AMS STATS

Final stats from the first Awake My Sole journey:  

January 9, 2012 --- December 22, 2012

347 days
29,980,800 seconds
499,680 minutes
8328 hours
50 weeks

Spoke a total of 317 times to 15,225 people

Day #128 @ Fulton Reformed Youth Group near Clinton Iowa.  Around speaking Spot #100

Day #240 @ Central Iowa Christian School in Grinnell Iowa.  Speaking Spot #200

Day #332 @ MOC High School in Orange City Iowa.  Speaking Spot #300

Ran a total of 1339 miles 

Day #14.  Running in a BLIZZARD to Orange City Iowa

Day #209.  Running to Clinton Iowa.  Attempting to outrun a thunderstorm.  VIDEO HERE

Day #238.  In the middle of running to Grinnell Iowa.  Using ICY POPS to down in the EXTREME HEAT of  IOWA

Day #252.  Running to Des Moines in the rain.  The last run before Jim got married.  

2,678,000 steps taken on the journey

Quote written on the Awake My Sole gear cart.  Jim's mantra.  

35.23 miles per run

51.1 marathons

418 5Ks

Used 5 pairs of Brooks Running Shoes

Brooks Glyerin 9s:  Pair Number 1 (Green) and Pair Number 2 (Red)

Pair Number 3 ... Brooks Glycerin 10s

Pair number 4.  Brooks Ghost 5

Pair number 5.  Brooks Ghost 5

9728 ounces of Gatorade

114 Clif Bars & 76 Clif Gel Packs

Numerous Snickers Bars consumed

Freedom + Structure = Booyah!!!

I love setting goals (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).  I enjoy dreaming big crazy dreams.  I love to plan and prepare.   

I also love freedom and not being tied down by structure and programs.

I think I need a healthy balance of both.

---

In running long distances, I have to enjoy both "free runs" and "structured runs."

"Free runs" are the ones where I have no watch on my wrist and no headphones in my ears.  Where I just run.  Through the streets and up mountainsides, often rediscovering the joy of running and being outside exerting my body.

"Structured runs" are the ones where I plan to accomplish a training task,  discipline and setting specific tasks are involved.  When completed, they are the ones that give me the "I'm really happy" feeling, however they too don't excited me beforehand.   Why?  Because they are the ones I need to exert more energy than I'm used to, where I push my body to the limit.  To become a better, stronger, healthier runnier, I need these.

---

I try to incorporate both styles into my runs.

A little Freedom + A little Structure = Booyah!!!

It's like life.

For the dreams we dream, and the goals we set, to the joys we wish to experience, to searching what it means to be human, and seeking the depths of our soul.

We need both freedom and structure in our life.

Freedom to experience our surroundings, to enjoy our friends without busyness and time limits...

Structure to help us achieve what we were created to achieve, and to do it well.

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There are a lot of things I want to do, and without both freedom and structure, I won't be able to.

---

at one of the stops of my trip.  did some reading and juggled the soccer ball.  

Several years ago I took 10 days on a solo trip to Canada and back.  I took my bicycle, some running shoes, some food, books and good music.

I knew I wanted to go around the great lakes, up into Canada and come back down through Niagara Falls.

I knew what my starting and ending was going to be, but I didn't know the details in between.  It made for a great 10 days.  I enjoyed it, found it to be very relaxing.

this trip provided both the freedom and structure to make a great trip.

Freedom, waking up each day exploring and visiting new places.  Stopping wherever I wanted and going for a quick couple mile jog or bike ride.

Structure, knowing my trip was 10 days long, and I had a certain place I wanted to get to.  

---

we need structure.

we need freedom.

we need a healthy balance of both.

---

From Rob Bell's book What We Talk About When We Talk About God

I believe God is with us,
around us,
beside us,
present with us in every moment. 

The question, then,
the art,
the task,
the search,
the challenge,
the invitation is for you and me to become more and more the kind of people who are aware of the divine presence... (p.109-110)  

---

Journeyman

"Journeyman"

an album by Eric Clapton's spins on the record player behind me.

I am on a journey.  We all are.  

....

My endorphins are engaged.

Just got done doing some walking accompanied by seven minutes of light jogging.

I've been taking it easy.  My left lower leg has been causing me some pain over the last seven months.  

....

Humbling.  

The word used to explain how I'm feeling.

Last year, could run 16 hours straight; today, 7 minutes.

....

Inspired.

I read an incredible article about Scott Jurek who used his love for running to raise money for schools in Ethiopia, along with helping getting medical attention to Ethiopians. 

