LIMA 42K: What a Run!

Lima, Peru is a beautiful city full of energetic, creative, friendly people with wonderful

   

neighborhoods and public places! Having a father--daughter vacation was fantastic. I could not have had a better travel partner! We were able to experience (although briefly and admittedly, the tourist view) the rich cultures of Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu in a whirlwind trip that culminated in my first ever getting lost on a race course.

Kelly and I were so impressed by the power and ingenuity of the Inca empire expressed in the ruins of Machu Picchu. Built without the use of mortar, metal tools, or the wheel, it truly is  an archaeological wonder of the ancient world. We both agreed that spending a couple of weeks hiking the trail and exploring the region was now something we wanted to do! 

Lima ia a city with rich historical and cultural wonder. In addition, it is becoming an international foodie Mecca and we shared in some fabulous post-race meals! 

Now on to the race. Fantastic group of 2500+ international and local runners. Well planned and organized route and race -- except for street signage directing you on the route. While fleet-footed Kelly had no problem as she moved with the pack, I, on the other hand was left pounding the pavement behind the pack, but ahead of the walkers. That means that after mile 18, when the race route took a turn in direction, there was nothing there to indicate which way to turn. The route was now open to the public (I was about four hours into it) I was lost. 

The upside? I ran through some great little neighborhoods in the poorer sections of the city, at one point attracting stray dogs and active children running along side of me. I finally came upon a busy intersection where a policeman was directing traffic. I pointed to my race bib and asked him which way to go. He pointed in a new direction, and I was off once more. When I rounded a street corner and found a sign the said 40K, I knew I was back on track! As I looked down at my watch, my runkeeper app indicated I had gone 28.3 miles so far. 



As I neared the finish line, I could see the race crew beginning to disassemble the barriers and stage. No other runner was around. As workers and stragglers saw me coming in, they began to cheer. I saw Kelly at the finish line cheering me on. As I crossed, I was met by the race director, and local TV and newspaper journalists. I was the last one in! I fessed up to the race director that I strayed from the route and should be disqualified, but that I knew I had gone at least 28 miles to get there (by now, the watch battery was dead). He laughed and said not to worry. He was just glad I had arrived. So was I!

All of this was to support water.org. Water.org works to bring safe water and sanitation to the world through access to small, affordable loans. There is both a need and demand for these loans, because when people have access to safe water, they get time back to go to school, earn an income and take care of their family. It changes their world. Peru is one of the places where water.org make a difference! Running for water! It was worth every mile!

Mighty Moms!

In this video, Edna revisits her previous daily journey to collect water. It is for moms like Edna that Water.org created WaterCredit. As a result of WaterCredit, Edna was empowered with the funds needed to construct a water tap at home. This meant more time in her day to work. Now, she can afford to send her daughter to school. Soon, Sarah will graduate high school. Sarah looks forward to being the first in her family to ever attend college

Support Sport

Baseball: An Alternative to Gangs in Nicaragua from Outreach International on Vimeo.

If nothing else, kids in the United States and Nicaragua have one thing in common: they love baseball. That's right, America's pastime is also the official national sport of Nicaragua. And what's not to love? When baseball season rolls around each year, it brings warm weather, fresh air, exercise and comradery with it. Even as a spectator, it's hard to complain about the perks of hotdogs and peanuts at the ballpark.

In Nicaragua, it's common to see kids playing baseball with sticks and rocks. (When you don't have enough money for equipment, you get creative with your resources.) It's no surprise that hurling rocks at one another is a dangerous way to spend an afternoon, but for the love of the game, they keep playing.

On May 21, my daughter Kelly and I are running in the LIMA Marathon in Lima Peru to support and fundraise for Outreach International.

This great organization is completely transparent, effective, and efficient in their use of funds. Our family has been supporting their work since the mid 1980’s. Staff and volunteers are involved in causes that share our own passion and compassion.

Running a race on their behalf is such a small thing. Yet, with your help and support, my waddling along can make a BIG difference in the lives of children, women, men, villages, communities across the globe!

Empowering Women, Enabling Health in Nepal

From HealthEd Connect: “Being a health worker in Nepal is no easy task. In addition to the challenging terrain, Maoist threats, and tough living conditions, women must find time to serve as volunteers in their communities. Many heroic women, however, do just that.

Sandwiched between China and India, the tiny Himalayan country of Nepal is listed as one of the poorest countries in the world. At the community’s request, Health Worker training was initiated in Kathmandu in 2000 with women coming from villages high in the Himalayas to attend the sessions. Most of the women were Hindu; a few were Christian. All, however, were resolved to bring better health care to their communities. 

At the end of the first training, one of the attendees who had been especially attentive came up to express her appreciation. She had only 2 years of formal schooling, not an unusual occurrence since half of Nepali women are illiterate.1 It was apparent from her calloused hands that she was no stranger to guiding plows behind water buffalo in the rice fields. Her simple but profound statement was this: “I can’t believe that someone with my low-level of education has been entrusted with such valuable information.” She expressed well the seriousness with which most women take their volunteer roles as health workers. 

The community health worker (CHW) program is now registered with the government as Hope for the Himalaya. The CHWs provide first-line primary health care in remote villages, many of which are located several hours from the nearest road, by weighing and monitoring babies and pregnant women and arranging transportation to the hospital for those who need more intensive care. The health workers make the trek to Kathmandu every two months to deliver reports regarding their health activities.”

My daughter Kelly and have friends in Nepal. Two years ago, in running the Stockholm Marathon I supported the work of Heart to Heart in their efforts to provide relief for the devastating earthquakes in the area at that time. Supporting the efforts of health focused organizations around the world is so important in working to alleviate extreme poverty. Kelly and I are supporting HealthEd Connect by running in the Lima Peru Marathon May 21. If you would like to support the work of HealthEd Connect, donate here.   

Edita

From water.org  “She seems unassuming; however upon conversation with Edita one will discover the quiet confidence that drove her to bring her family to a place where they could access both good schools and running water. 

Edita and her husband started their family in a small village deep in the Andes Mountains. Together with their children, they lived a difficult life. Each day held the need for long walks for water and laborious domestic chores. There were no nearby schools. Edita believed that somewhere, somehow, a better life awaited her family.

With hope and determination, Edita and her husband moved their family to Concepcion Village. Comprised of mostly indigenous Incan people, who largely speak the ancient language of Q’eqchi’, the family felt right at home speaking their native language, among their people. Of even greater benefit – the poor yet developing community offered schools and running water. So close to achieving what they wanted for their new life, next was to find a way to establish a water connection in their home. They didn’t have to look far. 

Water.org’s work around the world includes removing the financial barriers that separate the poor in Concepcion Village from accessing the municipal water lines running just under their feet. We empower families like Edita’s by helping them access small, affordable loans that enable them to install household water connections and toilets.

Goal in reach, it was only a few short weeks before Edita turned the knob on her very own tap. And within a few short months, she and her husband will repay their loan with money earned from farm work available to them in Concepcion. 

It was with hope and determination Edita moved her family to a better home, and it is with access to safe water she is more empowered than ever to change their world."

This next week, my daughter Kelly and I will be in Lima Peru running in the Lima Marathon supporting women like Edita to change her own world. If you think water.org is worthy of your support and want to cheer Kelly and me on, give here : http://give.water.org/fundraiser/4948/#. THANK YOU!!!

But when you want to be on the couch

Training Runs

I admit I am terrible at taking photos while running... and obviously, have no idea how to position them on this page. But here are some of the places I have been getting my training runs in. Essentially all over Independence, Burr Oaks, LBT, south KC and midtown.