Marathon Finish

It's a beautiful day in Nashville! 32,000 runners. 100.000 supporters and spectators. 220,000 gallons of bottled water. Over 1200 volunteers. 50 bands along the route. What an amazing run..

Thanks to the Wonderful People of Korea for their support during my training.

오은영/Oh Eun Young

김주혜/Kim Joo Hye

장성진/Jang Sung Jin

김 미/Kim Me

조동준/Cho Dong Jun

조선옥/Cho Seon Ok

안재옥/Ahn Jae Ok

김현애/Kim Hyun Ae

신상금/Shin Sang Keum

신금희/Shin Keum Hee

황숙희/Hwang Sook Hee

이순희/Lee Soon Hee

강유리/Kang Yu Ri

김현주/Kim Hyun Joo

김민정/Kim Min Jeong

신상범/Shin Sang Beom

강유경/Kang Yu Kyung

This successful venture is dedicated to the kids whose love kept me running.

박민지/Park Min Ji

박민우/Park Min Woo

이서연/Lee Seo Yeon

이서진/Lee Seo Jin

박현/Park Hyun

조범구/Cho Beom Gu

조지은/Cho Ji Eun

서은빈/Seo Eun Bin

윤창진/Yoon Chang Jin

김정태/Kim Jeong Tae

신수주/Shin Soo Ju

이은성/Lee Eun Sung

이은수/Lee Eun Su

진 현/Jin Hyun

김민선/Kim Min Sun

조강인/Cho Gang In

조용주/Cho Yong Ju

이수호/Lee Soo Ho

이예원/Lee Ye Won

Each of their names are on the back of the T-Shirts I wore during the race.

I have not been able to get a response from anyone at Outreach International to track our progress and indicate the funds that have been received for our efforts. From personal notes that have been sent to me regarding direct contributions and donations through facebooks, I think we have raised around $1,255.00. Thank you everyone for your support and belief in me!

As I get more race info and am able to upload photos, I will update in the next blog. In the meantime, I'm HUNGRY!

Love to all.

Build Back Better

Date: Friday, April 17 Jet Lag COSTCO Run

Time: 58:21

Distance: 5 miles kind of

Date: Monday, April 20, 2009

Time: 1:27:44

Distance: Loose Park Loopy Run

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Time: 41:19

Distance: 3.7 miles

Liu Ju went into labor February 26, 2009. While on her way to Anxian Maternal and Child Care Center, Liu gave birth to her daughter. Liu Ju was one of thousands of mothers who lost children in the devastating May 2008 earthquake in southwest China that took 69,000 lives. Liu's house was destroyed. The ambulance that transported Liu Ju and the medical equipment provided by UNICEF—such as infant incubators, pediatric examination tables, obstetric delivery beds and weight scales—has been crucial in guaranteeing the health of those women and their babies. Thousands of people have received a “second life” because of others more fortunate who care. Liu Ju came to my attention through UNICEF. One of the health workers shared the sentiments of many: "Our goal now is to build back better."

I was thinking of Liu Ju when I headed west on Truman Road in Independence, Missouri. I am now back home, just a few days from achieving my goal: finishing the Country Music Marathon in Nashville. I am doing what I call my Truman historic run around the core of Independence.

As I pass a row of recently renovated homes, I think of my friend, Ken McClain. Known to some as an obnoxious ass and to others as an altruistic angel, Ken has devoted his life to helping individuals and communities in large and small ways. Whether voluntarily coaching a community youth team on the field, fighting for the rights of consumers in the courtroom, preaching a social gospel to an anti-social congregation, or turning urban blight into quality community, Ken brings passion, energy, and vision to every aspect of life.

In his legal profession, Ken is a man of firsts: In 1986, he won the first asbestos property damage school lawsuit in nation. In 1997, the first tobacco lawsuit that was settled in the nation was his. In 2000, Ken argued successfully the first PCB building contamination verdict. Currently, his firm is pursuing lung disease cases across the country. When no one, and I do mean NO ONE, was willing to invest in the businesses around the Independence Square, he sunk millions of his own money into retail, restaurant, and entertainment places designed to bring people back to historic Independence. He lost money. He invested in the development anyway. Because he believes in community. He understands that poverty is created by neglect and abuse by the greedy. He “gets it” that when you change the culture, environment, and educational opportunities for the better, people change. The community changes. Our world changes. Each of us can make our world a better place to live. Liu Ju, Harry Truman, Ken McClain. Different stories, but the same goal: to build back better.

This story is coming to an end. Saturday will be the day of truth for me. I invite you to join me in running to end poverty one child, one family, one village at a time. Go to the Outreach website at http://www.outreach-international.org/. Click the DONATE button, then click the Make a general donation button. In the Other Information box, type “run4liferun4love” and your donation will be credited to our efforts. Do it now. For the sake of the children. Thanks.

