Know No Boundaries

Is this boundary really necessary?

2012-02-08T13:42:00.002-06:00

Okay, so my goal here is not to reiterate the fact that many of the "boundaries" or "limitations" that seem to keep us from becoming all that we have been created for are within our own minds (sub consciously at times), but to just bring up some of those ridiculous things that we consciously set & which does create a boundary.

It is a boundary drawn between individuals or individuals & society.

Look around, do you see it? In today's world, it is EVERYWHERE.

That's right. practically everyone you see is wearing headphones. Be it listening to their favorite tunes, that inspirational podcast or that audio book that they have wanted to read.

They are everywhere; walking in some self created Zombie-like state. They are within themselves often oblivious to anyone or any thing around them.

What they have done, is created a boundary between themselves & everything around them.

And we wonder WHY communications on many levels have begun to break down (no, I am not talking about texting, tweeting or IMing). I mean REAL, PHYSICAL, FACE TO FACE communications.

When did this break down begin? Was it with our current generation or did it start with the previous generation? Is it the fault of the individual or their parents?

Well, after a bit of research, I may have found the answer.

We were weaned on them. back in the earliest days of our lives, we wore these head devices & we have never looked back!

Really now. One can't believe EVERYTHING that they read, right?

None-the-less, I actually do believe that there is an artificially created boundary that many in our society have created & I additionally believe that this boundary DOES AFFECT our communications with our society & with our envoronment.

God Bless You'
K2

Are You a Hunter or a Fisherman?

2012-02-02T23:22:00.002-06:00

Okay, let's start with a bit of explanation. As a hunter, you scout out your territory, look into the patterns of your prey, get into a good position & when your prey is in your sites, you FIRE! Now, if your prey happens to sense that you are there; if they smell you or feel your presence, they will BOLT as fast as they can in the opposite direction robbing you of that prize.

On the opposite side now, we have the fisherman. Now fisherman are quite different in that they go about things in an entirely opposite way. Although they might still scout out their fishing spot & look into weather patterns & favorite feeding spots but here they cast their bait & WAIT. If the bait is right, the fish will come to them & take their hook.

What is my point you might ask.

Well in hunting, what you are trying to catch runs the opposite way when you are sensed while in fishing, what you are trying to catch comes to you.

We are a lot like that as well. We have some product or service that we want, some "big deal" we want to share or some great proposition we want to offer. It is often quite obvious when we are mingling or networking that we are "on the hunt" so to speak to find our latest "prey" to whom we can sell our product or service to. Now at times this may work, but after the first sell, they too will BOLT.

Being more like the fisherman is a much more effective way not only to gain friends & clientele, but to draw them to you in general. Once they are drawn to you, they will that there "is just something special" about you, & whatever it is, they want some of it. They want to be there & this is exactly where you want to be.

This is critical not only in products or services, but also in surrounding ourselves with positive individuals who are willing to help you.

We cannot always break boundaries alone & need help. It is these people, those drawn to you that will help you break that next boundary that you are trying to break.

Become a fisherman & break that boundary.

God Bless;
Ken

Resolutions

2011-12-26T10:36:00.000-06:00

Well now. We have just about arrived at the point every year where everyone begins to look back on the year's events & reflect on what direction that they want to go in the coming year. Have we achieved any of the goals that we set for ourselves or have we once again allowed circumstances to dictate what we do or do not achieve?

If you are like me, it is probably a bit of both. I have achieved some of my goals while others where pushed aside by "life"; things circumstances that seemly are out of our control.

Maybe the problem is not life's circumstances. All of this STUFF that seems to side track us happens to all of us yet there are still those who seem to achieve all that the set out to accomplish.

Is this because they are better then us? I say NO. Is this because they have set goals that are easy to achieve? Here I also say NO. Is it because they are not as busy as we are? Once again, I say NO.

I believe that the reasons are multifaceted. One reason may be the fact that we do not give much thought to WHAT it is that we actually want to achieve & have not quantified it in terms of something that can be measured. Wanting to loose weight is very, easy as we can all looks a pound without much effort however if this had been our goal, we likely had more than this in mind. Wanting to loose 15 pounds by a fixed date gives you a target to shoot for & to hit. It is quantifiable & measurable.

We also MUST be passionate about what we want. As humans, we buy, do, consume & like everything based upon emotion. This applies to everything from chocolate to selecting a surgeon. We must "like" that person or thing (emotion again). We analyze how they/it makes us "feel".

With enough passion, we can do practically anything. Just look around or read, passion has been the driving force behind most of what amazes us daily; the blind climber who summits Mount Everest, the bi-amputee who completes a marathon, they laid off worker who in their late 60's starts their own company, . . . . .

I say that with the start of 2012, YOU find some quiet time, reflect what it is that you are passionate about, write it down in quantifiable & measurable terms and at the stroke of midnight - - GO FOR IT and DO NOT LOOK BACK.

Do not think of failure as failure is not trying & trying again, but in not trying at all.

1-1-E

2011-11-11T18:50:00.001-06:00

Do ONE random act of kindness for at least ONE person EVERY day. (1-1-E)

Can you imagine what our world would be like if we all practiced this? We were all taught the power of compound interest as it applies to our financial wealth but how about applying this to the "interest" that we have in other people!

If we do ONE random act of kindness to ONE person EVERY day & that person in turn does it & so on, we gain the same compounding affect however the wealth built is not a financial windfall, but an emotional & societal windfall unlike you have ever seen.

Once the "interest" that we have in others is compounded day after day, out cities, our states & our countries WILL be changed forever.

You do the math.

Now GO DO IT (1-1-E)

How far does one push? 2011 Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd Recap

2011-10-24T13:29:00.003-05:00

When things get tough (& they ALWAYS DO), how far does one really push? When we are faced by what seems to be a "boundary" against which we are determined to break through; at what point is it fruitless & does not really have to do with our innate capacity to break through? When does it make sense to make a wise choice when there is nothing to prove (to others AND to ourselves)?

Well such was the case in this year's Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd. Our intention - to successfully complete our 2nd 100 mile run. Often times, even the best laid plans need to be flexibile. Everything was in place, fully stocked supplies & a ready crew (thanks Skip) & pacers for the second loop (Mitch Drummond) as well as the final loop (Tom Wozencraft). It was a well designed course. For us 100 milers, it consisted of a 8 mile out & back (thanks to our race director, he threw in an extra mile - Thanks Ken) followed by (3) 31 mile (50K) loops.

After the typical per-race jitters, we were off on our journey.

At the top of the first out & back found Mitch serving up waffles for hungry runners. (BTW - did I say "top"? Listed as "rolling hills" & a fast course this was the first of many, many hills.

As the day unfolded, the nature of the course began to sink in.

Rolling Hills - NOT! Gravel - NOT!

The course was beautiful. Scenic country vistas along the Illinois River, lakes & ponds (& an occasional dog).

It was the surrounding beauty that helped take my mind off of the grueling course.

After the first loop, I was joined by Mitch as my pacer only to find out that Tom had car problems & would not be able to make it to pace me for my 3rd & final loop (bummer!).

As the sun went down, Mitch & I ran through the night. It is amazing what one talks about when you are out in the country running for hours on end. Things from chicken farming to the fact that I w graduated High School with his wife.

Bathtub Rock was beautiful the first loop but seemed a bit more treacherous at night when I was tired & sore. I DID NOT want a bath at that moment.

The end of the second loop was rough. Hips hurt, knees hurt feet h . . . well, my feet were actually fine.

