When you sign up for an event far in advance the hardest part of motivating yourself is when the event seems a long way off. This is week four of six weeks of intense training and for the first time in a long time I think I actually may be ready to run a full marathon May 3. This year I will definitely not peak too early as this year has been a much tougher grind than normal.
A few questions I am asked often are, how can you run for so long? Are you not bored? Do you listen to music?
As I mention in this article highlighted below, running down my ravine is my calm away from the storms of life. I would not want to miss anything by listening to music.
Somehow I have picked the race that boasts on it`s website of being the hilliest marathon in America. Gloria asked me why I would pick this particular race. After I finish it I will reveal the two powerful reasons that are worth the extra challenges these hills will mean in this marathon.
These are a few thoughts I have had during my long training runs this year.
The Past
I have been told I do not have enough humour in my life. I have been told I am too serious. I have been told I do not smile enough. This probably is true as whatever I am doing at any given time I know young girls in Cambodia are being abused and I can not enjoy the moment as much as I should.
I ran the Boston Marathon in 2011. My family came with me for support.
There is a series of hills near the end of the race, one even has been given a name it is called Heartbreak hill.
In Boston you have a generic bib, in that you are given a number but your name does not appear on your bib.
Imagine my surprise at the twenty mile mark right before Heartbreak hill I hear "Larry, Larry." I look up into the crowd and see my Mother and brother waving at me. I wonder to myself where is my Father?
I did not have long to wait for stepping out between two machine gun carrying Marines right onto the course is my Father. Talk about making an appearance!
My Father was jumping up and down, calling out my name, and waving his camera at me. My response was to angrily yell "Dad I cannot stop for a picture." My Mother to this day still laughs at me for thinking my Father wanted me to stop for a picture at this moment.
To myself I thought if I have enough energy to have anger I should be okay to finish this race.
The Present
Running on a path that is not cleared all winter presents some challenges. One day the wind made my long run even more difficult. A long stretch of the path was clear of snow followed by a long stretch of path which had hardened snow four feet deep, followed by another long stretch of a clear path.
Struggling mightily part way through the deep snow my eyes started stinging as some sun tan lotion I had put on my face went into my eyes. As I looked at the long distance I still had to cover a four letter word came to mind. Easy. How much easier this run would have been if the wind had not moved the snow like this.
Down my ravine there is nowhere to hide physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Immediately I thought of a series of questions dealing with the word easy.
How easy is it to train for a marathon?
How easy is it to complete a marathon?
How easy is it to bring awareness for others who suffer in a far away Country to a selfish world?
How easy is it for the one`s who have suffered to be brought to a complete healing?
How easy was the life and death of Jesus?
Thank you Lord for the road less travelled you have chosen for me. Thank you for hardships, for they make me appreciate good times. Thank you for the pain that comes before triumphs.
Thank you for the times of struggles for they make me stronger.
Forgive me for wanting an easy life. Please remove this word from my vocabulary.
"In trying to bring freedom, I have experienced freedom myself" is the quote I finished with in the recent article.
The freedom I have experienced is the freedom from the tyranny of things.
I have no desire to climb corporate ladders. I have no desire to add letters beside my name. I have no desire to have my name in lights.
I have no desire to live in a bigger house, buy a newer car, or compete with my neighbours.
I do have a burning desire to bring freedom to hurting people.
This is the elevation chart of my upcoming marathon.
To prepare for this I will run Centennial Ski hill hundreds of times in training. What I have come to realize is being free from the tyranny of things allows me to enjoy the view from the top of this hill.
Being a slave to the things of this world would have me constantly climbing this hill, and even when reaching the top, never stopping to enjoy the view.
The Future
I will not run marathon`s for the rest of my life. I have to be careful not to be like one of those athletes who hold on for too long. I have an exit strategy God willing.
After Pittsburgh my long range plan is to run three more full marathons, bringing the total to ten.
I hope to run another Major marathon in an American city my family has never been to. I hope to run in a destination marathon that would require my family to fly to get to the city. (sorry Lisa and Steve it is not Cambodia.) I hope to finish my marathon career where it all began at the Mississauga Marathon.
The last year would be a celebration. During my longest training run I thought of not shaving for that entire year. Only shaving after the marathon. This would be a challenge as I hate the feeling of facial hair. I would also probably have a pretty "lonely" year as I am sure Gloria may not be a big supporter of her husband looking like a family member of Duck Dynasty.
On the positive I could see this being a great way to bring awareness for Ratanak International. Also my family may raise a significant amount of money to see me clean shaven again.
As you can see running for over three hours down my ravine may be challenging but it is far from boring and when the day comes to stop I will miss it.
Larry
Some of you may know that I am now on social media. I have signed up for facebook despite thinking I never would. How did this come about?
Adam gave into the temptation of the apple with Eve offering it to him. One day while looking up sites on the Computer I gave into my temptation. Beautiful wife over one shoulder and beautiful daughter over my other shoulder encouraged me to sign up. What is a man to do in the face of such temptation? Who knows what Adam would have given up if later in life Eve ganged up on him with a daughter?
Immediately I had requests to be friends with some of my friends I have known a long time. Later on a different group came into the picture as my Ratanak friends, the movers and shakers of Ratanak International "poked" me.
