God bless all of you!

Got to the race site about 30 minutes before the start.  Got a primo parking space.  It was 39 degrees this morning…pretty cold, but it didn’t last long.

Race started at about 7 AM.  It’s hard for 100+ people to run together on single track trails, so the start was slow.   Everyone was spread out by Mile 2.

I ran really well on the first 10 mile loop.  Probably went out too fast as my first lap was completed in 2:10, second lap in 2:30 and third lap in 2:50.  The official results aren’t in, but I think my time was around 7:30….thats 7 HOURS, 30 minutes.  My goal was 6:30, so I was a little bummed at the time, but the whole point was to finish.

I’m not a fan of long race reports, so here it goes.  First Lap = fun, fast pace, not tired at all.  Second Lap = starting to get tired and regressing until excruciating pain by the end.  Last Lap = Temps reach 82 degrees.  Was praying for an Exodus 19:4 experience (“…I carried you on eagles wings…”).  No eagles, but I pushed through the pain and finished anyway.  This was the hardest physical thing I’ve ever done.  (Even harder than listening to Bon Jovi on Jen’s ipod.)

Here are some fun thoughts:

1. Finisher of the Race – It wasn’t pretty, but I finished.  Lived up to the name.  My friend Jay said, “Good thing you didn’t name the ministry WINNER of the Race.”
2. The seven and a half hours of running was longer than the amount of sleep I got last night.  (But less than the length of the nap I want to take now.)
3. If yellow pee means you are dehydrated, what does orange pee mean?
4. Gear Guy – If you’ve ever been to a race, you’ve probably noticed that one guy who has all the coolest gadgets and clothes.  Usually, that guy is me, but not this time.  This one fellow, we called him Gear Guy, was a master.  Matching viser, running jacket and shorts….compression socks…Garmin watch…Oakley glasses with built in mp3 player.  Dude rocked, and he rocked right past me at Mile 3 like I was standing still.  That’s until Mile 23, when I saw him only a mile ahead of me.  Jay was running with me, and I told him that we now had a mission…catch Gear Guy.  I’m happy to say that I passed him with a couple miles to finish.  Thanks for the memories Gear Guy.  

Thanks to Jay for running with me to start the final lap and for taking some great video shots (check it out in the upper right corner of this page)  Congrats to Jen as she finished the 10 Mile race today, and for putting up with me as a moan about being sore.  Thanks also to Caleb and Jason, plus all their kids for coming out to support the cause.

We still have a long way to go.  Please donate today if you haven’t already.

“Do you see what this means-all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running-and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed-that exhilarating finish in and with God-he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

That is what this (and IT) is all about!

Mrs. Clanahan seemed to be very strong given the circumstances, and I’m proud of Christian, Emily and Matt. Mr. Clanahan must have been very proud of his children and their spouses.

I am very blessed to have known Mr. Clanahan. In is eulogy, Mr. Hagood mentioned how Mr. Clanahan encouraged him to help coach his son’s soccer team. I was on many teams with Christian, but I one memory comes to mind more often than others:

We had just finished a soccer practice and Mr. Clanahan was the coach. Until that time, I had played mostly in the field, but they put me in at goalie for the practice. I guess I did well and on the car ride back home from practice Mr. Clanahan told me that he was amazed that I was so good at goalie. He said I could excel at every position. At the time I’m sure he was just being nice to his son’s friend, but to me it was a huge validation. It is the first time I can remember being told by a man other than my dad that “I had what it takes.”

Similarly, the Challenge must equally require endurance and resolve.  It may even mean pushing through pain and long, grueling therapy (training).

That’s why I’ve committed to this year’s Challenge, RUN 181.  The Challenge requires the completion of three ultramarathons (see below) totalling 181 miles.  Donations for the Cause can either be by lump sum or an amount based on the number of miles of the races.  Those races are as follows:

Prickly Pear 50K (31 miles)
March 13, 2010
San Antonio, Texas
www.pp1050.com

The race winds over 31 miles through the trails of McAllister Park.  This will be my first ultramarathon (defined as any race longer than a traditional 26.2 mile marathon).  The course is relatively flat.  Finishing this race will mean I am on track for the monster races to come.  Not finishing…that could mean a long, hard season of training.

Finishing Time Goal = 6.5 hours

Leadville Silver Rush 50 Mile Run
July 18, 2010
Leadville, Colorado
www.leadvilletrail100.com

This may be the most difficult of all the races.  The 50 miles distance is the easy part as the starting line is near Elev. 10,000 and forces the runners straight up a ski slope.  It doesn’t get any easier as the course runs over several mountains including Ball Mountain at over Elev. 12,600.   You just can’t train for that in Texas!  Hopefully I’ll be in such proximity to God at that altitude that it will be easier for Him to carry me.

Finishing Time Goal = 12 hours; Course Cut Off Time = 14 hours

Cactus Rose 100 Mile Trail Run
October 30, 2010
Bandera, Texas
http://www.tejastrails.com/CactusRose.html

The finale to the RUN 181 is a 100 mile trek through the hills (BIG hills) of the Hill Country State Natural Area near Bandera, TX.  I ran a 25K race on this course last January and there are very few flat sections.  The trails are rocky and lined with cactus and yucca.  The race director says to watch out for scorpions, rattlesnakes and a lone mountain lion (which is one too many if you ask me).  The race length will require running through the night.  I need to research if mountain lions are nocturnal!