We came into the Start/Finish around 7 AM in fairly good shape. Mitch had completed his first 50K & with my little 8 mile out & back at the start, I had made 70 miles. Doing the math, we determined that my 3rd & final loop to complete my 100 miler WAS NOT going to happen. I would have had to pull an 8 hour loop - - NOT!

Here is where the "pushing" part comes in. I had no doubt that I cold make a 3rd loop but NOT in 8 hours. It was the wisdom that I had not left anything on the table, made my best effort & pulled a 70 miler.

I was happy (although a bit disappointed & wiped out) as this time, the course won.

Watch out though as Know No Boundaries WILL beat this next time. (May even have revenge this year!)

Blessings to all.

Breaking Out - A Transformation

2011-10-04T12:38:00.012-05:00

I want to relate a story about a very good friend of mine who has been a tremendous inspiration to me and a shining example of breaking through self set, self limiting boundaries & even boundaries that may have been imposed by society to achieve a phenomenal goal.

We will call him "John" so as not to embarrass him or cause him any uncomfort.

"John" came into my life through a faulty tail light on my wife's car that was taken to Wal Mart for repair. "John" did not normally work there, but due to a temporary leave o

f absence from his regular job, was the one who took care of my wife. "John" had been looking for a church & just happened to see a window sticker on our car that peaked his interest. Fast forward a year or so, now "John" & his family have joined our church & we have become good friends.

Now "John" was not always this way. In his past life", "John" was very active in a number of biker groups; you know, the ones you REALLY FEAR! "John" was definitely a different person than he is now. Turning his life around, focusing on his family & strengthening his spiritual side in & of itself is a tremendous inspiration but is not the point of this writing.

In my ramblings about marathons & ultra marathons, "John" decided that he wanted to run a marathon some time next year. He went to one of our local running stores & after looking over the plethora of running shoes, picked a pair & started on his journey.

"John" made out a running schedule to plot out his daily runs & weekend long run. He was spending more & more time out on the trails & alone with time to ponder the worlds problems, think about what he is thankful for & have some quiet time to pray. There was the odd encounter with shadows (oh yea, it was not a shadow but a skunk - maybe I ought to leave this for another post), dear & time with his daughter as she rode along side on her bicycle.

Convincing me to run the Warrior Dash with him September 24th, we had a BLAST running & climbing at Turkey Mountain.

"John" had planned on running the 10K at the Route 66 Marathon this November but with his distance up to about 8 miles now (& further by November), he will likely sign up for the 1/2 Marathon.

His marathon debut will be some time in 2012 (possibly the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in April).

Coming from where "John" came from to running his first marathon (& hopefully not his last if I can help it), he has truly broken thorough his old self into a new person (& one that I feel blessed to be able to call a friend).

"John" will also be crewing for me when Know No Boundaries runs our 2nd 100 mile run on October 15th & 16th at the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd.

Thank you "John" for being my friend & a true inspiration.

Blessings to all.

Bridging the Years

2011-08-23T22:45:00.009-05:00

Bridges, what are they? What do they do? Why have them?

They supply a way to get from one point to another when there is no apparent way over to or across some chasm. Often times one needs tocross "troubled waters" in order to reach their desired place.

Bridges are not always pristine & they do not always guarantee safe crossing. Often times there are obstacles & possible pitfalls that can cause us to fall into the abyss.

There are however, other types of "bridges" that we encounter.

PEOPLE can be bridges in that they can help others to overcome obstacles or provide a means for them to achieve something.

Sometimes people can help others to "bridge the gap" between different generations or assist when there is a lack of knowledge in a particular area. The middle sibling can often bridge the gap between a teenage son or daughter & the parents.

Technology can also bridge gaps as in how cell phones & Facebook has bridged the communications gap between countries & cultures.

The mission of Know No Boundaries is to help people to "break out" of their self set limitations." In a way, we are providing a bridge of sorts to help them overcome a self set limitation.

Age is often thought to be an obstacle wherein the "older" folks cannot (or I should say WILL NOT) do this or try that. At Know No Boundaries will walk the talk to prove that the age limitation CAN be bridged.

Late in July, KNB & a few friends decided to celebrate our 52nd birthdays by doing "52" of something. We decided to do 52 crossings of the Pedestrian Bridge which connects the East & West sides of the Arkansas River in Tulsa, OK.

Ken Childress & I crossed the pedestrian bridge 52 times ending up running just over a half marathon. Darryl Stillson decided to go for it as well but he started earlier & headed off while we were still running.

So, what is point of mentioning this run, at 52 years, we decided to bridge the age gap by proving that age IS NOT an obstacle, only a measure of the amount of life experience one has accumulated.

Now, BE THE BRIDGE for someone in your life.

God Bless;

Disappointment, Friendship & Inspiration

2011-07-04T13:27:00.002-05:00

Well the 2011 50 Mile Midnight Madness has been written in the history books. We went into this with high aspirations to have a good finish despite the fact that it was going to be in the triple digits temperature wise.

Unfortunately the heat DID take its toll on us & we turned in a DNF (Did Not Finish). After starting our 4th loop (10.3 miles per loop), the heat, p

lus a brief bit if under training did us in. It was a smart move as we want to be able to run again.

It was obvious that we disappointed ourselves as well as our friends, & the supporters of Know No Boundaries however a strange thing occurred. When we posted our disappointing results on Facebook, it was these friends & supporters who indicated that WE were an inspiration to them. Go figure! In our low times, at a time when we felt that we let our friends down, WE INSPIRED THEM!

This is where the FRIENDSHIP lifts one up out of our disappointment. THIS is what friends do.

They say that one can be considered blessed if they can count good friends on one hand in ones lifetime. How is one to feel then when they have more than they can count?

It is THESE FRIENDS that provided us with a Can of Inspiration lifting our initial disappointment to one of thankfulness & gratitude.

Is is THESE FRIENDS who inspire us to be better husbands & wives, better fathers & mothers, better co-workers, better managers & overall, better people.

THANK YOU MY GOOD FRIENDS & GOD BLESS.

Problems

2011-06-18T17:34:00.003-05:00

As a living, breathing, imagining, creative human being, we ALL have problems. Our problems can me as minor as where we want to eat for dinner to how am I going to complete this project on time & under budget to how am I going to feed my family having just lost my job.

It is NOT the intention of this post to trivialize anyone's problems only to tell you that Problems are nothing more than a boundary that we perceive as restraining us or keeping us from attaining whatever it is that we seek to achieve. The key word here is PERCEIVE as it is our own perception that keeps us from moving on, through & beyond whatever problem we have ad hand.

We have all heard the old story of writing ones problems in the sand. The concept basically is that in writing our problems in the sand, they are washed away at the first incoming tide. It is a metaphor to how real life problems are when

we write them down & have a chance to look at them from a different perspective. Often times a new or renewed perspective totally changes the entire scenario & hence the provision of a solution.

On a recent trip to Phuket, Thailand; I had the chance to "write my problems in the sand". At first it seems to just be the act of scribbling the word "problem" in the sand with a stick but no sooner had I written the word, the surf came in & upon its retreat, took my problems along with it. All I can say is that it was a totally surreal feeling & one that I cannot truly explain in words.

What I can say is that when I looked down & saw my "problems" gone, I did indeed feel as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders & that between me & God, that everything would work out.

God Bless;

Ken

Some Things Need To Be Bound

2011-05-29T23:31:00.005-05:00

Hello friends.

By now, you have all gotten the point of our foundation and the fact that WE set our own boundaries (or at least 95% of them). It is our own internal dialogue with ourselves that tell us what we can and cannot do. These seemly fragile strands of fine thread which we think as small obstacles on our journey to our goals become steel cables shackling us within our own self created prisons.