Seeing others create, inspires me.

....

I'm a journeyman.  

Yes, finishing is important, but what's even more important is enjoying the journey that gets you to the end. 

Watching others live their journey well inspires me to live my journey well. 

....

Is coffee BAD for runners?

the dangerous cycle

I haven't been able to run "well" since March.  Even going out for short quick runs has been causing strain on my left calf.

Super bummer!

Especially when 2012 was filled with running.  Running was my job, my gift, my passion.  It's what I spoke about at each speaking engagement.  

Being a long distance runner, I thought I knew what was going on with my leg, each time I would access and diagnose the situation, "Maybe it's my tendon, a hair line fracture or perhaps a muscle tear.  You know, all the running you did last year probably was the result of this."

And thus was the cycle I fell into.  I call it "The dangerous cycle of an injured long distance runner." (insert dramatic music here).

• Injury accrued.  
• Attempt to run.  
• Re-injure or strain whatever was previously injured or strained.
• Evaluate, asses and diagnose the pain as if you were a doctor.
• Attempt to run.
• Re-Re-injure or strain.
• Say you are going to "Rest." (Codeword for I'm going to bike, swim, walk, jumping jacks)
• Attempt to run.
• Re-Re-Re-injure or strain.
• ... and so on and so on  

I don't know if it is pride, ego, or unawareness; what I should have done in March was go to the doctor, but I didn't.  I thought I could fix it, and was completely naive, thinking I knew what was wrong with my body.  I mean seriously, if I could spend a year on the road, running up to 55 miles pushing a 150 gear cart, couldn't I figure out what was wrong with my lower leg?  I sustained very few injuries on the Awake My Sole journey, and now I can't even go for a 2 mile run without my leg feeling strained.

After moping and complaining about not being able to run, my incredible wife shared some words of wisdom with me, "Doctors go to school to figure out how to asses and diagnose injuries."

I gave in and finally went in to the doctor.  Six months later.

I entered the doctor's office.  At most, waited for about 5 minutes.  Filled out some forms.  The doctor asked me to walk around the office.  Observed my stride and patterns.  Put me on a bench and moved my leg, asked if it hurt when she moved it a certain way.  I told her when it hurt.  Brought me off the bench and said:

"You have a strained Peroneus Longus muscle.  You need to stop turning your left foot outwards when you run, turn it in straight ahead, and you need to walk from your heal of your foot to the toe of your foot, not to roll on the outside of your foot.  That should help."

That was it!  In less than 15 minutes, my injury was assessed, diagnosed and what the next steps for treatment were.

It's been a humbling process.

So, I've been walking 30 minutes every day with my left foot turned in.  Hope to be back and running soon, and thus blogging too.

this "thank you" goes out to Charity for assessing and diagnosing my leg.  

The Road ahead

Is your journey worth your life?

I feel like Skydiving is a cheap thrill, especially if it involves skydiving with cars.

A temporary experience of fulfillment.  Excitement and danger converge and well up within us a sense of being "fully alive."

Similar to many commercials on TV.  

A couple weeks ago I was sitting and watching TV.  There was a commercial about a girl who got a new pair of jeans, and instantly she was happy.  She started dancing like a fully alive person.  She danced on chairs and you could tell she was happy.

"If only I get those jeans, an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement will well up out of me and I'll burst apart, right?"

We are seeking things that don't fulfill and amidst this realization we still intensely seek after them.

A band named "The Lighthouse and the Whaler" have a song called "Burst Apart."

A lyrics from this song:

"The journey is worth your life..."

Since first hearing this song, this lyric has mulled around in my head.  I can't stop thinking about how essential finding a "journey worth your life" is.  Especially to finding fulfillment, meaning and purpose.

It would be disappointing if becoming "fully alive" was as easy as purchasing jeans or skydiving in some remote village.

Our journeys must be better than that.  We must be willing to give our lives to them.

What journey is worth our life?

Our life is one of our most precious gifts.

What if our ultimate purpose and meaning can be found amidst an orchestrated story with a Creator?  Where we realize, our story, our life is but a small piece of a grand scheme.

What if our life, our meaning, our story is more than ourselves, but rather about something bigger?    

The Awake My Sole journey was based out of striving after Jesus.  It's crazy to think the running & speaking portion of the yearlong journey is finished, however the journey overall journey has only begun.

Whether you are an "extreme-thrill-seeking-sports-athlete" jumping out of planes or a business woman with a routine job, you can fully be alive amidst striving after something bigger.

Ultimately I know my life is not my own, but God's, and I attempt daily to be aware of the journey I am on.