It’s raining. I hate the rain.

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Time: 32:14

Distance: 3 miles speed run on Yonsei Track plus 1 mile

Date: Monday, April 13, 2009

Time: Lost Track

Distance: 4 miles—16 laps on Yonsei track

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Time: 1:20:20

Distance: 7+ miles to the river and back

Slogging through the rain just to get in a few miles is NOT an incentive for me to keep up with the training program. But it does mean a work slowdown with the project, so, I must choose between not having the time, or… well, the rain. I love the rain (attitude adjustment there).

The run to the river is chilly and wet, but does help clear the head of all those niggling details of construction and moves me to a new place. Seoul needs this shower. Korea is becoming dry. Way too dry. Water is life. Yet one billion people do not have access to safe water, and 2.6 billion people live without proper sanitation. Water-borne illness is the second highest cause of childhood death in the world. When water is unsafe and sanitation non-existent, water can kill. Providing safe water and sanitation to millions of affected children and their families is one way to help end poverty. How? By supporting efforts to distribute oral rehydration salts wherever children are suffering from illness and deadly dehydration caused by unsafe water, distributing hygiene kits during a crisis to help children and their families keep diseases like cholera at bay, training teachers to educate children about safe water and proper sanitation and building pipelines to bring water to remote villages.

I like to think that I am doing this to help children survive. Almost 10 million children die needlessly every year. They come from families who exist without clean water and sanitation. They have not been vaccinated against childhood illness. They are not protected against malaria. They do not receive enough nourishment to fight malnutrition. They are often affected by AIDS. They do not survive without your help. When I say I am running to end poverty, I am being a part of a global network of individuals and organizations seeking ways to help children survive, to protect children from abuse, give them an education, so that all children lead a healthy, humane, and dignified life.

The water bottle I picked up at the GS Mart for 500 won quenches my thirst. It’s important to stay hydrated. I head back toward my new home in Yonhidong, now barely aware of how sopping wet I am. I am very aware that what “quiches” my thirst could “save” the life of a child. I invite you to join me in running to end poverty one child, one family, one village at a time.

Food, Glorious Food

Date: Saturday, April 4

Time: 4:47:12

Distance: 20:14 miles

I figure if you are going to run 20 miles, you might as well start at Starbucks. There are five in the Sinchon area of Seoul. None of them is open at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Did not know that when I headed out the door…

A few miles down through the alleys and side streets of Mapo-gu and I realize that today is market day. Food vendors everywhere. As I dodge the carts and weave my way through the increasingly active crowds, I am faced with the sights, sounds, smells, color, and tastes of some of the best snack food and market fare you will find anywhere. My run becomes a culinary adventure as I stop to taste this skewer of squid and that cup of brine. While I enjoy eating my way through 20 miles of famous and not so famous Seoul street snacks, I wonder about those who will not eat today.

Worldwide around 852 million people are chronically hungry due to extreme poverty. As of late 2007, increased farming for use in biofuels, world oil prices at more than $100 a barrel, global population growth, climate change, loss of agricultural land to residential and industrial development, and growing consumer demand in China and India have pushed up the price of grain. Food riots have recently taken place in many countries across the world. More than half of the planet's population, numbering approximately 3.3 billion people, live in urban areas. Any disruption to farm supplies may precipitate a uniquely urban food crisis in a relatively short time.

· Programs seeking to protect or enhance the nutritional status of mothers and infants account for as much as half of the development resources channeled through USAID.

· A recent study in Ethiopia showed that food aid had a significant impact on protecting child growth during droughts.

· Studies of refugees in Algeria found that fortified food given to stunted children permitted rapid nutritional improvement.

· In Mexico, a government-supported program called Progressa supplies food to children under 3-years old in poor households. This has had a significant impact on child growth rates, reduced stunting and anaemia.

· These results confirm that food aid can certainly play an important part in nutrition programming.

· Given the scale and persistence of malnutrition around the world, there needs to be a far greater share of development resources earmarked for nutrition interventions than is currently available.

A direct relationship exists between food consumption levels and poverty. Families with the financial resources to escape extreme poverty rarely suffer from chronic hunger; while poor families not only suffer the most from chronic hunger, but are also the segment of the population most at risk during food shortages and famines.

A few hours after beginning my run by looking for Starbucks, I find myself back in Yonhidong filled with Kimchi, tofu, and a variety of delicacies smeared with red paste. The last two miles were at waddling speed. Twenty miles. Today, I don’t think I could make the last six. Let’s hope the Nashville route is not through the BBQ district. I will never survive.

And that’s the irony, isn’t it? I fear death by overconsumption. Millions face death daily because of severe under-consumption. Sobering? I invite you to join me in running to end poverty one child, one family, one village at a time.