These self created boundaries are in a plethora of areas such as financial, physical, spiritual and emotional to list a few. Know No Boundaries is that catalyst to help people to break our of these boundaries initially through the provision of wheelchairs, prosthetics, counseling, guidance and mentoring.

There are however, SOME things that need to be bound. Some things that not only need to be bound, but to be bound AND eliminated. Things such as sin, hate, prejudice, bigotry, lust and a host of horrendous diseases. I believe that many of these CAN be eliminated if we would only break through some of the boundaries that are holding us back from eliminating.

One such "THING" that needs to be bound AND destroyed is Cancer. Having hit us personally now and over the past few years, we will be doing what we can to support groups trying to raise awareness of this dreaded disease as well as funds to fight it.

Know No Boundaries will be participating in the Relay for Life this Friday, June 3rd. And true to form, we will be "breaking our own boundaries" by running/walking the entire 12 hours. It will be at Broken Arrow's South Intermediate High School track starting at 6 PM and ending at 6 AM the next morning.

Please come out to support us, feed us, run/walk with us, tell us some good jokes, bring us something to drink (a Starbucks Frappuccino would be nice) or just send prayers.

It is unfortunate that the bad things in our society and in our lives also know no boundaries.

Blessings;

Ken

2011 TATUR Three/Six Hour Snake Run

2011-03-19T20:47:00.025-05:00

Well, the 2011 TATUR Three/Six Hour Snake Run is now in the record books. Ken Childress & the TATURs once again did a fabulous job.

Ken & Brian discuss a few final race details before the gun goes off while patient runners meander around with baited breath to start.

The gun went off @ 9:00 AM sharp & we were of; everyone jockeying for their ideal spot in the train of runners. 2011 has been a slow year starting for Know No Boundaries as far as building a good mileage base because we spent the month of January in Gabon. Our first boundary for 2011 was the 25K at the Post Oak Challenge in February. The six hours is not the boundary, it is the fact that I went into this with a strained left knee. I used Kenisio Tape last night, but as I did it myself, it was not likely done right. I did watch the video though, so we will see. I guess I should have shaved my legs first, eh? Oh well, it will hurt coming off.

Snaking through the Turkey Mountain trails we came across our first aid station at mile 1.

As always, Susan is all smiles. She & her cohorts were fabulous in the early hours of the race. They even provided a few "snakes" to set the mood.

It is always great running Turkey Mountain as friends abound.

Lyle "the man" , looking good here as we cross paths.

Charlie looks like he's flyin' by & in perfect form.

Caroline also looks great as we all seem to cross paths all day.

As always, Randy looks awesome. It must be his long legs.

The day went on (& on & on & . . . ). The weather could not be better however my left knee began giving me problems. YES it was wrapped & YES & was not pushing too hard, but I did not want to be stupid & jeopardize other 2011 endurance runs.

Coming around to the far aid station once again, the crew had changed but still the same great treatment.

Sandra & Pat decided to give Dana a bit of support as she came through the aid station in addition to typical GREAT TATUR support; just like Susan & Company earlier.

Cuisine was varied, but I had a hard time sorting out some of it.

One big thing was that the team from 5 Hour Energy Drink came out to support the race & hand out a few samples (it worked out great for a sample about 2 hours into the race.)

Micah & her friend were great & I am sure were popular with everyone there.

Anyway, the knee kept hurting & as we were not taking any risks, I opted to pull out after (4) loops; approximately 17 miles. The Snake trophy will have to wait for another year & I didn't need the medal.

Be careful pushing today & live to run another day. So I chose the later.

We were only able to push the boundary so far before bordering on stupid.

Better next time - - - - - - besides, the 50 Mile Midnight Madness will soon be upon us.

God Bless;

Plan to Break Boundaries

2011-02-27T14:56:00.006-06:00

Okay, I already know that there are times when events just "happen" & they take us by surprise. It is for these reasons, we need to have the mindset of a boundary breaker. We need to know in our heart of hearts, that we WILL persevere, we WILL become, we WILL be all that God has planned for us. This is no easy task as we are often hit by situations n& circumstances that we do not feel we can overcome. This is NOT TRUE. We CAN overcome all obstacles. Look around you my friend & you will see countless people who have overcome tremendous obstacles that they did not allow to be a boundary. Older people who are once again looking for work are starting their own businesses, blind people are climbing mountains, people who have lost loved ones due to a tragedy are starting foundations to bring awareness to countless causes, people who have lost or had been born with a physical challenge are running marathons & achieving their dreams.

WHY you might ask? IF you ask any one of them, they would tell you that there was no other option. Overcoming their situation was a given & a choice long made deep inside their psyche, inside the deepest recesses of their hearts.

Know No Boundaries is no different in our approach to life & to how we are going to approach 2011 in our efforts to bring awareness to this & to raise money. Our main point is not only to talk the talk about breaking boundaries, but to walk the walk. To actually break our own boundaries in life & in response to the "stuff" that happens to all of us.

Our first planned boundary to break was the running of the 2nd Post Oak Challenge. This was put on by the Tulsa Running Club & hosted at the Post Oak Lodge on Saturday & Sunday February26th & 27th.

Between the two days, they had a 10K, 25:, 50K on Saturday & a Quarter, half & full marathon on Sunday. KNB ran the 25K despite a nagging left knee injury. As in every endurance event, I am never short of amazed at what people can accomplish. Along the run, a youg girl was running with a friend. She had been in Vibram Five Fingers (man, I love mine). Just in frond of me, she stubbed her toe on a rock (Ouch!) & stumbled to a stop in front of me. I offered some help but she slowly sad down, slipped of the back of her Vibrams, popped her little toe back into place (another Ouch!), slipped her Vibrams back on & took off again with an aire of "what's the big deal?". How many of us would continue? Change the scenario to something in your work, in your family with your health or in regards to your dreams. Would you re-adjust things & then head off down the road to accomplish or overcome your setback? This is something that YOU need to answer yourself.

Here at Know No Boundaries, we not only encourage people to break through these limiting boundaries. but we try to set examples in our lives, & mentor or council them to do likewise.

The next boundary that we have planned to break, is via the 6 Hour Snake Run. This is a 4 mile flat trail loop on Turkey Mountain. The object is to run as many miles as possible in 6 hours. How will KNB do? We did 20 miles last year so we will be shooting for at least 24-26 miles.

Following this would be the 50 Mile Midnight Madness. Proceeds from this race have been earmarked for Know No Boundaries so we are excited about this race in it's second year.

In perfect response to pushing boundaries, KNB will run in the inaugural Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd (our 2nd hundred miler).

As we get closer to the fall, Know No Boundaries is looking at joining forces with My Long Walk to host a 24 Hour Run some time in the fall. This is still in the idea stage, so stay tuned.

And to end for today, we are in discussions to bring a benefit concert to our community to allow local musicians an opportunity to gain exposure. We will also be looking to bring in a few speakers who have truly broken through boundaries in their lives & to share them with all present. This may be some time in September. It will be an awesome event so look for some definitive blogs.

Remember in life, WE determine what boundaries keep us bound & what boundaries we will break through. Choose the latter.

Thanks & God Bless you.

Ken

Put the Big Rocks in First

2011-01-28T15:57:00.003-06:00

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz?", and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.

He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes!” The time management expert replied, "Really?"

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not", one of them answered. “Good!” he replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!”

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. He looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is; if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No", the speaker replied, that's not the point. "The truth is; this illustration teaches us that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."