One day a friend request came from someone I knew from high school. This man was an enforcer in Junior hockey. He is six feet two inches tall and weighs two hundred and forty pounds of solid muscle. As I thought of the first group of friends. I saw a College All American football player, athletes, martial artists, power lifters. I thought of the physical size and strength of a lot of my old friends. I thought of the fighting process some of these men have, they remind me of David`s mighty men from The Bible. I thought of how some of them were rough around the edges. I thought of how they never wear masks, they are who they are. If you judge them and do not accept them they do not care. If you are a friend of theirs you are a friend for life and they would do anything for you if you are in need. I concluded they are the type of people Jesus spent his time on earth with.
My Ratanak friends are a bit more polished, (Janice?) yet they have something in common with my old friends. My Ratanak friends fight as well, and they fight hard. Their fight is not in arena`s, or stadiums, or boxing rings. Their fight is not really against man. Their fight is against the forces of evil that take young children and force them into a life of sexual slavery. My Ratanak friends fight this battle with tears and prayers. They raise funding through walkathon`s, piano recitals, concerts, and art auctions. Victory is accomplished when a child is released from evil`s grasp.
I am proud to call both sets of people my friends!
One aspect of facebook is the "friend" section. My daughter made fun of me for my lack of friends. Compared to others I seem to be lagging behind, although I find it interesting that some people with so many facebook friends are so lonely. I know my number of friends are quality, not quantity.
A song from the past.
Friends Whodini
Friends
How many of us have them?
Friends
Ones we can depend on?
Friends is a word we use every day
Most of the time we use it in the wrong way
Now you can look the word up again and again
But the dictionary doesn`t know the meaning of friends
And if you ask me I couldn`t be much help
Because a friend is somebody you judge for yourself
Some are ok and they treat you real cool
But some mistake kindness for being a fool
We like to be with some because they`re funny
Others come around when they need some money
And this list goes on again and again
But these are the people that we call friends
Facebook I see in comparison to a raw material. If I use my time on social media as a way to share of my passion for bringing justice for people in Cambodia in a sensitive manner to people who have never heard of this issue I am using it in a positive way, similar to using raw materials to build, houses, shelters, hospitals, bridges, etc.
If I am not careful I can be used by social media. The only difference between the material used to build a hospital, or a wheel chair and the material used to build a tank, or a gun is the mold that it was formed in.
In the latest running room magazine a section is set apart showing various clothing and the temperatures that they are to be worn in.
The first page showed clothes that were to be worn from 0 to - 5. The next page showed clothes from -5 to -15. The last page showed clothes to be worn from -15 to -30. There was not a section for what clothes to wear at -41.
One night while looking up the predicted temperature for my upcoming long run this was the number that stared back at me.
The whole day was to be this cold so delaying for a few hours would not see this number drop at all, the only thing that would drop would be my enthusiasm. So bright and early I headed out for my two hour and 5 minute run.
The wind was 80 km/h and the first half of my run was into this wind. I saw only one other person crazy enough to be out on this day, a speed walker who nodded politely to me as we passed each other.
This was the coldest day I have ever ran on and something new happened. The wind was making my eyes water, and something I learned this day was that at -41 the water in your eyes does not stay water when exposed to the extreme cold, in fact this water becomes ice. So every few minutes I had to take a glove off and pull the ice out of my eyes.
I told Gloria I felt like "Chilly Willy" a cartoon character from my childhood a cute Penguin who used to cry ice cubes.
On my way to my latest race named what else this winter the Chilly Half Marathon Gloria and Isabella accompanied me as Katarina had an essay due for school.
Mighty to Save is on the radio, these are some of the words.
Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
I always enjoyed signing this song in Church as I relate it to children in Cambodia. The words challenge me as I do believe God is mighty to save, God wants to save but in my opinion we are the ones that are holding Him back.
The next song was a One Direction song. Anyone with an almost teenage daughter, and a teenage daughter can relate that I was not allowed to change the channel.
Leaving the car to walk to the starting line I tell Gloria "that is not the last song I want to hear." She calls me back to the car for another song she knows I like.
One Republic I did it all
I, I gave it all
I, I gave it all
I owned every second that this world could give
With every bruised bone, I swear I lived
Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up
And when the sun goes down, I hope you drank of your cup
I line up for my race feeling cold and just trying to finish today. The race director has mentioned the participants may run faster in this race because of who is coming. The two fastest Canadian men and the second fastest woman marathoner`s are taking part today. As if this is going to make me run faster I think to myself. These runners will only show myself and my family the huge gap between an elite athlete and myself.
An elite Canadian runner who is not taking part is Lanni Marchant.
She is Canada`s fastest woman marathon runner ever. She is in serious training trying to qualify for the Rio Olympics 2016. I am also hoping to break some huge news regarding Lanni at a later date.
Compared to most the race is uneventful for me. At the 16 km mark a woman yells "I love your camou" At the 17km mark I started figuring out how much time I had left to run I multiplied average time by miles instead of kilometers, same as Ottawa. I think I should shelve math when I run for I seem to always calculate wrong.
18 km mark my stomach is acting up and I am so grateful for this run being a half and not a full marathon. Although the distance is double the difficulty and the toll a full marathon takes on my body is far greater.
