Journeys

Whew. It’s been quite a couple of days here in New York.


It’s funny- but not quite in a laughing way!- that I’ve been struggling through a nightmare of an apartment hunt in New York the past couple of weeks, because it’s brought an interesting perspective to some of the CAI reports I’ve been reading. I am stressed out that I can’t find a new apartment- it seems like there aren't any options out there- and suddenly, all these people and places that otherwise wouldn't fit at all seem to just be calling out to me. When you have nothing, you become very vulnerable to anyone who offers something.


I highly recommend reading through ‘Journey of Hope’ a report available at the CAI website if you’re at all interested in the idea of using education as a tool to make the world better. Or, for that matter, if you’re not, because after you read it, maybe you will be. At one point, Greg Mortenson is quoted, “I don’t really care about fighting terror. The biggest issues we need to address today are poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, which breeds hatred.” I think this is really important, and it’s a large part of what attracts me to Greg and his project. When people juxtapose CAI and Mr. Mortenson with military force intended to quell terrorism, I think they miss the point. It’s just not about that. It’s about doing something good, loving people and loving truth, and having enough faith in humanity to believe that empowering people to think, to understand, and to seek truth will make the world better. The relationship to terrorism lies in the hope that in a better world, we wouldn’t have to spend so much time talking about it, thinking about it, fighting it. I believe this.


Another thing I like about the way Greg Mortenson operates is that his primary interests lie in getting things done rather than talking about them, so, that in mind, I’m shifting gears.


To the run.


Let me first make what I feel is a necessary confession. The actual running part of this is…something cool and novel, that I’m really excited to do, but also something ultimately rather inconsequential. I know that, you know that. I do not want to pretend anything otherwise. To be honest, the idea of running from NYC to D.C. grabbed me before the idea of raising money for CAI. I wanted to do it because I wanted to do it, because I’m sort of funny about setting up semi-arbitrary challenges for myself. It keeps me interested, and I like being interested. : )


That said, as I thought about taking eight days off of work, getting my Dad to take eight days and come out and support me, paying for places for us to stop at night (which is an important sidenote I need to make clear: I am paying for these expenses 100% out of my pocket…the fundraising portion of this deal is for CAI, NOT for my running escapade), and generally investing a good chunk of time and energy in this thing, I realized I needed it to be something a little more to make it worthwhile.

Enter CAI. (Thanks to my Grandma. I still need to get around to telling this part of the story…I will!) I chose to start the story at “It’s All Happening,” but the truth is, as we all know, things rarely, if ever, just ‘happen.’ So, yes, there’s a little more background there, and I think one of these days, I’ll go back a little and catch you up- a ‘prequel’ if you will. One of these days, but not today. Suffice it to say, my grandma mentioned this nonprofit called CAI to me a year or so ago, and then she passed on a book called Three Cups of Tea, and something hit home.

Something about the power of one determined person keepin on keepin on and putting his whole heart into something and making something good happen.

I think that's the reason it's important to me that you know who I am too. I'm not super-special, I'm not a super-altruist, I'm not even a super-runner. I just had this idea, and I really and truly believe in the goodness of it and I'm not going to give up on it. I am not naive and I am not wearing rose colored glasses. I am acutely aware that I am a living human being, with the power to choose a destination and start moving towards it. I believe in my goal, and I believe that if we just keep going, one foot in front of the other, we can get there.


The run.


For people who don’t know anything about me- I started running marathons in college. I always tell people I got going on these because my dad ran his first marathon when he was 20, and I therefore decided I better quick get one done when I was 19. I don’t know that that was really my reasoning, but it’s sort of become “what I say.” I’ve since run seven of those, and a couple of 50Ks and a 50 miler last October. I readily admit I’m still sort of an ultra-novice, and this run is a pretty ambitious undertaking. I am also confident that I can do it.


Based on what I know about my body and how it works best, I’m training in what I’ve decided to call “super-segments.” Basically I’ve kept a base mileage of 60ish mpw for several months, and in the past several weeks I’ve added in three day segments of intense mileage. The second week of June, I did 32 miles on a Monday, 28 on Tuesday and 26 on Wednesday. What makes these days most challenging is that I am still working full time, so the mileage is all done early in the mornings, and at nights after work and on some days, class. It was also too bad that that first segment coincided with a crazy intense heat wave…but it made for good training. It was the first time I’d done that intense of days consecutively, and it went relatively smoothly.


This past week I did my second “super-segment.” I did 33 miles Sunday, 25 on Monday and 42 on Tuesday Things went pretty well the first few days, but it was hard getting out the door Tuesday night. It was still hot and muggy, I was hungry- then I ate too much and was too full- and I don’t know, I just had…already run a lot! But I did it. I grabbed my water bottle, my keys, and went out the door and started, hoping against hope that the first step would prove to be the hardest part. Guess what? It did. It took about 40 steps for my body to start cruising along, my mind to start clearing up and my heart to start smiling. Three and half hours later, when I hit 100 miles for three days, I stopped.


My body feels great. I've eaten a LOT of food, including five or six protein shakes, many, many Clif bars, and, when I finished running on Tuesday night, a bowlful of sweet pea shoots, peanut butter, vegan mayonnaise and cannellini beans. It’s unbelievable what seems mouthwateringly tasty after running 42 miles. The best part is that my best miles were Tuesday night, and I woke up Wednesday wanting to run some more. I opted to do just an easy couple of miles and then stretch and do some agility- high knees, butt-kicks, some other little kicking things, all of which I do on the sidewalk outside of my apartment, while cars full of men on their way to work honk and laugh at me, because I just look SO cool when I do high knees...So now I’ll rest for a little bit- i.e. go back to 60ish mile weeks, let my body recover and get stronger, then it’s one last intense segment in August, probably involving a couple of eight hour days over Labor Day weekend, and then getting ready for October!


So there you go. And here I go. The running is going great.


But what’s more important: the run is cool and fun and I'm excited for the challenge, but the real journey means more to me than tromping alongside Old Lincoln Highway and Connecticut Avenue. I believe in us, in people, and I believe that if we take that first step, and then maybe one more...we can really get somewhere.

If you have been thinking about sponsoring a mile, and haven’t done it yet, if you have been thinking about getting in touch with your friends or family about sponsoring a mile, or, well, if you have been wanting to do something good…do it.


Take the first step.


Love in action,

(I’m borrowing this salutation from Jody Lynn Reicher, because I love it so much and she is an amazing woman and inspiration),


Kelsey