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.

Too Cold to Run

2009 February 16
Miles: 0
Time: 0

Ok. I admit it. I am fair weather runner. I don't like the cold. I don't like the rain. And since everyone around me keeps telling me what an old man I am, I figure I don't have to put up with the hassle. So--the third week into training and I am off schedule because I am too much of a wouuse (sp?) to hit the streets when it's this cold. My excuse is, I don't have anything warm enough to run in. Not much of an excuse, but I'll go with it! So now you know. Of course, The cold is something I come in from.

The cold for over 12,000 homeless in Seoul is something they will endure tonight and every night. And some won't survive. The economy in Korea is in critical condition, like many areas of the world. Poverty lays side by side enormous wealth and extravagance. Folks who pushed food away from a restaurant table where the liquor tab alone exceed 1,000,000 Won, rush pass others who will not eat tonight, will not feed their children, will not ride in the warm taxi waiting, but will curl up at the dark edges of the train stations, unseen. Will my running make a difference? How do we care? How do we bring about change?