I mistakenly thought March 1 was the "ides of march" the date in which Julius Caesar was assassinated on. I found out that it is March 15. Today turned out to be an "ides of march "day for me.
Most of the humour from this blog has came from my daughters honest opinion of my race results. Today while driving home Isabella did not feel well and closed her eyes most of the way. In her defence Gloria saw Reid Coolsaet Canadian Olympian, and fastest men`s marathoner finish this race in 1 hour and 3 minutes.
Imagine my surprise when Gloria (loving wife of 17+ years) on the drive home turned to me and remarked "you are usually closer to the front of the race than you were today." In my defence I finished in 1 hour 40 minutes which is 1 minute faster than I ran this race two years ago. I was five minutes under a Boston Marathon Qualifying time. I finished 335 out of 4 500 runners. Have I set the bar to high? Isabella`s comments were one thing, but now even Gloria.
"Et tu Gloria et tu?
Larry
100 Days is a reminder that I saw while looking up some information on my spring marathon. 100 days are you ready? Was the exact line I found myself reading from the website.
I think to myself no I am not ready to run a full marathon right now.
The month of January was a month in which I really wanted to ramp up my training.
January has had four Hospital emergency visits for family members.
January had my furnace conk out and I had a "perfect storm" of strange coincidence`s that were nobody`s fault that left my house without heat for three consecutive days.
Training for a marathon is a very selfish pursuit, however even the most selfish person should realize family comes first and a planned run may have to wait for another day, or week.
Psalms 23 is known as David`s or the shepherds psalm.
A verse we overlook a lot as we go about our very busy lives.
Verse 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.
I have used the statement "training for a marathon is like running to the edge of a cliff and trying to stop right before you go over. If you train too hard you risk being injured and not being able to make it to the starting line. If you don`t train hard enough you run the risk of injury during the race and not being able to finish."
Possibly this time was being used as an opportunity to rest my body more than I would have liked, while dealing with each new stressful situation that seemed to occur every day.
When we go through tough times it is how we deal with them and our attitude that is most important.
It is easy to look at people with everything seemingly going perfectly well and feel envious while our times seem hard.
I found by looking at others who were going through a much tougher time than myself I was able to put my circumstances in perspective and have a thankfulness about my life.
Toronto Sick Children`s Hospital was a place we went to one day.
As my daughter was discharged with a non life threatening problem I thought of the other children we had seen with serious health issues who may never come home.
I thought of a friend of mine. A woman who is a volunteer for Ratanak International who is going through an enormous medical crisis right now along with her newborn daughter.
The third morning without heat my thermostat told me it was 9C in my house. I was cold, a little bit irritable and moved very slowly about my house with a headache after a terrible night sleep. I thought of homeless people who were outside during this cold spell and how I was protected from the wind and also I knew my situation was temporary.
I also realized these events were spread out evenly over the whole month so my family did have a chance to react to each one. What if three things happened the same day? I know things would have been much tougher for us.
One positive of the furnace adventure was that I was able to upgrade my computer skills a little, much to my daughter`s relief. I was also able to finish a writing and post pictures to a magazine that asked for some information on my past runs and walkathons.
If this article makes it to print it would be a tremendous opportunity for letting many people know of Ratanak`s work in Cambodia in regards to their work in helping children rescued from sex slavery.
I was told I had 700 words for the article. I finished at 701 and had to cut so much of my writing to reach this number. Kudos to those of you who read this blog as I do not keep track but for sure you must be reading thousands of words each time I write.
This is the picture the magazine approved of. Gloria likes it as well.
I do not enjoy having my picture taken and since a race is usually not fun smiling is not often seen.
Here I am smiling. The reason I had just finished the first 7kms of the Egg Nog Jog race which is a course straight up two giant hills The photographer was waiting at the 8km mark which is the reason for my smile as I realized I had finished the worst and the rest of the course was flat.
This is a quote I found on my computer on my furnace adventure day. It is by Michael Baisden.
Most men aren`t smart enough to realize that the higher you elevate your woman, the less available she is for other men.
When you break her down, you make her accessible to anyone she thinks will treat her better.
My role as a father and husband will probably be the biggest influence on the choice of men my daughter`s will meet later in life. If I tell them they are no good, take out my frustrations of life on them and mistreat their mother in front of them they will probably accept the same.
If I tell them how special they are, deal with them patiently as they find themselves, and always treat their mother with love, kindness, and respect they will probably demand this themselves.
17 years into a marriage with the most beautiful woman in the world I hope I have modelled this.
100 days are you ready? No I am not ready. However I do believe I am on track, in that I am exactly where God wants me to be, and if I am called to run this race He will find a way for me to complete it.
Larry
This is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. "Never, never be afraid to do what`s right, especially if the well-being of a person is at stake. Society`s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. There comes a time when silence is betrayal."
I wonder to myself what am I doing here? As I line up to start a race which is the 10.8 km Egg Nog Jog. The race course is very hard, 7 km are ran up two separate hills.
I know I am not quite ready as I have spent the last month dealing with soreness, sickness, and discouragement. This race today in some ways mirrors the race that God has set before me, that is the race to restore dignity to young children in Cambodia rescued from a life of sexual slavery.