"What are the 'big rocks' in your life; time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others. Remember to put these 'big rocks' in first or you'll never get them in at all."

So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question “What are the 'big rocks' in my life?” Then, put those in your jar first.

So . . . . you are probably asking yourself "what dies this have to do with knowing no boundaries?" Well my friends, it has everything to do with it.

We have gotten to a point in our society where we are trying to stuff more & more into the same amout of hours in a day while expecting the same results. We have spread ourselves soooo thin, that there is no way that we can perform at the same level as before.

We seem to have segmented our lives; spiritual, family, financial, physical, professional, social, emotional, etc. Each of these little segments has their own "boundary" so as not to allow anything from one segment to merge in with another. Herein lies the fallacy. Everything interacts with everything else. We cannot have a strong family segment without also having a strong spiritual segment. We cannot have a strong professional segment without having a strong financial segment. In actuality, each segment supports the other. Having a one week segment has the potential to weaken the whole.

We NEED to break the boundaries of each segment allowing each one to influence the other thereby strengthening each at the same time.

Think about it.

Have a blessed weekend & God Bless;
K2

Beyond US Boundaries - Tales from Gabon

2011-01-23T05:05:00.028-06:00

Hello again. I hope that so far, 2011 has allowed you opportunities to push youselves to & beyond your boundaries. As you have heard countless times here in this blog, WE determine our boundaries. We determine to what extent we are willing to push ourselves to not only reach, but break through our self set boundaries.

Often times though, we only consider physical or financial boundaries. How far can we push ourselves physically or how can we overcome financial limitations. What we miss though, is that there are many things that we experience every day that we take for granted & that are boundaries for those outside of the USA. Countless people in countries around the globe face boundaries that for you & I are commonplace.

Such is the situation in Gabon (West Africa).

I have had a seveal opportunities to see some of Port Gentil (the eastern most part of Gabon) during my Saturday morning runs. Starting off from the company apaartment, one would not think much.

It is shortly after head out, that one realizes that "we are not in Kansas anymore Toto."

Iguanas (I think they are iguanas) are everywhere as this sentinel watches as I run by.

A short jaunt down the street & then a left turn towards the Port Gentil International Airport.

Veer left just before the airport & then I am on the road towards the beach (so I am told). It must be right as seen by this roadside boat but it does not look like it has seen water in quite a while.

Everyone seems to be very friendly as the common "Bon jour" was exchanged each time I passed anyone. Children seemed to be intrigued a I ran by. I am not sure why; was it because I was running, or because where I seemed out of place? People just seemed to look up & then go back about their business.

Just looking around at "normal" life here, makes one appreciate what we have in other places. In order for the Gabonese people to have what we accept as normal, they would truly be pushing the outer boundaries of what is often set by political & ecconomic boundaries. Unfortunately what has happened, is that they have just accepted their "reality" & no longer push to strive & be more. Through generations, they have accepted this. Such is a real loss for humanity as every person has a tremendous amount to offer if only they believe.

Business at this local supply store is anything but busy.

Running by the local supply store, I came across someone's home. Think twice next time if you think you have it rough.

After getting to the turnaround (about 3 miles out), I came across what I thought must be the burial grounds for all of the old cars. In actuality, I found that after an accident (likely a fatality), the cars are just pushed to the side of the road & left.

Now that you have a better picture of a place beyond your boundaries, you can see that some boundaries take an immense inner strength & determination to break through. Boundaries that are set through years of poverty & opression.

If you don't mind now, I will catch my alarm clock & figure out how to set it.

God Bless you;

Ken

It's A New Year (Started Off in Africa)

2011-01-09T11:52:00.005-06:00

Well, I will have to admit that I have not been the best at regular blog posts in the past but I hope 2011 will change this. New Years always means resolutions, right? I do not mean those that you set & have no intention of doing (like joining a gym - just kidding).

2011 will be a year of phenomenal growth & change for Know No Boundaries as we are looking to add to our Board of Directors & to lay out specific fundraising goals & events to do this year. Unfortunately we may have a bit of a late start as I was called out to Gabon (West Africa) for (4) weeks to "babysit" a few key customers while the regular guys is on vacation.

It can be a beautiful country with loads of beach so hopefully I can get in a it of running while I am here. Sogara Beach is one of those beauties here in Port Gentil.

Since I do not have a car, I may not get a chance to run along the beach. Most likely it will be through town (stay tuned for some pictures).

Know No Boundaries will be starting the event year off by running the Post Oak Challenge the end of February. It is a 50K trail run on Saturday & a marathon on Sunday.

Stay tuned & God Bless you.

After A While

2010-12-04T20:38:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful poem borrowed from my good friend Professor Lakshman in Colombo -

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises.

And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans, and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight. .

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to leave you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure;You really are strong, you really do have worth. And you learn, and you learn With every goodbye you learn.

~ Veronica Shoftsall ~

Finally - A 100 Mile Finish

2010-11-18T23:00:00.023-06:00

Well folks, Know No Boundaries has finally put a 100 mile race to bed in our completion of Mother Road 100.3 (that's part 3). The route took us from Baxter Springs, KS to Catoosa, OK finishing at the Catoosa High School track along historic Route 66.

We had a great crowd at the start with plenty of good friends. Some adding another 100 miler to their list (like Kathy & Ken) while others were looking for their first finish. Roman, Charlotte, Caroline & I are in this group.

My two friends Ken Childress (looking for a 7th finish) & Bill Richardson & I posed for a pre-race photo before heading out onto the open road.

Prior to starting, we stood silent for the National Anthem & then we were off. Temperatures at the start were a bit cool, but it was expected to clear up & give us blue skies. And blue skies we had.

Unfortunately my hydration pack (where my camera was) was not too user friendly (or at least was inconvenient) for me to get my camera out so there are not too many route photos. Besides, I was determined to finish this one.

The route wound through may small towns such as Quapaw, Commerce & Miami in the early stages of the race. It is funny though, I notice that many marathoners & ultra runners are far from vain because when "nature calls", any shyness goes out the window. Such was one case early Saturday morning when both a guy & a girl took off to the right off the road; one behind a bush & the other behind some safety barrels. In places, the only eyes were equine.

I had a GREAT crew in Cara Rogers-Nance & Randy Nance who where exactly where I needed them & when. However after dark & just prior to the Afton aid station, we were cut off by a train that decided to stop across the route. BUMMER! However this was somewhat short lives as we were only off about 20 minutes. Cara & Randy crewed for most of the first half of the race before a good friend & ultra runner; Earl Blewett; took over. Earl truly kept me focused through out the rest of Saturday night & into Sunday.

In to Afton & then on the scales. I dropped 7 lbs!; 5 more & I would be pulled. I just thought that this was one heck of a way to loose weight - - - NOT! Luckily I maintained this the rest of the race.

In to Vinita where some hot chicken soup was a taste of heaven. My son Michael had been there for a few hours lending a hand to the race doctor & offering quick massages & wraps as needed to the runners as they came through. I understand that Bill Rodgers needed (2) IVs. (Watch it there Bill.)

By now the darkness was beginning to be mentally taxing as I had been running in the dark for about 4-5 hours. Luckily I picked up my pacers; Lori & Dave Veteto; in White Oak. Lori was first up to the next aid station then Dave jumped in. They played this back & fourth game until we got to Foyil around 7:30 Sunday morning. All I have to say about Lori & Dave is that they were God-sent. For (2) people who I only recently met, they gave of themselves selflessly & I can assure you that if it were not for them, I would not have made it through the wee hours of the lonely night.

As expected, Sunday was brought in by a beautiful sunrise.

