It Goes On and On My Friend…

Just a real quick update today.  I swam .31 miles without stopping today.  By far the furthest I have ever swam.  I used every stroke in the book – freestyle, back stroke, side stroke, and a lazy man’s back stroke.  I guess I missed a few but that doesn’t matter.  I did it!

Now I am getting crazy ideas about doing a real triathlon yet this year.  Hopefully by the time I get some real open water swimming in the registration will be closed and the race sold out.  🙂

It really depends on if I get into the Twin Cities Marathon 10-mile which I find out tomorrow.

That’s it!

First Tri – Done

Heart beating fast, nerves maxed, transition set, equipment checked, and on my way to the starting line.  Yes, this is my first triathlon.  All of the training that I have done to this point is for this day.  It is windy, the ground was wet from the night’s rain but now the sun shines.

The race begins!

I start snapping pictures, study the swimmers, study the transition, cheer for my teammates, be inspired by everyone from first to last.

This is the first triathlon that I have ever watched in person.  It was amazing.  Everyday people doing amazing things.  The venue was perfect.  It was the Clearwater Triathlon.

http://www.granitemantri.com/

I may just do this event next year.  The big challenge is the 1/2 mile swim but it was nice to see it is never more than 30 feet from shore.

Talking to people after the race I discovered that people do the entire race on their backs.  I started thinking – I could do that.  Time is running out but do I have a surprise triathlon in me yet this year?  Doubt it but I have an inkling of hope.

I finished my first triathlon – viewing.

I am a Dead Tree!

As much as I have a desire to finish a triathlon, which to me would prove my ability to overcome my fear of water  nothing will replace running.

Running for me is so much more than fitness.  It is a chance for me to connect with nature, people and God – which all three are very much connected.  When I am out on the trail I often look for signs of God.  Some are generic while others seem to speak to me personally.

On this hot humid day in Minnesota I again experienced God while on my 10+ mile run.

While getting in the zone, I noticed a hawk perched on a dead tree.  Not thinking too much about it except simply wondering why this hawk would choose this tree with so many other healthy trees around full of vegetation.

As I continued I looked up and saw a hawk, can’t say it was the same one, circling directly above me.

Again, as I continued I had a third encounter with a hawk.  This time it was again on a dead tree, not the same one.  All of this took place in less than one mile.

So my reflection on all of this comes down to God.  As there are countless verses in the bible about the poor needing God, the broken needing God, the sick needing God, and on and on – we all need God- these trees represented that.  God is happy to be perched on the shoulders of the most dead people around.  When he is not perched on their shoulders he continues to be there circling around waiting for us to call out to him.  Only to return to our brokenness, perched upon our shoulders.

God is happy to be perched upon the broken, desiring their love, faith, and commitment.  Like the hawk who is happy to be perched on the dead tree.  Are  you like the dead tree?  Have you allowed God to stand watch over your soul?