I know I will never be ready for this.
My family is ill so today I ran alone, although Gloria took this picture at home and saw me off.
Isabella Street is the first street I run onto as part of the course.
My new winter outfit came about after Katarina`s comment "that I looked like a homeless person" during a winter race two years ago.
I feel my family is with me today as I run.
I finished in a surprisingly good time, my second best ever. Better yet I am healthy and after a brief rest I will start ramping up training for my spring Marathon.
Hello My Name Is Matthew West
Hello my name is regret
I`m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I`m the whisper inside
That won`t let you forget
Hello my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I`ll drag you right back down again
Till you`ve lost all belief
Once when sparring with my instructor in kick boxing I kicked him right on his liver. Instantly this seemingly invincible man dropped to all fours and stayed on the mat for a few minutes. He later told me "being kicked on your liver releases a poison throughout your body that initially paralyzes you, the effects last up to an hour."
My last race finished up on a boardwalk overlooking Lake Ontario in Hamilton. In the Summer seeing waves slamming into the shore is refreshing, near the end of a half marathon race, when shivering from the cold, sore from exertion these same waves are demoralizing.
For one month straight I seemed to be on the receiving end of many body blows. Like the waves when the pain would clear a new negative thought would appear.
During this time I remembered an email I received from a friend and part of an earlier writing.
This email was from a man who does more in one day than I have done in my whole life. A huge victory was coming for victimized people thanks in no small part to him. I was surprised and encouraged that someone who does so much could still have weak moments. These are his words.
"I feel so inadequate for this task, I am not a lawyer, social worker, or psychologist. I am the wrong gender.
The whole time satan is whispering in my ear "you are just so pathetic."
I am the wrong person for this.
I feel like an imposter.
YET... God seems to open these doors, people seem to listen and in some strange way I hope his strength is exhibited in my weakness."
Intercessory prayer: a prayer or petition to God on behalf of another.
I remember a story I read of a young nurse in Cambodia who had a young girl who had been savagely attacked by many men brought to her. The nurse saw the young girl`s physical, emotional, and spiritual pain and asked God to take it away even if it mean`t passing it onto her. The young nurse ended up with a headache that lasted for days that temporarily blinded her.
During my month I remembered a portion of one of my writings.
In the Bible it says we are to walk through the fire, we don`t run, we don`t fly. Walking takes a long time, and is a slow process.
This is my old writing I hope what I wrote about six years ago took place in the Month of November.
27 km mark the steepest part of the run starts here and goes for 2 km. Whoever designed the course could not have possibly known the way the wind was to blow on this day.
On top of running up the steepest part of the course, a 50 km/h wind was against me as I ran up this hill.
This was the toughest part of the run.
This was the toughest physical challenge I had ever faced.
Many people stopped running at this point, but I kept on. At the top of the hill a strange thing happened.
A woman I had not seen said "thank you, you were the only thing that kept me going." She sped up and I never saw her again.
What she had done is run directly behind me the whole way up the hill. Since I was taller and broader than her I took all the force of the wind.
She only had to concentrate on navigating the hill.
Girls in Cambodia have been rescued from a life of forced prostitution, but they are starting the rest of their lives at the bottom of a steep hill.
When I intercede for them I am telling God I am willing to go to the bottom of the hill to lead them up.
Their struggles are not 2 km as mine was, but they will have to climb the hill every day for the rest of their lives.
They don`t face wind, but they face shame, guilt, and discouragement.
When I pray for these girls I believe God may take something satan wanted to add to these girls loads and place on mine.
Maybe the next time I get an unexpected car repair a traumatic memory is kept from one of these girls.
Maybe when I do somebody`s else`s job at work without anybody seeming to notice, or thank me.
Maybe one of these girls was spared some physical harm.
Maybe on one of those days when everything goes wrong from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed.
Instead of feeling sorry for myself, and asking God why?
Maybe I should thank God, because that day was the day when satan saw one of these girls were especially vulnerable. satan wanted to overwhelm one of these girls causing her to take her life.
But God knew this girl was weak that day and allowed me to carry her load.
Maybe, just maybe one day when I am walking in Heaven I will feel the tug of a little arm pulling at me.
I will look into the most beautiful eyes of a child I don`t know, but she seems to know me.
She will go on to say "thank you for keeping me going."
Men are the problem and the reason for sexual abuse on this earth, yet sometimes God uses men to be part of the solution.
I changed a few words from an old Sheryl Crow song that fits in with me and other men who have been called to this area of Ministry. Jesus was the only men on earth able to walk freely and purely enough to represent victimized women.
I do not walk alone and I am grateful for Brian, Peter, Steve, Colin, Paul, Neil, Danesh and many others I do not know.
God please make us all strong enough.
Strong Enough
God I feel like Hell tonight
Tears of rage I cannot fight
I`d be the last to help them understand
God make me strong enough to be your man
Nothing`s true and nothing`s right
So let me be alone tonight
Help me change the way I am
God make me strong enough to be your man
I have a face I cannot show
The rules I learn as I go
Just try to love me if you can
God make me strong enough to be your man
When I`ve shown you that I just don`t care
When I`m throwing punches in the air
When I`m broken down and I can`t stand
God make me strong enough to be your man
I hope the next time I go through such a tough season as I did in November I picture the face of a child whose pain may be leaving her if only for a short time.