When we got into Claremore, Earl bid me farewell as his wife only had some much patience. Cara & Randy jumped back in here however Earl was totally critical during some critical times. (sorry about your cell phone Earl).

Through Vertigris & then into Catoosa was ever so welcome as I was really tired by now (no kidding, eh?), my feet hurt, my shins hurt & other things hurt that I never realized.

What I did realize though, was how great it feels to break through a major boundary & finish the race set before me.

29 hours, 36 minutes & 2 seconds for an official finish about 20 minutes before the cut off.

Roman Broyles also had a stellar performance as he hung on & persevered for a 32+ hour finish & a first for him as well.

I learned a lot from this about my fellow man (& woman) but that is for another post.

In the mean time, run on & God Bless.

THE NEW PHONE BOOKS ARE IN, I'M FINALLY SOMEONE!

2010-10-13T13:29:00.005-05:00

I guess you had to have seen Steve Martin's "The Jerk" to appreictae this.

The Broken Arrow Ledger did a wonderful article in today's edition talking about my running adventures & highlighting what Know No Boundaries is all about. Check out the hyper-link above to read the featured article.

Know No Boundaries is preparing for Part 3 of the Mother Road 100 series. It is to start on November 13th in Baxter Springs, Kansas, follow historic Route 66 & finish in the Catoosa High School stadium in Catoosa, Oklahoma.

Extremely tight hamstrings are a concern at the moment but we are working through this. Pain is inevitable but it would be nice to keep it towards the end rather than at the start.

Pray for us & our mission.

God Bless;

Boundaries Are Only the Limits of the Imagination

2010-10-07T08:43:00.021-05:00

As the father of a child born with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, I can say that once we get past the mourning of our child’s disabilities (which unfortunately numerous parents never do), we are constantly amazed by the things they are not limited to. We find ourselves battling within, trying to push them to, and beyond their limits, all the while allowing them to realize there really are no limits.

All too often I have quarreled with family members, in-laws, school teachers and even doctors who constantly tell my daughter, “you can’t do that, let me do it for you”. There is always a little voice inside my head screaming at them, “Stop telling her she can’t do that! Help her learn how to do it for herself. She already has a physical disability, why do you want to impose an emotional disability as well!?”

Twelve years ago, a new “all-encompassing” sport was developed here in Switzerland by a small group of friends with family members with varied disabilities. The idea behind the game is to allow persons with, and without disabilities to compete in a sport based on the very ideals of “Fair-play”. Taking a little from Handball and a little of Football (Soccer for Americans) RAFROBALL was created. The name was created from the names of its founders, Thierry RApillard, Lionel and Jonas FROssard and Prince BALLestraz.

The philosophy and principals are very simple -

• allow everyone, with or without a disability to participate in sport and to have fun;
• to respect the spirit of sports, team spirit, fair-play, equality and friendship;
• to help the non disabled understand and appreciate disabilities;
• to promote integration between the disabled world and the non disabled world.

Every player’s ability or disability is taken into consideration when forging their position on the team. The teams are composed of 5 players on each side. All non-disabled players are required to play in a wheel-chair. The severely disabled wheel-chair bound, and blind team members are allow a “motor”, an able bodied person to move them on the court and act as “surrogate” in catching or blocking the ball, yet the player has to do the passing. The teams are allowed 1 “walker” (not in a chair).

To explain in detail how the game is played would be a little tedious perhaps for a short article whose purpose is to explain “The Boundary Breaker”, suffice to say that there are currently 7 teams in the Federation that play in the Championship tournaments. It has been a long road getting to where we are today, and in the end we all have a great deal of fun. I would invite you to visit the website (only in French, with a little German thrown in there for the fun of it) http://www.rafroball.ch/

Far too many people in our society that do not have any discernable disabilities are bound and disabled by their fear and misunderstanding of those who do have disabilities.

This month’s Boundary Breakers are all the Rafroballers: People learning, growing and integrating, working together to break their physical and emotional boundaries.

Submitted by James Healey, Webmaster; Know No Boundaries

"Personally, I dedicate this to my daughter and my son. We have been breaking our own boundaries for 16 years now. " - Jim

Forging Beyond Boundaries

2010-09-28T22:08:00.019-05:00

Boundaries come in many different forms & are in many different areas. There are spiritual boundaries, emotional boundaries, financial boundaries & physical boundaries within which the bulk of mankind sadly keep within. I say keep within because many of our so called boundaries are self set; set within our own minds. The problem is that often times these initially fine boundary webs when believed strong enough become like steel cables binding from within & keeping us from becoming all that God has planned for us.

Paul Damion Hughes is our September 2010 Boundary Breaker of the month. He is one person who has brushed away these fine webs of pseudo-limitations in the area of art to use techniques long disappeared.

When Damion was in 7th grade, he was introduced to stone sculpting. He was quickly hooked on his ability to take cold innate stone & with ones own two hands & a few primitive tools, could transform that stone into something that expressed warmth & emotion. Working with his hands allowed him to “feel” the work.

Fast forward many years & Damion has applied this same mindset to metal working. He became fascinated with the plating techniques from the medieval times & made it a point to master all of the metal working techniques that the masters of old used. The fact that one could easily use modern tools to do the same thing was not even considered. Damion quickly broke through that boundary to once again, use his hands & primitive tools.

Since forging was used back in the medieval times, Damion made his own “pit forge” in the backyard to forge the metal to allowing him to work his magic. He says that “When the metal is red hot, you can work it into whatever shape you desire using a hammer & anvil. It is sort of like dough but much hotter.”

Damion has made suits of armor, swords, knives & shields as well as many unique metal works of art.

Know No Boundaries commissioned Damion to make a shield to symbolize the Armor of God & also contain the foundation’s rising phoenix logo.

He did not disappoint us in his creation of “Triumph”.

Who Am I?

2010-09-11T17:02:00.005-05:00

"Who Am I?"

I can be the culmination of an effort well orchestrated

or a sought after goal not to be known.

I will drive you to achieve your dreams

or stress you to the point of despair....

I am the intimate friend of every successful leader or winner

as well as the mortal enemy of those who do not.

With discipline & determination, we will surly meet

yet with out it, we will remain strangers.

Every person who has achieved greatness has known me

and those who have not yearn to know me.

Who am I?

I am TRIUMPH!

Informal Partnership with American Wheelchair Mission

2010-08-21T10:42:00.003-05:00

Know No Boundaries is thrilled to report that after a few detailed phone calls, we have reached an agreement with American Wheelchair Mission in which KNB will do the fundraising & American Wheelchair Mission will work with us to supply wheelchairs to many of the needed areas of the world. To start with, here is a bit about the American Wheelchair Mission -

Mission
The American Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization with a goal to deliver brand new, free wheelchairs and mobility aids to physically disabled children, teens and adults throughout the world who are without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair. With a strong focus on the needs of the Americas, the American Wheelchair Mission will continue to change the lives of entire families with the gifts of hope, dignity, freedom and independence.

Impact
The delivery of a wheelchair to a person without mobility improves the quality of life for the entire family. Children can go to school, adults can go to work to provide for their families and the elderly can get out of a bed they may have stayed in for years at a time. We estimate that each wheelchair we deliver impacts an average of 10 lives in a positive way.

Need
It is estimated that more than 100 million people throughout the world are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. These people cannot be helped by canes, crutches, walkers or prosthetics. A wheelchair is their only hope for mobility.
On average, developing countries around the world have about three percent (3%) of their population physically disabled and unable to afford a wheelchair. In the 60 or so countries with civil unrest, landmine and unexploded ordnance problems the percentage of physically disabled can rise as high as Angola’s twenty percent (20%). Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia and Sierra Leone are not far behind. Colombia is the only country in the western hemisphere with landmines actively being planted by anti-government rebels, and has a growing problem. The reasons for physical disability include war, disease, accidents, lack of health care, aging and others.