Is the journey you are on worth your life?

An Unexpected Journey --- What would BILBO do? GO or STAY ???

The Hobbit, the newest installment from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings franchise has this tag line:

"An Unexpected Journey."

It is a fictional story filled with mythical creatures.  The main protagonist is Bilbo, the Hobbit.  Hobbits are comfortable creatures, who enjoy the simple pleasures and comforts of life: smoking a pipe, reading books and eating good food.

Hobbits are not ones for exploring or discovery.

But in this story, Bilbo finds himself on an unexpected journey with a bunch of dwarfs.  At first he is against going on the journey Gandalf wishes for him to be on, but there is a turning point where the excitement of risk and unknown wells up in this Hobbit and he joins the crew.

“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Our lives are unexpected journeys.  Even amidst the so-called mundane and routines of life.

Sometimes we are called on an adventure, perhaps to follow and pursue a dream, like starting a bakery or writing a book... little unexpected journeys.

The crazy thing is, we have a choice while at the same time we don't have a choice.  We never know what the other choice would have been.  We can always say things like, "I wonder what would have happened?"

With anything in life, we are confronted with this option, do we GO or do we STAY?

If we GO, it may not be easy, perhaps scary or risky, full of fearful moments.  We may miss the comforts of our life.  Freeing and liberating with nothing holding us back.

If we STAY, it may be simple and routine, and we can come home each night.  To some it may seem oppressive because of the stability.

Our life is full of unexpected moments.  In fact, every moment can be an unexpected moment of "Going" or "Staying."

It's not whether we GO or STAY, more or less, but rather why we are "going" or "staying?"

Why do we GO on journeys of adventure, or STAY put in the comforts of every day life?

Do people who GO on journeys lead more "fulfilling" and "meaningful" lives in comparison to those who STAY?

I'm in the middle of a book called "Brother Lawrence, practicing the presence of God," and he is a monk who cooked meals and did routine tasks filled with great love.  His whole practice of life was to be continually aware of the presence of the Creator, in every task.  In the tasks of "Going" and of "Staying."

"I wish you could convince yourself that GOD is often (in some sense) nearer to us, and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health."  Brother Lawrence

What if we really believed that God is near us on this unexpected journey of life?  We GO when we feel called to go; we STAY when we feel called to stay.  

What if the Creator of the Universe, the One who knows the deepest truths, who loves us so deeply and intimately, is truly alongside of us, giving us direction and hope?  Not walking the steps for us, but whispering in the silence little hints for us to follow, all while longing for our love and affections, only things we can offer when we are aware.  

Any unexpected journey we go on, if we are truly trying to follow God, our hearts will be aligned, so really no matter what we do, whether it is run across the state of Iowa, work in a cubicle, go on an unexpected journey, or stay put and wash dishes, we can find the meaning, purpose and joy out of a love for the Creator.

Ten Days

Ten days, the running portion of the Awake My Sole journey will be coming to an end.  A routine of running, speaking, resting, meeting new people and discovering Iowa towns will come to an end.

Yes, a bittersweet feeling:  a feeling of achievement and accomplishment in finishing this yearlong journey across the state of Iowa, while at the same time a sadness and mourning in thinking the end of this journey is near.

A reminder while running to each Iowa town

Honestly, I always dreamt the journey would come to an end, but never actually thought I would be here.  At the beginning, a year seemed like such a long period of time, but with less than two weeks till the finish, it seems like such a short period of time.

So much has happened and yet so much has remained the same.

Time moves forward, and I am looking forward to what's next, especially with the Awake My Sole journey.  Already in the process of thinking and praying for what's to come.  Maybe someone else will take on the AMS journey across the state, or perhaps a relay, or writing a book of the journey, or perhaps a speaking tour across the state with other motivational speakers.

Who knows?

I do know that finishing this journey well is equally as important as when I started, as well as the planning stage, and for whatever comes next.

Many people have asked, "Do you still enjoy running and speaking?"

My answer, "Yes, I do."

Some days on the journey were really tough, and some weeks of speaking were overwhelming, but at the same time there were some days that were excellent and I felt the "runner's high" as I ran to the next town, or connecting well with the group of people I got to speak to.

Overall, this journey has been a story of risk.  In the risky and unknown having to truly rely on the Creator and others for my needs to be met, while at the same time planning and preparing in a way that brings a joy and meaningfulness.

My story is not your story, my journey is not your journey, but we are both writing a story with our life.

Ten days, the Awake My Sole journey comes to an end, however it's not THE END, but truly the beginning.  The beginning of what?  Not sure, but preparing and planning for whatever does come, while at the same time enjoying the moment.