I hope I ask God to leave "the thorn in my flesh" instead of taking it away.
I hope my eyes are opened to heavenly realities, and shut to earthly ones.
I hope I endure and continue to run the race set before me, realizing there is a reward waiting not of this earth.
I hope others may be encouraged and realize God calls all of us (especially the weak.)
I hope I stay naïve enough to believe "that one man can make a difference" in this battle against the giant of child exploitation.
Larry
I have just finished my November Half Marathon race. It is an unique run set in Hamilton, it is named Road2Hope. The money raised benefits children in Haiti and children in Hamilton, kind of cool.
A half marathon is 21.1 km or 13.1 miles. (Spoiler alert) I have another half marathon in March 13.1 miles, and a full marathon in May 26.2 miles. The distances added up equal 52.4 miles.
The fourth Ratanak walkathon will take place Saturday June 13 2015 at Erindale Park Mississauga. The last number of the goal will again end in 52.
A wise runner wrote an article about "not worrying when life gets in the way of your training." Two weeks ago I was supposed to have a crazy week of training to make sure I was ready for today. Two weeks ago Rosie one of our three cats was sick, now she has recovered. I had a lot of minor nuisances and one major that prevented me from training at the worst possible time. Suffice to say "life got in the way" and I was a little apprehensive about how I would run.
At the starting line the mc said runners should enjoy the last 3km as there is a tailwind. Being a suspicious minded person I thought to myself what about the first 18 km? The first 18 km had a very strong headwind which made me chuckle to myself at one point as I have just came to accept the date, the time, the location do not seem to matter. If I have a long race scheduled the wind has always been against me.
I did not set a time goal for this race. The 1 hour 40 minute pacer was ahead of me for most of the race, under normal circumstances this could be an achievable goal for me. Early on I let my thoughts of a time go and enjoyed the fact I can run 21.1 km, as many people in this world have health or other issues that would prevent them from doing so.
For those who care or ask by keeping a very steady pace I did indeed overtake the 1 hour 40 minute pacer.
I finished in 1 hour 39 minutes 37 seconds more than 5 minutes under a Boston Marathon qualifying time.
At a recent Toronto Core Group meeting the story of "The Good Samaritan" was read. It is the story Jesus tells of a man being beaten and left for dead. A Priest and Levite walk past the man, a Samaritan helps him and ensures his recovery. At the end Jesus asks the question "who was the good neighbour?"
At a recent Social gathering my family attended a woman was talking of her involvement with the helping of trafficked girls in Canada (I was not present so I am unsure of whether they were Canadian or young girls brought from another Country.)
My wife Gloria mentioned my involvement with Ratanak International and the woman said something along the lines "He should spend his time helping people inside of Canada."
Wow, is this a case of us versus them? I have not heard much criticism so I guess I have been fortunate, as well as naïve, as I am sure it is out there.
I am aware of many young girls in Canada being forced into prostitution. I am aware of many young woman being tricked into coming to Canada only to be forced into prostitution and illegal massage parlours.
One day in a lighter moment, away from "my focus on the breathing" my masseuse told me her story. She came from an Asian Country to be a nanny for a family she had never met and did not know. She went on to get her diploma as a registered massage therapist with money she had saved on her own time.
As I looked into the eyes of this young woman whose hands bring me to pain, but allow me to run pain free. I realized with a simple twist of fate she could have very easily had a much different life, a life many children I run for have experienced.
A man I know last year talked at length at how "Kim and Kanye`s wedding" cost so much money and how the money could have helped so many poor people.
Last year I asked 14 people I had never asked before if they would consider making a donation to Ratanak via the walkathon. This man was one of the eleven who declined. He took it a bit further, he told me "most charitable organizations take 50 percent administration costs" He went on to say he would give lots of money if he knew it went to the children, he went on to say he would like to get on a plane, take a trip and deliver a large sum of money personally.
Matthew 12 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
Someone I know once gripped a pop can in his hand and said "the world talks so much about precious resources "children are the world`s most precious resource, and a lot of the world does not care."
To the lady at the party. My first exposure to the ugly world of trafficking, forced prostitution, etc came when I heard about children in Cambodia. If it was a different Country I think I still would have became involved. For me holding a child against their will to be repeatedly abused is the highest form of "bullying."
Whether I choose to help Canadian, Indian, or Cambodian children should not matter. My neighbour from the earlier Jesus story I mentioned came to me in the form of a young Cambodian child.
At the end of the day I celebrate the fact that you are involved in helping women. I also have tried my best to help children. Sorry if you are offended because they are not Canadian, but I think you have the problem.
One positive of driving a different car the last two weeks was that I was not able to listen to my Christian music. On regular radio I heard a song I thought was sung by Rihanna. In fact it is sung by Sia.
The song is Chandelier, and explains a period of Sia`s life when her pain overwhelmed her, and she went on a six year binge of trying to drown out the pain.
In a way I can never understand: this song spoke to me about running marathon`s and how I believe one day young women in
Cambodia will experience new life through healing.
As always with songs I change a few of the original words and a new meaning takes place.
