Reflections of a Running Reverend

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7, NRSV Finishing strong. This is what every runner hopes to do at every race and run. For long distance runners, it means running all those miles but leaving enough in the tank for that final push. My running buddy Stephen uses a very Alaskan metaphor of a woodstove or fireplace. At the start of a marathon, he would remind me to pace myself, to time the "feeding of logs into the fire" strategically so that the flame keeps going. He also reminds me to leave enough for the final push. Then in the last mile, he goes, "Alright, Carlo, whatever logs you've got left, this is the time to throw it all in the fire! Time to go all out!" One time, I actually told him, "I don't think I have any logs left." I just didn't have enough in the tank to finish strong. I've since learned to pace myself better and in the last race I did, I actually had...

I did it! This past weekend, I ran my first ultramarathon, the inaugural 49K Ultra here in Anchorage. And thanks to your help, I made it, running it in 6 hours, 12 minutes and 18 seconds. I say "thanks to your help" because I know that you were with me. In my last post, Come Run With Me , I shared that I was going to do this race as a prayer run, dedicating a mile to praying for each of the churches in the Alaska Conference. And I invited you to join me in praying for at least one church. For those who were able, I invited you to run, walk, jog, or bike a mile as they prayed. I am thankful to all of you who joined me on this prayer run. I certainly felt your presence! And it definitely was helpful, especially at the points when I wanted to quit. Prayerfully thinking about the congregations, pastors and lay people helped keep my mind off the pain in my tired legs. And it motivated me to finish. The prayer run took on a whole new meaning for me with a woman I met durin...

I will be running my first ultramarathon on Sunday, August 17. An ultra, as it is fondly called, is any race longer than the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles or 42.1648 kilometers. I will be testing my limits in the inaugural 49K Ultra of the Big Wild Life Runs here in Anchorage. And while it is "short" compared to the standard ultra distances (50K, 50 miles, 100 miles and beyond), it is probably the longest I am willing to run, for now... What makes this race different from other races I've done in the past, aside from the longer distance, is my plan to do it as a prayer run. 49 kilometers is equivalent to 30.44860 miles. There are 28 United Methodist Churches in my area of responsibility. I would like to dedicate a mile for each of these churches. As I run each mile, I will prayerfully hold the church assigned to that mile, their pastor/s, lay people, missions and ministries. I will bring the following list with me: Mile 1: Aldersgate UMC , Juneau Mile ...

When asked for advice about training for a marathon, one of the first things I always say is, "find a running buddy." And I say this with much conviction every time because it is born out of my own experience. With me in the following pictures is Stephen, my running buddy, trainer, encourager and friend. Stephen runs ultramarathons (yes, the 100 mile type). He has been my inspiration in running. Stephen ran my first 5K with me 5 years ago. He was the one who said, "I think you can run a marathon." He ran my first three marathons with me. I would not have been able to finish these races without Stephen. I would not have gotten to a point where I would be ready to even run a marathon if not for him. Mayors Marathon in Anchorage Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks Winter Solstice Marathon in Willow A running buddy is not only one who runs with you but someone who holds you accountable. When you don’t feel like getting up in the morning, they are th...

As I came to work last week, I found this welcome sign on the sidewalk at the entryway to the building. It was a welcome home greeting from the folks of East Anchorage UMC for one of their pastors, Fa'atafa' Fulumu'a, who just got back from attending the Course of Study for Local Pastors at Claremont School of Theology. Pastor Tafa, who graduated this summer, was gone for a couple of weeks and this was one of the many ways his congregation said "congratulations and welcome home." This sign reminded me of sidewalk signs that adorn the course during a race. Many people get very creative in supporting their runners. I've seen sidewalk chalk of different colors saying encouraging messages. I've seen personalized and handmade banners and posters. One of my all time favorites was a sign left on a secluded section of a trail that said, "Run, stranger, run!" Now some people take it to a whole new level. I've seen somebody blast...

So last week's post was about establishing a daily life and work rhythm (see Finding my Rhythm ). I had just posted it, was driving home and determined to live-out what I had just written, when my phone rang with the news that our colleague, Rev. Linda Jean Myers, had been brought to the ER as she was complaining of dizziness and shortness of breath. When I got to the hospital, she had already passed away. I spent the rest of the afternoon and late evening with her husband Ron and their older daughter Rachel. I remember driving home that night trying to make sense of it all. I also recall thinking to myself, "There goes my rhythm. There goes my schedule for the rest of the week." I knew this concern took precedence over anything I had already planned to do. I now had to plan a memorial service and a sermon for that, provide pastoral care for the family and prepare another sermon for Sunday at Chugiak (Linda Jean's church) as well as provide pastoral ca...

I am a distance runner in my own right. I ran 3 full marathons last year and am right now training for my first ultramarathon (49K) next month. And having trained for running long distances, I have found that I don't usually find my pace until after the 3rd mile. The first couple of miles are the most difficult for me as I struggle to find my rhythm. The excitement and anxiety of the starting line pumps my body with so much adrenaline that my timing is off. I try to keep in pace with the pack, pushing me to run at a pace I am not used to. It is in mile 4 when my body settles into a comfortable tempo that I could sustain for the rest of the race. Danny Dreyer, in his blog ChiRunning , says " Your body loves rhythms ... it thrives on them. Your heartbeat, your breath rate, your need for rest are all based on rhythms that occur naturally in your body or that you've established in your life. The more rhythms you establish, the better your body likes it. When you...