrote in my previous blog seem to be 'slapping' me in the face and I will admit at times I forgot about that big bowl of grace. I have been drawn to a very simple verse- John 14:1.  Jesus is comforting His disciples, He has just told them about how He will be betrayed and denied by them and instead of getting mad at them or giving up on them He states:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  TRUST in God, TRUST also in me." (John 14:1 NIV)

BAM! Simple truth, from the mouth of our Savior.  Trust that bowl of Grace, trust the One who fills that bowl everyday for you and I.  My heart was troubled, I won't lie, but this simple verse read over and over has once again has my heart soaked in His grace.  I either have to believe on this or stop writing blogs on practicing what I preach.  Isn't God funny that way? ;)

Adjusting with Grace...

As we enter into 2014 and look back on 2013, many of us have had to or will have to make some expected and unexpected adjustments. I had to adjust from running in +30C weather to -17C on snow covered trails (with the odd deer passing by!). Some of these adjustments were successful, some a little more painful-but if there is one thing that I have learned this past year-it is how to adjust with grace.  

My new running trail...sharing it with deer!

I have not always been willing to adjust with grace-no, at times I resist not wanting to adjust, "Why must I always be the one who has to adjust?", I whine.  In our projects we have to adjust to bad roads, unpredictable breakdowns, staff sickness and beneficiaries not always cooperating.  I am very proud of our staff for adjusting when we had to-many times exemplifying grace that only God can provide.  

Adjusting to running in the cold and snow...

However, the hardest adjustments came in the form of loss. In early Spring we lost one of our CDF's (Community Development Facilitators), suddenly to sickness.  James was a great worker, engaged with the community and had a true heart for his work and for Christ.  A couple months later, we as a family lost one of our security guards.  Our house has four security guards that have been with us since 2005 when we arrived.  David got really sick and passed after fighting a month of sickness.  He too was a strong man of faith-it was heartbreaking to tell my boys that their 'uncle' had died.  The final adjustment that I am still hard to adjust to-is the sudden loss of our finance officer David MacDonald-a fellow Canadian who died of a heart attack over Christmas holidays. Again, as a parent, the hardest thing to see is your kids try to deal with such devastating loss.

These blows to our heart are the hardest to adjust-never mind with grace.  I was reminded over the holidays (by my amazing sister-in law) that God gives grace to handle every day. I visualized it as a huge bowl brimming to the very top full of grace. Available for us to draw on at anytime. He knows exactly how much we need for that day-and it never runs out, the bowl is never empty. And if we use some of it-the next day it's full again. He soaks us with his grace when our tears flow, when we are angry and ask difficult questions and when we wonder how we can keep going on.

You see, it's easy to adjust to the good things, like a new plane this year that has made travel a lot easier for all of us, new families and staff that have joined our team and how God has faithfully supplied us with resources to keep doing what He wants us to do!  Oh yeah, grace is flowing easy when things are going smoothly, when everyone is healthy and when the roads are clear.  I am sure all of us look back at 2013 and remember the sudden adjustments that were great and those that were painful.  But God's grace is there, everyday, that big bowl full to the brim just waiting for us to dip our cups in.

2014 is starting with an adjustment without David our finance officer, our friend.  It is not going to be easy-but I know I need to adjust with grace, or it will be a long year!  Plus, I know David wouldn't want it any other way :)  We have three SP staff members training for the London Marathon-for Kendell and Joni it will be their first-trust me they will have to adjust!  And I know there will be plenty of unexpected adjustments that are just waiting to jump out of their boxes in the next 12 months.

Many people make resolutions, to adjust their lives for the better, to change.  But I want to challenge you that when those life altering adjustments come this year, dip into the bowl and let His grace adjust you.  In a few weeks I will run the farthest I ever have-and throughout that 70km/44miles there will be plenty of adjustments that I am going to have to make. I am glad that I am starting the year with a long run that will make me practice what I preach that will lead me to His grace.

Running Tired...

I am tired.  All of our programs work on a January-December cycle so we are nearing the end of another year of hard work.  It seems this time of year I need more sleep and find myself yawning more than normal! When I was up country last week I could see it in our staff too-everyone is moving a bit slower, many of our staff are getting sick and everyone is trying hard to push through this last month.  When I came back home I could see it in the staff here in Monrovia too-even my boys are tired and looking forward to a break from school!  This is the time of the year where the rubber meets the road-can you push through and finish strong through the exhaustion?

How I feel...

 What I need to remind myself...

 

Yes, there is still a month left of trainings, programming, reporting and assessments.  There is still work to get done-and I can't give in and start shutting down.  Sometimes to keep moving forward we need to take a look back and see what has been done-how far we have come, to know that the finish is getting closer!  

 Looking in the review mirror to see how far you have come-helps us push to the finish.

It's like when you are running and you are so tired-the end is in sight but all you want to do is literally crumple on the road and sleep on the ground.  But, when you think about your training, how far you have come and how you will regret quitting when you are so close to the finish-you can't help but to keep running-no matter how tired your legs are.  

 

The last couple of trips to projects I have had the opportunity to see many of the amazing things that God has allowed us to do this year-the lives that have been changed and the hard work our staff have put in.  Here are some highlights (photo's by Joni Byker and Theresa Blankers):

Well technician Ju and community members with their new well

Community Development Facilitators (CDFs) Andrew and Henrietta in Ngalhun 1 where they live teaching Bible and health lessons.

Literacy classes-teaching women to read, write and do math.

