15 DAYS TO GO

Hey guys Baker here,   This’ll be my fifth year running this thing with my Dad and each year it gets better and better. It’s always interesting to experience the difference between running a race with community, verses running a race solo.  While I have no doubt Dad could run and conquer the 13.1 miles by himself, having community run with him, adds so much. Community offers encouragement, direction and resources.  When we get to mile 7, and we enter the track, I know Dad’s feet are gonna start hurting him. So a quick pep talk helps him focus. I also know he won’t be able to focus on anything but running so, we’ll run in front of him to lead the way between all the runners (yes I promise we pass some). Dad also must remember to fuel himself and so we hand him water or a shot block to eat. All of these contributions help Dad finish his race.  God calls us to be in community with one another daily. And not just local community. The church, God’s people, are called to provide encouragement, direction and resources to each other locally and globally.

I’ve been to Haiti and experienced the desperate need for international community. I’ve watched as a baby died from malnutrition. I was there when a family, in the middle of the night, abandoned their handicapped daughter at the gates of the mission because they couldn’t care for her. I know first-hand how the Haitian people long for the American church to be in community with them.  That community looks like providing encouragement, direction and resources.

RunMarkRun will do all these things. With the money you pledge Haitians will be encouraged, directed and resourced both spiritually and physically. Clean water will be given, vaccinations preventing fatal illness will be administered and the beautiful love of Jesus will be shared.  What race are you running? Are you running solo or are you running in community offering encouragement, direction and resources?

Training:10 weeks ago I had my first baby. Getting back into running has reminded me of why I never got out of running; it’s way too hard to start again. I’m going slow and cross-training. Interesting tidbit: the hormone relaxin stays in a woman’s body up to 6 months post-partum. This hormone relaxes all the joints and ligaments making a woman extremely susceptible to injury. I’m learning that at this point in my training, core work is much more important for my success in the race, than cardio  – Jenny Baker