Finishing Time Goal = 24 hours; Course Cut Off Time = 36 hours

You see, a core desire for me (and all men and women, I presume) is to live in a story larger than my own life.  To be part of a grand adventure.  To overcome adversity and to fight for others.  Names like Ernest Shakleton, Sir Edmund Hillary, Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong capture our imaginations and stir something in our hearts to be more.  I can’t say that God has told me to lead an expedition to the South Pole or climb Mount Everest…..yet.   But, he has led me to this very important mission…Finisher of the Race!

A few years ago, God rescued my heart from a life of quiet resignation.  He invited me into the “freedom” of Scripture and used adventure as the great attraction.  My particular adventures included physical pursuits such as triathlons, mountain biking and a marathon.  In each of these He stressed the importance of finishing strong to the point that it became part of my identity. 

Recently, I have been called to do more.  Greater challenges.  Greater purpose.

This is the mission of Finisher of the Race.  To be a “normal” guy taking on challenges and adventures that most “normal” people would not attempt and, in doing so, support causes according to the greatest commandments…love God and love others.

Each year I will select a Cause to support as God puts it on my heart.  This year the Cause is in support of cancer treatment costs The Clanahan Family.  Click here for more information on the 2010 Cause.

In order to raise funds for the Causes each year I will commit to an extreme Challenge.  The requirements for a Finisher of the Race Challenge are that they should complement the spirit of the Cause, be led by God and be something that most “normal” people would never attempt.  If I find myself watching an adventure or challenge and saying, “I’ll never do that!,”  then that adventure would make for a good Finisher of the Race Challenge.

This year’s Challenge is called RUN 181 and will require me to complete three (3) ultramarathons in San Antonio, TX, Leadville, CO and Bandera, TX totaling 181 miles.  Click here for more information on the 2010 Challenge.

To contribute to the Finisher of the Race 2010 Cause and Challenge, chip in at the “Donate Here” link to the right of this page.  For more information on donations, click here.

Thanks for being a part of this Mission,

Brian

* All funds received will be donated to the Cause, less Pay Pal fees.

I still remember that morning before school.  Matt was my best friend’s little brother.  At seven years old, he was the first person I ever knew who had cancer…and the first person I ever knew who died.  I watched Matt fight his leukemia for many months leading up to that day.  I remember him wearing a Davy Crockett coon skin hat to school to hide the effects of chemotherapy.  I remember that cancer was cruel and unjust.

Years later, in high school, a football teammate was diagnosed with cancer.  Clay was the strongest and most faith-filled fighter of the disease I’ve known.  As a testament to his will, Clay came back from chemotherapy and a surgery that took out a lung and most of the ribs on one side of his body to play in his senior football season.  He caught two passes in one game and inspired everyone in my hometown.  He died a year later.  We was, and still is, a legend.

Those were the two most poignant cancer stories in my life.  Outside of a couple aunts who beat breast cancer (thank you God), my family and friends have been relatively free from the evil of cancer…..until 2009.

In 2009, we were overwhelmed by the cases of cancer that surfaced all around us.  My former boss and a co-worker both had successful prostate cancer surgery.  My friend’s father-in-law is fighting cancer in his lungs and throughout his body.  Another friend’s father recently died from brain cancer.  A former next door neighbor is fighting breast cancer. 

However, the one that hits closest to home is my father-in-law, Chris Behrmann, currently fighting squamous cell carcinoma (Non Hodgkin’ Lymphoma).  Thankfully, he has been blessed with a company that is still paying him a salary and providing adequate insurance to cover most costs.

As serious as all those situations are, one cancer development was more tragic and financially devastating than all the others and is the official 2010 Finisher of the Race Cause:

The Clanahan Family

Christian Clanahan was one of my best friends growing up.  I don’t remember all the teams he and I played on together, but they included tee-ball, soccer and football.  What I do remember is that his dad, David, was often the coach.  Mr. Clanahan loved his children dearly and he also loved the other kids who played on their teams and at their house. 

I was blessed to be in the presence of David and his wife, Barbara, for most of my childhood.  Their multi-family vacations to the beach (Island House rocks!) and annual Christmas parties where social events not to be missed.

Eventually, I grew up, went to college and moved to another city.  My contact with the Clanahans was limited to e-mails with Christian and Facebook updates.  We were all quietly living our lives until late last year.

On October 14, 2009, Barbara Clanahan was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.  The Clanahans had already been through a tough year as David was forced to stop working to attend to the family’s health issues.  This was a major blow.  David took the news harder than anyone and started to develop stomach pains.  Thinking he was suffering from anxiety over Barbara’s cancer, David went to see the doctor.  On November 19 he found out he had a mass on his pancreas and spots on his liver.  Later investigations showed that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and that the cancer had encroached into his gall bladder.

David fought well early on, but the cancer, and subsequent clogging of a bile duct and a malfunctioning liver filter, were too much for him.  On January 31, 2010, David Clanahan met his Father in Heaven.   

So the fight continues on for Barbara.  She recently completed her chemotherapy and had a successful double mastectomy.  Soon she will undergo radiation therapy.  She is a very strong woman, and with the support of her friends and family, she plans to beat this cancer. 

She will do so under the weight of the loss of her husband and the full cost of treatment for both her and David.  It is my prayer that the Finisher of the Race mission can lessen the financial burden on the Clanahan family and thus help in Barbara’s recovery.

All donations will be given to the BCHC Fund which has been set up for the Clanahan family.