The delivery of wheelchairs to physically disabled people allows children to go to school, adults to go to work and provide for their families and the elderly to get out of a bed they may have stayed in for years at a time. But a wheelchair does not only change the life of the recipient. We estimate an average of ten lives are improved by the delivery of each wheelchair. Families can attend worship services and social gatherings together; people who have crawled on the floor or ridden on a skateboard can now look family in the eye for the first time and feel dignity. The prayers of entire families are answered with the gift of a wheelchair.

Process
The brand new wheelchairs we deliver would sell for $500 in a medical supply store, but we purchase them by sea containers of 100 to 280 wheelchairs, deliver them directly to the country of destination and can do this for an average of only $150 per wheelchair.

Know No Boundaries has already begun agressive fundraising efforts as out goal is to have monies raised to get a small container of wheelchairs to our home area the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 or the first quarter of 2011.

Join us in our cause.

God Bless you;
Ken

Breaking Through the Next Boundary

2010-07-23T08:55:00.006-05:00

So, what is to be the next boundary to break through?

With our first donation in the bank, KNB needs to look for our next boundary to break through & to raise awareness of our foundation to the public at large. What is on the horizon towards which we are moving?

In trying to keep the initial things local so as to gain local recognition as well as local beneficiaries for our services, the concept of running the "boundary" or limits of the City of Tulsa. Of course then we would have to go one mile more to have "broken through" this boundary, right?

The idea of running the Tulsa City Limit was thought about earlier in the summer & it appears to be very doable. As a matter of fact, aside from parts of the city in the North & West parts, there is a high probability that the run would go by & through areas & neighborhoods & by convenience stores (I.e. Gatorade & water are critical). It looks to be APPROXIMATELY 70 miles (although I am probably wrong).

Well, after much prayer & contemplation (not to mention a few discussions with friends & family), the un-official Tulsa City Limit Ultra Marathon will happen. It will also be great training for Mother Road 100 - Part 3 on November 13th / 14th.

I am already driving parts of the course to stake out places for bathroom breaks, water stops & possible remote water stops in the areas less populated.

For those of you who would like to join us, look for more details as it gets closer to the fall & the cooler weather.

Our FIRST Donation

2010-07-16T22:22:00.011-05:00

Thanks to the huge generosity of Brian & Kathy Hoover at Runner's World Tulsa, Know No Boundaries received their first big donation.

The check in the amount of $1,150.50 was from a portion of the proceeds from the inaugural 50 Mile Midnight Madness run held the previous week the results of which are already posted.

This first donation was truly earned as I ran the entire 50 miles & despite a hard rain for the last 20 miles, I had a blast. Plenty of great support & many, many good friends both old & new.

With money literally in the bank, Know No Boundaries will be working with local medical equipment suppliers in order to get them to donate a few wheelchairs. These wheelchairs will then be distributed to needy people in town (at first) in order to help them to break free of their boundaries. Often times physical aliments & handicaps tend to cause us to become mentally & emotionally bound to where we limit ourselves without even being consciously aware of it. These wheelchairs will be the catalyst to break these boundaries.

The check was presented following the 2010 Poker Run held at Veteran's Park.

When the chips are down, run (obviously).

Sandra Wright & Dana Childress prepare their "poker faces" before the run with my good friend Ken Childress (aka K1 or Trail Zombie) in the background.

It was a five (5) mile run & we each ended up with (5) cards picked up along the run. "Dealers" were out in places dealing out the needed cards. One place was at Quik Trip Plaza @ 41st & Peoria.

I really wish I knew more about poker.

Ken & Dana ran a bit together. (Hmmm, I wonder if they shared their cards to make a good hand.) They make such a cute couple wouldn't you say?

By the end of the run, I had a nothing hand with only an Ace high. Good thing I am not a betting man.

Kirk fared okay except for a bit of rubbing in the wrong places.

OUCH Kirk. You look like you've been shot! Get this man some Nip Guards.

All in all, the run was a nice recovery run after the 50 miler & it was an awesome blessing to receive the donation.

Now looking on the horizon of what's next . . . . . . .

God Bless;

Ken

One More Broken Boundary - 50 Mile Midnight Madness

2010-07-05T22:58:00.014-05:00

Well, the Inaugural 50 Mile Might Madness is now written in the history books. All the necessary steps were taken to be prepared & to ensure success. Everything was laid out in advance.

Ominous weather met all of us prior to the start with heavy rains but we it stopped 15 minutes prior to the start.

The race course consisted of (5) 10 mile loops in alternating direction. Start was at Quik Trip Plaza @ 41st & Riverside Drive looping around to the Turkey Mountain parking lot & back to Quik Trip Plaza. That way, we got to climb & descend the hill up to Turkey Mountain as well as along the 71st Street bridge.

We were off into the dark @ midnight with headlamps lighting our way.

The lights were critical along the west side of the trail & in order to be sure not to miss critical twists & turns.

As the loops added up, the toughness of the race became to show itself. I believe that the saving grace for all of the runners was the overcast skies.

Once it started to get light, many of us were able to see the true beauty of the course as many of the runners had never run the trails & were NOT from Tulsa. Unfortunately when it comes to hills, they seem easier when you cannot see them & you anticipate them when you know when they are coming.

We were also blessed with lower than normal temperatures & even a hard rain (that seemed to persist for the last 20 miles). The cooler weather was a much welcome reprieve from the usual roasting Oklahoma summer. I suspect if it were a "normal" summer day, there would have been plenty of people dropping as the heat climbed.

Once again, the "boundary" was set & through hard preparation, hard work, great support, faith that we would overcome & the acceptance to suffer, the boundary was shattered.

A big thanks to Brian & Kathy Hoover of Runner's World Tulsa & the TATURs for donating a portion of the race proceeds to Know No Boundaries.

God Bless & see you at the next boundary (Mother Road 100 - Part 3 maybe).

Vibram FiveFingers - Trial

2010-06-10T06:49:00.005-05:00

Well I got my Vibram FiveFingers out on a trial (finally). Unfortunately I only had them out at the gym on the treadmill but they were fabulous.

I have go to say that my whole running mechanics went out the window. No more heal striking. I seem to run with more awareness; more upright. There is more thought to how your foot falls, etc.

I wore them in my travels out to Oman & thoroughly enjoyed them. I cannot wait to get them out into the "real rowld" on real running surfaces.

The whole Vibram FiveFinger's concept is totally "out of the box" & a pushing beyond conventional running wear boundaries.

Until next time.

Run on;
Ken

Following Through

2010-05-26T22:54:00.023-05:00

Okay, last long night run, I bailed @ 24 miles. I said "I felt a few blisters coming on" but if I were to admit it to myself, it was a way to justify cutting out early. This is VERY WRONG. When you commit to something, you need to see it through to the very end. One needs to "break through" those mental boundaries that we all set up within our minds. We always seem to justify things we do even when we know that we have not done our best. Not this time though. My mental picture when we gathered for our 2nd 30 mile night training run was to finish strong & complete the task.

Brian; as always; gives us our last minute directions. Bob & friends listen intently.

Soon after heading off, the group began to spread out & everybody moved into their usual positions (for me, it is generally near the back of the pack).

Talking was lively at first as we were all still fresh. Scott; a newcomer to our group was in fine form as he heads east on the trail after crossing Yale Ave.