Amara from our sheep and goat program distributing animals to community members.

Cpt. Roy filling up the chopper with Christmas Shoe boxes-taking them out to the jungle to...

kids like this little girl! :)

It's time for the final 'kick' in our race to the finish. It's time to see how much work has been done, to see God's faithfulness throughout the year-and now kick it up a notch to finish strong.  In Hebrews 12:1 the end of verse says "...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." It's a great reminder to keep on the road that God has us on-persevere not matter how tired we are!

Right now I am in the middle of training for an ultra-marathon.  No, it's not a sanctioned race-but something that I have wanted to do for a while.  Run farther than a marathon.  So in January, co-worker, friend and fellow runner, Alisa and I are going to run from Voinjama to Foya.  Anyone that is familiar with this stretch of road knows that not only is it 43.75 miles/70km-but it is very, very hilly!  One of the biggest differences between training for a marathon and an ultra is the back to back LONG runs.  For example-last weekend while in Foya, our training schedule called for a Saturday run of 3 hours followed by a Sunday run of 3:40min. It's long, slow running so I don't get caught up in how fast I am going it's about time on my feet and finishing.  In those 2 days of running I covered 33 miles and burnt over 3300 calories in 6:40 minutes of walking for 3 minutes running for 12-whew!  Our longest back to back runs are a 4 hour run followed by a 5 hour run at the end of the month.  The idea is to get your body adjusted to running when you are tired, when your legs feel like jelly and you mentally have to find a whole other level of motivation.  After a long Saturday run, I soak in a cold bath, eat and drink as much as I can, nap and try not to think about running again the next day!  But you know what?  My body is adjusting-the training is working and just like work, even though I think and feel like I am tired I actually can keep pushing and finish stronger than I thought.

Mile and hour who knows what on my long Sunday run...

I may be tired going down hill to the finish-but there is always someone else with a bigger load heading up hill that is just as tired!

I am so thankful for all the amazing things God has done through our projects.  It has not been easy, but He promises never to leave us-He is with us until the very end.  It is up to me to keep moving forward, find another gear, start my final 'kick' and not give up when the finish line is so close.

 

Thanksgiving and cabbages...

Many of you may remember some past blog posts about our CMP (Church Mobilization Program) program.  It is one of the programs that I have raised money for through running the London Marathon.  Well, some exciting things have been taking place this year in our CMP program in the South East county of River Gee.

The CMP program in River Gee is focused on educating the local churches' response to those living with HIV/AIDS.  HIV/AIDS is a real issue in Liberia-however, one that is hard to measure.  The reason being that once sick, many people will not get tested in fear that if they are positive -the stigma that may follow would be too much to live with.  In a county where rural health education is limited, many see HIV/AIDS and other diseases as a curse from a witch and not as a disease that can be transmitted.  When patients do get tested the health officials have to take confidentiality procedures to ensure that the name of the patient remains anonymous.

Many victims are left on their own-to go to a local health clinic for their treatment, to find food and to draw their water.  Weakened by sickness leaves them living in extreme poverty with no one to care for them.  But, our CMP program is hopefully changing that.  Through our training, church/community members are educated on what HIV/AIDS is and how people can become infected.  It is amazing to hear the beliefs that some people have on how HIV/AIDS is transmitted!!!  And it is amazing how these beliefs can be erased through education and discussion.

The training is just one aspect-through the training our facilitators work with the church to pick a 'seed project' that will meet the physical needs of these vulnerable people group. In River Gee the church has started cabbage gardens.  The cabbage seeds are planted in a little nursery...

Little seeds are planted in a nursery bed...

When they get this big and all crammed together the get thinned out.

 CMP facilitator Marcus (on the right) and a local pastor/CMP participant thinning out the little cabbage plants.

 

"Ahhh we can breath and grow!"  All the little cabbage seedlings with room to grow.

When the cabbages get a certain size and start to out-grow the nursery they are transplanted to a plot of land that the community has given to the church to use.  The CMP participants are responsible to clear the area and make sure that the cabbages are planted carefully, weeded and cared for.

Growing cabbages!

So what does cabbages have to do with people living with HIV/AIDS?  Well, the church harvests the cabbages and takes them to the local hospital/clinic where they can be given to not only people HIV/AIDS patients (that would be too obvious who had the disease) but others who are sick and can't farm or work for their food.

I love this program for many reasons, but one main reason is seeing the church physically and spiritually respond to those in need.  If you look in Acts 2:42 onward, we are given an account of the early church-I really love this passage- it's such a beautiful picture of what the church is supposed to be-look at these key verses:

42:All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing meals, and to prayer...

44:And the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 

45: They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

46: They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.

47: All the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of people.  And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

When I visit our CMP projects in River Gee this passage of scripture is fresh in my mind.  Even though the local church has very little compared to our churches at home-they are coming together to care for a group of people that would be left to suffer on their own.  There is a long way to go for sure-but much like the cabbages that start off as a little seed-the seed can grow to something that can be used.

As us Canadians head into Thanksgiving weekend-I would challenge you to maybe 'thin out' your pantry and take some of that extra food to the local food bank or the Salvation Army so they can give to those are in need.  Much like the judgement the victims of  HIV/AIDS face here-let's not judge who we are giving it too or why they need it. But give in the same attitude found in verse 47:"all the while praising God" and look what happened!  48:"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being SAVED!"

Happy Thanksgiving everyone-enjoy your time with family and friends!