Ten days.  Yesterday it was Eleven, tomorrow it will be Nine, together, whatever journey we may be on, let's live in a way in which each day of the journey we live well.  Some days wont be the best, and some days will be super rad; allow us to embrace them, because the bigger picture is a healthy balance of both.

Ten days....

Scheduling REST into our busy lives

Charley resting after a long day of running from Iowa City to Grinnell.

Everyone needs rest, including Charley.  Life comes at us fast, and if we don't schedule "restful moments" into our schedules, we'll get burned out (or get sick).

Definition of Rest: "To refresh oneself, as by sleeping, lying down, or relaxing" and "Refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion of labor."  

Before setting off on the AMS journey, this is how Jim chose where he would be running-to & speaking-in.  Rocks and a Iowa Map.   

In preparing for the yearlong Awake My Sole journey across the state of Iowa, wisdom suggested incorporating "restful moments" into the journey.  We wanted to make sure to get good rest, especially with pursuing such a labor intense occupation over a long period of time.

Jim was hosted in Bellevue Iowa this summer.  He got to REST in a old Volkswagon bus for a week.  This was his most unique resting quarters.  "No journey across the state of Iowa is complete without staying in a VW bus."       

Restful moments offer us a time to reset our inner compass, to reflect, to dream, to pray, to enjoy some quiet time, to enjoy the simple things of life.

Jim grabbing a cup of coffee at Toad's Coffee Shop in Spencer Iowa during his scheduled rest week.  

Scheduled restful moments in the Awake My Sole journey include:  

• Every Tuesday morning, after a long running day, Jim rests by sleeping in.
• Every Fifth week, after running and speaking for four weeks, Jim takes a week of rest.  He sleeps in, disconnects from social media, and tries to participate in activities he enjoys, like going for walks or reading books.

When was the last time you were able to rest?

Are you getting enough "restful moments" in your life?

A Friendly Suggestion: Grab your calendar and block out a morning, day, weekend OR week for a "restful moment. 

During this upcoming "REST WEEK" for Awake My Sole, we hope to spend some quality time discerning the NEXT STEPS of AMS...

The Seasons Are a Changin'

Bob Dylan sings, "The times they are a changing."  

This is a post of the possible changes and "What's next?" for the AMS journey.

Winter

Running in a Iowa winter blizzard (Kingsley to Orange City)

Protecting my face from the elements

 Spring

Running from Webster City to Ames in Spring.  Flowers on the side of the road.

Yes, those are IronMan sunglasses.  

Summer

Running to Waterloo Iowa.  Super hot summer in Iowa.  Had to stay in Independence a night due to extreme heat.  

This particular summer running day, I consumed eight 24-ounce waters, six 32-ounce Gatorades, a camel back, and additional fluids.  The summer was very hot & humid.  The toughest run was Iowa City to Grinnell.

Which brings us to Fall AKA Autumn... the changing of the seasons.

• Trees shed their leaflets.  
• Days get shorter. 
• It gets colder.
• Sweaters come out of the closets (unless you live in Florida).
• Pumpkins are carved & turned into delicious pies.  
• Coffee shops put out their seasonal nutmeg spiced latte.  

Life is like the seasons.  Change happens and we transition, good for us.  Often times difficult and tough, but ultimately good.  Each person or group of people need challenge, risk, meaning and purpose.  If we aren't finding that in what we are currently pursuing, we feel stagnant or bored, not alive, and we long for the next season, the next change, where we are challenged and hopefully come alive.  

I write this blog post, cause the Awake My Sole journey has experienced the four seasons of Iowa: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall.  

The AMS dream began in 2007 amidst conversation in a office entry way.  It's now three months till the running portion of the AMS journey ENDS. Many have asked, "What's the next season of the AMS journey?"  

We're not sure yet.  We're in a waiting period, seeking discernment inspired by the Creator and wisdom from others.  

Some of ideas include:

• Get someone else to RUN/Speak the AMS route.
• Write something about the AMS journey.
• Have a summer relay run across the state of Iowa to help raise $$$ to build water wells.
• Continue the journey, maybe across another state.  
• Continue to speak.    
• End the AMS journey.  Wrap it up, let it be what is was.
• Start a mentoring program for younger boys, combing running/mentoring together
• Have an Awake My Sole speaking tour with multiple runners.
• Your idea: ___________________________.    

Keep AMS in your thoughts and prayers as we discern what's next.  

Here are some Autumn pics... Enjoy!!!