Run4Jens: Help, Thanks, Wow...

I posted this on my other blog and wanted to share it here too.... Jens, you are one of the best running buddies I know. :)

This morning, Jason and I participated in the Cutthroat Classic. As stated on the MSTVA website: "Possibly the most incredible views you could ever have on a trail run! The Cutthroat Classic is a 11.1 mile trail run through the North Cascades, following the Pacific Crest Trail and over Cutthroat Pass."

Following my tradition of running in honor of friends during races, I had two very special people that I carried with me on my run today.

1) Jens Herman who has made it past the three month mark of his double lung transplant surgery on May 18th and who is a champion in my book. (And even better that he and Abby are starting to plan their wedding in 2015 that I will get to be a part of!!) http://www.cotaforjensh.com

2) Rudy Geyling (another champion in my book) who was born in the fall of 2008 with a heart condition called HLHS (which means that the left side of his heart is underdeveloped). According to the last email I got from his parents (Rolf and Trish), Rudy continues to be in limbo regarding treatment to his heart but has made amazing progress developmentally this year. www.rudysbeat.com

This trail run is absolutely beautiful--- 11.1 miles of switchbacks and glory. And with the clouds, rain and hail we've experienced in the last few days, the sunshine was not something that I took for granted this morning on this run.

As I ran, I talked to several folks. At one point, one runner behind me and I started talking about where we were from and what our jobs were. When she heard that I worked at SPU, she immediately brought up the shooting in June and asked me about it. That story led to me sharing a bit about Boston and my experience there too. And the thing I ended saying to summarize the two experiences was that the only faithful response I knew was one of gratitude.

Gratitude for being alive.

Gratitude that I could be here today.

Gratitude for this very moment- that I could run and see this.

And then this thought led to the following mantra and prayer

that I began to say in my mind as I continued up the trail:

"THANK YOU FOR MY HEART.

THANK YOU FOR MY LUNGS.

HELP RUDY WITH HIS HEART.

HELP JENS WITH HIS LUNGS."

At one point after a bunch of switchbacks, my jaw dropped for the first time of many.

(And since I carried a phone with me, I was able to snap a bunch of pictures along the way to capture some of the beauty we got to see.)

Anne Lamott has a book called Help, Thanks, Wow

in which she explains that prayer is best distilled into these three words.

I continued my prayers for Rudy and Jens with my help/thanks mantra and then kept throwing in a bunch of "wows" in the mix for good measure.

not hard to say "WOW" at this view!!!

When I was running up some of the hills, I imagined my dear friend Elizabeth running up the hill and pushing me from behind and remembered this story with deep gratitude. I thought of how during my long runs like this that I carry so many stories with me. I got to carry the stories of Rudy and of Jens with me today but I also carry with me all those who have run alongside me and supported me along the way.

Once again. my heart is filled with gratitude.

I was so thankful for this race and for the pace my body was able to crank out... (and thankful that I came out at the finish line without any broken bones from the crazy running downhill-- there were lots of battle scars that runners crossed the finish line with from trips and falls along the way...).