By the time we all got to Memorial, it was dusk. Cold drinks & snacks awaited us courtesy of our beloved crews; Derek & Laurie England, Brian Hoover & Sonya. Brian directs Kirk to the treats.

When you are out on the trail in the dark & often alone, your mind plays tricks on you. Such was the case when I saw this HUGE MAN EATING crawdad cross the trail & almost take off my leg!

(Well it looked huge when I ran across it in the dark anyway.)

We continued onwards towards NSU & a sign advertising for the university caught me as perfect for the moment.

I mean we "had gathered here" (at the aid station) & we "had gone far" (by now we were at the 15-16 mile turn around. I mean, how far can we go?

Here my running mentor & good friend K1 (aka Trail Zombie) chats with Sonya while he messes with his camera (as always).

Lyle & Charis also were at the half way point & offered a nice pose for the camera.

Before heading back, Sonya was kind enough to take a photo of the "Special Ks".

Oh, and these "special K's as well; K1 & K2.

About 9 of us completed the full 30 mile run & we felt Great. Thanks to K1 for hangin' back with me near the end.

Next stop - 50 Mile Midnight Madness running July.

Run on & God Bless;
K2

Running Hope Through America

2010-05-16T11:10:00.023-05:00

Lisa Smith-Batchen, one of the world's premier ultra-runners, will be the first person to attempt (or should I say complete) run 50 miles in each of the 50 states.

Lisa came through Tulsa on her way to completing this awesome & inspiring goal. Know No Boundaries as well as many friends of Runner's World Tulsa & the Tulsa Area Trail Ultra runners (TATUR) got to run some

(or all) with her and her good friend & running partner Sister Mary Beth Lloyd.

Kathy was leading the pack in the wee hours of the morning while the rest of us accompanied Lisa & Sister Mary Beth. Lisa's project; Running Hope Through America; is done through her foundation, The Dreamchaser Foundation. 100% of the donations will be distributed between (3) organizations -

Orphan Foundation of America

AIDS Orphans Rising

Caring House Project

If there were ever a person who truly pushes the boundaries & who has beaten the internal mental battle that keeps us all trapped within our mental/physical/spiritual prison, it is Lisa.

Runner's World Tulsa set up aid station tents at the start & turn around points in order to provide needed snacks & drinks for Lisa, Sister Mary Beth & all of the rest of us who joined in to support Lisa.

Sr. Mary Beth & Arnold zip through while Brian maned the tent.

Once the sun came up, there seemed to be more people who came out to run with Lisa & Sister Mary Beth & to support here cause.

We even had a moment to play cowboy when we took a brief side trip along the West side of the River Parks trails & hoped on an old western stage coach.

As you can see, Lisa has a very daunting schedule with a lot of road time in their RV. She was in Little Rock, Arkansas Friday & after Tulsa, will be heading down to Dallas, Texas to continue on here journey.

And like every one of life's endeavors, we need some time to stop & rest, re-group & re-focus ;even if it is just changing shoes & getting off of our feet for a few minutes & donning a pair of compression tights (I've gotta try these one day).

It was nice for Joe to join us after running in the Aquarium Half Marathon held earlier in the morning.

We even had our own local ultra running celebrity Ken Childress (aka Trail Zombie & K1) also join us after the Aquarium Half Marathon.

With this said & the state of Oklahoma now checked off of Lisa's list, & will offer my deepest prayers to her & Sister Mary Beth.

May God's strength always be with you in all that you do & may He richly bless you & your efforts and when our time is done & we are face to face with Heavenly Our Father, may He welcome you into heaven with the words "Well done my good & faithful servant. Welcome home."

God Bless you & be sure to Know No Boundaries.

April TATUR TOTS Run on Turkey Mountain

2010-05-05T08:43:00.014-05:00

After a brief hiatus from running (mainly due to the fact that I have been in the Omani desert for several weeks), KNB was back in good form (well maybe not so good form). Several friends met in the Turkey Mountain parking lot for a great trail run "on the mountain". (I have never figured out why it is called " a mountain" or what the association is with turkeys.)

The sky was a bit ominous as dark clouds & threatening rain were all around us.

Off we headed onto the trails.

Ahh, the fresh scent of wet leaves, humid woody air & an occasional squishy step.

Over the mountain & through the woods we tramped. Unfortunately Grandma's House was no where to be found.Fourtunately the Big Bad Wolf was also not found (nor did he find us).

Occasionally however, we get to experience trail running at its best. We had the occasion to have twins on the trail.Not exactly idential twins, but close. No tears & no discouragement on trail running. Yes there are the occasional "boo boo", but we are then offered the wonderful opportunity to see God's beauty unfold before us as we step out of the woods.

And with this parting shot, I will bid you farewell & God's Blessings on you, your family & your loved ones.

Until next time;

Anything on the horizon?

2010-05-05T08:29:00.007-05:00

KNB is constantly looking for what is on the horizon, what is out there that can truly push the boundaries?

First is the 50 Mile Midnight Madness being held right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 2nd - 3rd.

Some good heat training will be needed as July gets a bit toasty here in T-Town.

I also got an e-mail from the Lean Horse Ultra in South Dakota later in August. The video is quite entising. Let's see what life throws our way to see if we can make it.

http://vimeo.com/8599616

This is a 100 miler & is supposed to be a great course.

Further into the year is Part 3 of Mother Road! (YEA). This will be a bit closer to home as it runs from the NE corner of the OKlahoma/Kansas border, runs along old Route 66 & ends at the Hard Rock Hotel here in Tulsa.

Let's see what the next few months brings & what boundaries we can break through.

Fundraising efforts will be ratcheting up so visit our website to help.

www.knownoboundaries.org

God Bless You;

Mentoring

2010-05-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

Mentors; we could all use them & they help guide us in many areas of our lives. We have spiritual mentors, business mentors, financial mentors & sports mentors. All of them are people who have achieved some level of excellence in an area that we are aspiring to improve. They can make a major difference in whether or not we reach that "dream level" of excellence or often times even finish our goal at all.

Everyone talks about how important they are, companies discuss the role that they play in new hires & up & coming managers so we can all agree that having a mentor (or two) could play a crucial role in many aspects of or lives.

Where does one find a mentor? They can be a local person in our city who we know, it could be someone we are introduced to through an acquaintance, it could be a work associate or even some who has long died & we learn from them through books. With all of this said, one would think that finding a mentor would be fairly easy.

Well my friend, I hate to burst your bubble, but they are not. Companies talk about the importance of mentors but yet they do not have mentorship programs. Okay maybe they have the for newly hired college graduates, but what about those of us already in the workforce who are aspiring to grow & achieve more. We seem to be left alone. They talk the talk but do not walk the walk.

Such is the same even with those we know. They also know the importance of a mentor & might have even had someone mentor them, but now one is willing to take the time or make the effort to mentor someone else.

So what is a person to do who may be seeking a mentor? Well my friend, my suggestion would be to become a mentor yourself. I believe that if we become mentors to someone else, it will create the environment, the magnetism, the karma so to speak, that will ultimately draw that mentor into your life at just the right time & will be just the right person.

Your homework then, is to go out into the world & become a mentor to someone.

God Bless You;
Ken

Looking into the future

2010-04-23T21:15:00.004-05:00

Well, I have officially registered for Mother Road 100 - Part 3. Know No Boundaries needs redemption in the 100 mile distance. Training will be ramping up immediately with increasing distances from here on out. I will also get in some more heat training as I will be back in the desert of Oman later in the spring & possibly early summer.