Chandelier
Little girls you were hurt
Can`t feel anything, when will this end?
You push it down, push it down
A bleak picture a child with no hope freed from their abusive situation, but not free from their pain and anguish of their past.
1,2,3,1,2,3 run
1,2,3,1,2,3 run
1,2,3,1,2,3 run
I pound them back
Till I lose track
The times in training when I just run each day because I have to. I lose track of how far, how often, and how fast I run. I have a goal of a full marathon many months away but I know I must run to be ready, and being ready means running many times when I would rather be doing something else.
Your gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
Your gonna live like your past doesn`t exist
Your gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel your tears as they dry
Your gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
This is a picture of "my girls parasailing in Punta Cana" they told me it was an incredible feeling of freedom and liberation, my youngest shouted out something along the lines of "now I am all
grown up."
I watched and sacrificed so they could enjoy their moment.
One day young Cambodian women who had terrible beginnings to their lives will experience a sense of exhilaration that only comes with freedom from your past that will be infinitely more powerful than flying.
Running a full marathon is for me the means of sacrifice I try to help this happen.
But I`m holding on for dear life, I won`t look ahead won`t open my eyes
Keep my legs strong until the finish line, cause I`m just holding on for the line
Help me, I`m holding on for dear life, won`t look ahead, won`t open my eyes
Keep my legs strong until the finish line, cause I`m just holding on for the line
Cause I holding on for the line, just holding on for the line
Lanni Marchant is Canada`s fastest woman marathoner ever. At a recent race after both calves started cramping she said "the last 4 kms weren`t very pretty, I was in survival mode."
I looked up my thoughts after each marathon I have run and a common theme emerged.
Mississauga Marathon 2010
"28 km mark My legs start cramping, not just my calves, but my hamstrings and even my front right quadriceps muscle.
Someone with chalk had written Surrender at the 30 km mark. Angrily I shake my head NO!
The only surrender here today will be the enemies grasp on these girls once and for all.
I will not surrender today!
I must finish this race!
The next 12 km are pure torture.
Boston Marathon 2011
"At Boston the pain came the earliest. At the 9 km mark both of my legs started hurting, my right foot felt like I had broken something. I remember thinking to myself great I have 33 km to go and every step of the way hurts.
But sometimes God uses our pain for His purpose.
At the 5km mark a woman help up a sign that read Remember the reason why you are running. For the last 33 km every step reminded me of the girls and their pain that doesn`t last 33 km or 3 hours, but may last a lifetime."
Toronto Marathon 2012
"At the 30 km mark, a feeling like an electric current started tingling in my right quadriceps. The current spread to my calf, and I felt the first spasm start.
As I ran through a park, the promised water station was not there, a sign of things to come.
At the 36 km mark, the water station had plenty of water and Gatorade but no cups. This was my low point.
My left quadriceps started to spasm. I had to stop running to stretch out both legs. After walking a bit, I sent out a quick prayer. I ask that I may finish this race running, not walking.
The first few steps were torture, the rest of the race was a blur."
Cleveland Marathon 2013
"28 km mark the day seems to get even hotter (in fact it was Cleveland`s hottest day) I see many runners stopping to walk, in past races I have tried to encourage such runners to keep going, today I lack the strength to even speak, one runner lies down by the side of the road.
34 km mark I finish my last drink from my water bottle and walk 30 seconds to try to catch my breath. This is really too hot of a day to run a marathon on. I am sure if this was my first I would not be able to finish.
40 km I hear the roar of the crowd and realize I am almost finished.
A runner is being taken away by ambulance and my heart goes out to him coming so far and not being able to finish. I keep running, cross the finish line and see my time is a little off what I had hoped for, yet I am satisfied."
Ottawa Marathon 2014
"29 km Running up my usual side of the road, the left. I trip on a piece of wire. Jumping up quickly I look at my bloody elbow, and scraped hands and think of the one whose hands were pierced for me.
I resume running and think to myself this is going to be an interesting finish.
32 km I am so discouraged at this moment. My stride has changed.
I have the usual pain associated with running a marathon and now the fall has added pain to new areas.
I would love to just stop running and go lie down somewhere.
34 km every step is becoming a little harder. I am overwhelmed by how far I have to go, and how little I have left.
36 km My whole right side is starting to really hurt as a result of me changing my stride to accommodate the fall.
42.2 km I run over the finish line and am so relieved I was able to finish this race."
Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for the positive feedback. Thank you for donating to Ratanak International. Thank you for your prayer and support.
Larry
Today was the Holiday Thanksgiving in Canada. I put away the lawn furniture, had my second family dinner of the weekend, and spent a stressful few hours at a Vet with our nervous cat Rosie, who we hope will be healthy.
This weekend I ate too much of the wrong foods, slept too much, yet laughed and enjoyed stepping off the treadmill that has become my life.
Nine years ago today I went to Church with my beautiful family, content with my life, content with my world. Nine years ago my life was changed for I found out about young children in Cambodia being sold as sex slaves and how Ratanak International was helping these children and were looking for others who were willing to help.
My life has and will never be the same!
I am a volunteer for Ratanak International who seven years ago discovered a new "talent" I never knew I had. The talent is the ability to run a long distance without stopping. I am a volunteer who has become a marathon runner to raise funding and awareness. I have ran six full marathons, and am training for a seventh in the spring.
I have found that by running a few smaller races spread out before the full marathon is a good way to break up your training and also a good way to make sure you are ready on the big day.
I have always thought the time to quit running marathons will arrive when I pull up lame in a race. Possibly I will have an injury and may have to limp to the finish line with an incredibly slow time, yet also an incredible moving story. This would be as if God is saying enough, time for me to move on.
Two weeks ago I realized the mental part of preparing for a marathon may stop me long before the physical, my mind may give up long before my body has the chance.
The definition of weary: physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain etc.
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest."
Exodus 18:18
"You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves
out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone."
"together we are called to be modern day Moses who God is sending forth to seek justice on behalf of the oppressed into places like Cambodia, a hot bed for sex tourism and sex trafficking.
This battle is not for the fainthearted, it can wear you down, it will disturb your spirit when you hear and read of man`s inhumanity to a child, it will require more than you and I can ever give but none the less, it is worth it- it is a fight for life, it is a fight for dignity, it is a fight for freedom, it is a fight for hope, and it is a fight for love."
This quote is from Lisa Cheong Country Director for Ratanak International after scaring away a French man wanting to purchase a young girl for sex.
It is a fight I dare not lose!
Two weeks ago I was weary. Definitely more mental and spiritual than physical. I am in serious training for a half marathon in November.
On "easy" days I was training on an elliptical machine to give my legs a break from the pounding of running. I was going home from the gym exhausted on these days, for these days I was stuck with a television in front of me turned to an American news station showing me the news, all the news, especially the bleak, disturbing pictures, the experts and their commentary, replay after replay.
I thought back to a few years ago. I missed running in the Boston Marathon by 10 seconds, I picked The Cleveland Marathon instead. That is the year the bombs went off in Boston. On the same piece of fitness equipment at my gym I saw the bomb replays hundreds of times. Three weeks later I saw the story of the man in Cleveland who kept the three girls captive for ten years. I saw the story, heard all the details.
One day while running I wonder why does this station cover news like this? Is this what people want?
Not to trivialize the loss of many at the Boston bombing but why did this same news station not run some of the inspirational stories, such as some who actually overcame great loss and ran last year`s marathon.
Why has the same news station not told of the recovery of the three girls in Cleveland? Why not mention the trust fund set up by generous donors around the world to help the girls with their recovery? Why has the news station not mentioned how this house of evil was levelled and destroyed right down to the ground, nothing left.
Why will this news station not mention a future story, a story where a rich donor buys this land and builds a center to help teen age girls recover from their trauma. It will be named after the three girls kept captive.
"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it`s price."
Sun Izu
Victory for me is finishing a marathon healthy enough to resume work within three days. I have four different types of runs that have allowed me to accomplish this. Most weeks I run one of each.
Long run
A run down my ravine now the time is around 1 hour 40 minutes, later on in training over three hours, possibly four.
Moderate run
A run down my ravine now the time is around 1 hour later on in training about 2 hours.
Moderate run with hills
A run again down my ravine but with hills. The time is now around 1 hour with 5 hills, later on in training around 2 hours with sometimes 15 hills.
Treadmill run
Least favourite by far. Not even close. Can you hate an object? I think I do.
I have ran 55 minutes so far, later on in training possibly 1 hour 20 minutes.
I never regret an outdoor run. I never look forward to a treadmill run. I sometimes have to run less than I want to outside. I always have to force myself to run on treadmill days.
Each run serves a purpose and without the difficulty of training on the treadmill I do not think I could have finished my last two marathons ran in extreme heat.
On my longest run of the year I was thinking of how long I am going to run as this is a day I work after my run. As I run down Burnhamthorpe road out of the corner of my eye I see a woman running at me frantically waving a piece of paper. I stop to see what she needs.
She is lost, she tells me she wants to go to High Park, her husband nods sheepishly at me from their car.
I am busy but as someone who gets lost a lot I feel sympathy for this woman and try to get her to her picnic. A car horn sounds (15 seconds straight) I look at her husband`s car (he is blocking nothing) so I resume. Another 15 second blast. A woman from the honking car gets out of the passenger side (looks at the lost lady with the most disgust in a look I have seen in my life) and says "this is a parking lot for people who go to church."
I tell her this lady is lost and I am helping her. Church ladies husband gets out of the car and delivers the same look as his wife.
Later on thinking of this couple I was so grateful for not having them as neighbours as I pictured them looking at every house on their street where a by law infraction may have occurred and calling the by law officer every day.
I sent the lost couple on their way and resumed my run.
I thought of this lost couple seeking help at a church and being rejected. I thought of Jesus speaking to religious leaders
Mathew 23 27
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white washed tombs, which are beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men`s bones and everything unclean."
I jokingly thought of paying a visit to this church, yes today your guest speaker will be sweaty running guy to tell you his take on what happened on your church grounds, just before the service started. I was running along chuckling to myself at walking into a church of everyone with the same expressions as this couple when my thoughts changed.
As with an earlier story I wrote about witnessing a young girl in traffic, one minute earlier, one minute later I am not a witness to this story.
As I run I think of Heaven I think of faces that know me and my family. Young Cambodian girls know us, this was shown to me in a very tough moment of an earlier marathon.
As I think of Heaven some people seem to be missing, names and faces are absent.
I realize some people may miss out on Heaven because of the poor representation some are of us are of Christ. I than wonder have I or will I turn someone away from Heaven? Imagine if my actions could possibly keep someone from entering Heaven. Very sobering.
Live each day as if it is your last, never shy away from truth, never compromise your integrity, never judge, never hate, and always love.
Larry
September is here, the Summer is over and my children are back in school. My youngest daughter likes a singer from the boy band Five Seconds Of Summer. This summer had only 5 days when the temperature reached over 30 degrees celsius. Ironically enough one of these days was Sunday May 25 the day I ran The Ottawa Marathon.
The suicide of Robin Williams caught me and a lot of other`s by surprise. To think of the mindset of anyone who is so alone, so desperate that they think the world would be a better place without them is so sad. About this time I was listening to a Christian radio program that dealt with addictions. Two ladies called in both pouring out their heart`s about situations involving their spouses. The guest specialist gave advice, talked about his experiences, and some of his successes with other`s who had similar problems. The host of the radio station just listened, saying very little, offering to pray for the ladies. The specialist was not acting out of malice, but he was not as helpful as the host, in fact one of the ladies hung up on him.
Bruxy Cavy pastor of The Meeting House asked once "when did we as Christians decide we had to be the people with all the answers?"
In the Bible the story of Job is about a man who suffered.
Job 2:11 When Job`s three friends, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they began to weep aloud, and tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Unfortunately the friends did not stay quiet long as the next 28 chapters are a debate in which the three friends tell Job he must have sinned to deserve such bad things happening to him, and Job has to defend himself.
God lets the three friends know what he thinks of their actions.
Job 42:7 "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."
An African proverb says it is better to have a friend like an Elephant than a Hippopotamus. Elephant`s have big ears and a small mouth, while Hippopotamus`s have small ears and a big mouth.
Sometimes listening can involve more than our ears. My family attended a soccer game this past summer. We had the aisle seats which allowed us to get in and out of our row fast, but we also had our view of the game interrupted every time someone wanted by. One lady went out many times and I was bothered by her as she was large and would be right on top of us. Into my head came the thought "she may be large because she is eating to try to forget a traumatic childhood, she takes comfort in her food."
Much like Job`s friends I was humbled.
I don`t make new year`s resolutions, however since that week I have tried and will continue to try to listen with my ears, and with my senses.
For the world needs more listeners and less experts.
The world needs more listeners and less talkers.
The world needs more compassion and less judgement.
While drinking a coffee and "recovering" in a Chapters in Ottawa last May; not from the marathon, but an afternoon of shopping with "my girls." We heard a song And The Beat Goes On. It was originally written by Sonny and Cher this version was by Emilie Claire Barlow. The version on youtube is 5 minutes long, in Ottawa the version we heard was over 15 minutes long in which we heard the words and the beat goes on at least 100 hundred times.
This to me sums up the events that will come about from the June 7 5km Walkathon for Ratanak International that took place at Erindale Park.
In the movie Thor, I remember a scene in which Thor struck the ground with his hammer and caused an almost earthquake like effect over many miles. I feel the same as the walkathon but The Holy Spirit and not Thor was moving the ground far away from the actual event.
The obvious 300 people attended, over $42 000 raised, someone even gave me a check a week ago, someone I had not asked for money. Great number for a marathon runner in which 42.2 km is the distance.
In the next two months I believe there will be one and possibly two articles in major Canadian Running Magazines partly mentioning the walkathon, as well I have another interview for a work related magazine.
The walkathon was mentioned in the house of Commons.
An elite Canadian marathon runner is following this blog. (elite in that she is Canada`s fastest ever, she came fourth in the Commonwealth Games, yes elite enough to even impress my daughter Isabella.)
A group of runners in England has been in contact and are looking to try and have their own walkathon.
What I look most forward to are the stories we will hear about years later of people who first heard of Ratanak and it`s work leading up to the walkathon or being part of it.
I was sent three examples of people who attended this year`s walkathon who had first heard about Ratanak through Kelita Haverland a woman who had a series of concerts to raise funding and awareness for a Ratanak program to benefit exploited children in Cambodia.
I have picked a Spring marathon for 2015. It is in an American city my family has never visited. It is a popular event organized by a not for profit organization. The date is earlier than my last three events hopefully I can avoid the heat.
This is an elevation picture of the course, flat courses do not show elevation pictures.
This means the course has many hills.
This means that these two hills will be a regular part of training leading up to next spring.
This will be my seventh marathon, the title of the blog means the path I will take and write about leading to number seven.
For King & Country has a song Fix My Eyes that talks about what a man would do differently when looking back on his life. I liken this to my involvement as an volunteer for Ratanak International. I am not perfect and make many mistakes, however in the pursuit of true freedom for the children in Cambodia I would change very little from my life these last six years. Many things have to fall into place to allow me to train and successfully complete my seventh marathon but as long as I fix my eyes on Him things will be okay.
Fix My Eyes
I`d love like I`m not scared
Give when it`s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you
Larry
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