To start with, I am running in the 50 Mile Midnight Madness sponsored by the TATUR group here in Tulsa.

Well, pray that the training goes well.

I am also going to ramp up our fundraising efforts so look for some great events in the near future.

God Bless You

Heat! What heat?

2010-04-07T02:40:00.009-05:00

Once again, KNB finds themselves against a so called boundary; one of heat. When temperatures begin to rise, at what point does one decide that it is "too hot" to run?

Every year, many of the worlds ultra athletes gather in one of the most desolate places on earth; Death Valley; to run the Badwater Ultra marathon. Here it is not uncommon for temperatures during the day to reach 120 F.

The Key - HYDRATION and proper protection. As the temperatures begin to rise, we begin to "sweat like a pig", so we need to ensure that proper precautions are taken.
I am not sure that pigs actually sweat, but you get the idea.

KNB was in Oman where the summer has not quite started yet however the temperatures were still in the 90s. Sunglasses & proper headgear were essential.

Here yours truly was getting in a few "hot" miles while listening to some motivating tunes. Somehow I think the flames on my bandana are appropriate, eh?

We need to be hydrating on a regular basis & not only when we feel thirsty. By the time we experience thirst, we are already slightly dehydrated. If we continue to push ourselves without proper hydration, we are in route to some serious problems. During a sponsored event, we need to take advantage of the aid stations & drink at EACH STOP. Depending upon the distance between aid stations or in the case when we are just "out for a long run" on our own, it is not only wise, but essential that we carry water with us. We can always learn from the example of others (even if they are one of our furry friends!)

God Bless You & drink up!

Ken

The Week After

2010-03-13T20:33:00.026-06:00

Well, one would think that after such a grand display at Post Oak (back to back races) I would rest my little tootsies, but I could not get myself to do that.

A few of us & the TATUR TOTS ( Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Runners Training on Trails) decided to run at Chandler Park.

After some brief trail instructions by our celebrity runner Ken Childress, we were off.

Heading down the rocky trail, we took a wrong turn right off the bat. Here Charlie demonstrates how to decend so as not to get knocked over by runners behind you.

Heading down the trail, we ran through some tight quarters. Good thing nobody was claustrophobic.

After a while, we came across an old fire pit. We thought this would be a great place for a fireside chat sans the fire. Brian & Ken head the chat.

A little further down the trail, we ran across the home of the Three Bears.

As true trail runners that we are, we had to go in to see if anyone was home.

Lucky for us we scared them off as they stayed back in the brush nearby.

Before heading out, Ken takes a final look back.

Not wanting to over stay our visit, we soon headed back down the trail en route back to start as true TATURS do.

All in all, we got in about 8 miles. Not bad for having run 58 miles the previous weekend.

God Bless You & see you on the trail.

K2

Post Oak Trail Runs - Back to Back

2010-03-04T22:03:00.043-06:00

Well, I did my first Back to Back races this past weekend at the Inaugural Post Oak Trail runs.

It was also the 1st fund raising event for Know No Boundaries. Seeing as KNB stresses the fact that we sent our own limits, our own boundaries in life, I just had to push through mine to do the back to back races; trail marathon on Saturday & trail 50K on Sunday.

Day 1 - Trail Marathon

After a needed early start, we headed up the paved road towards the main lodge, circled the parking lot & then headed off onto the trail (or at least that was the idea). The first trail marking was an orange plate with a black arrow but it was off to the left on the grass. Plenty of the front runners missed it & ended up adding a bit of extra mileage to the run. K1 (aka Trail Zombie) & I stopped just before a fence line & caught the fact that we missed a turn. We headed back about a 100 yards or so & then were back on trail.

Lots of new trails so there was a lot of new experiences.

After passing our first aid station at Flatrock, we headed back onto the trails for a double pass loop out & around the Botanical Gardens. Yours truly heads out of the woods coming up on the Botanical Garden aid station.

Volunteers can make or break a race & the volunteers at this inagural race were great. The Botanical Garden workers were friendly & very upbeat. Trying to stay warm can be a chore as there is not much body heat generated when they are not running.

Lots of ponds along the course which made for beautiful reflections.

Although most was on rocky, muddy, grassy trails, there was an out & back portion on gravel roads just to add in a bit of variety.

The road headed off towards W 41st Street N . According to Tom, this was about a mile from his homestead; he could have run home after the marathon.

At some point on the course, we topped Holmes Peak; the highest point in NW Oklahoma. During our 1st training run, it was really foggy but God saw to it that we had a sunny day with a beautiful view from the top.

After heading down Holmes Peak, once again headed back into the woods. Loads of tall grass trails

and mud

From here, we headed back over to the start/finish by the Post Oak Pole Barn & then back out, up & over Hamburger Hill.

Oh did I mention, there were PLENTY of water crossings. A fellow runner stopped counting at 48! Try as I might, I was not able to keep my little tootsies dry the whole race. Luckily they did not get soaked until the last 5 miles or so.

After a full day, we ended up back at the Post Oak Pole Barn for the last time.

A beautiful custom finisher's medal was waiting, two brewskies & a great BBQ Beef sandwich.

Day 2 - Post Oak Trail 50K

The start of the trail marathon was not much different except that we headed onto the trails earlier. Again, it was a beautiful crisp morning. I even had a chance to see a bit of the local wildlife early on in the 50K.

The 50K was a double loop, one loop forward & one loop run in reverse. Here is where much of the confusion happened as some of the trail markings were a bit confusing when seen from a different point of view. Some were obviously easy, while others were not.

I have to say that I came out unscathed; only one tiny blister & a slight pain in my left knee. Now, three days later, I am ready to run again.

Looks like the Six Hour Snake Run put on by the TATURS & my good friend Ken Childress (aka K1) is on the near horizon later this month.

God Bless You & Happy Trails.
K2

Post Oak Double

2010-03-04T21:52:00.004-06:00

Well it is a few days after my first back to back races; Post Oak Trail Runs.

A Trail Marathon on Saturday & Trail 50K on Sunday. We were off for an early start (I felt I needed it) as we headed up the paved road up towards the main lodge, around the parking lot & then off onto the trails.

First Wheelchair Recipient

2010-02-06T13:27:00.006-06:00

Well, Know No Boundaries has its first wheelchair recipient. 12 year old David in Ghana walks to school with crutches each day. Because of this, he gets to school late & misses a lot. A wheelchair would help David get to school on time.

Know No Boundaries will be running in the Post Oak Trail runs; Trail Marathon on Saturday February 27th & the Trail 50 km on Sunday February 28th.

Come out & run or just come up support us.

No Weather Boundaries Here

2010-01-27T20:35:00.016-06:00

Okay, you have all heard the saying that "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck" however if it wet & out in the rain, IT IS DEFINITELY A DUCK.

Ahh, but here is where you are wrong. Many of us do not have weather as a boundary as to whether or not to run (remember when we ran in 10 F Arctic weather a few weeks back?) There were plenty of us who totally enjoyed the drizzle. Lisa, Sandra & Bobby do not appear to be melting do they?

I mean, not everybody melts when they get wet. Off we ran out into the cold, dark wetness. We quickly spread out as we headed north down the River Trails & then across the 11th Street Bridge over to the west side of the Arkansas River.

Over on the west side by the bathrooms, Jason & his group stop for a little internal hydration (there was plenty of outside hydration at this point).

From here, some of us continued south to the train tracks at the base of Turkey Mountain, turned around & headed back across the Pedestrian Bridge & back to Veteran's Park. Just past the PSO Plant, my camera pooped out. Surely it was not the drizzle that could be the problem, could it?

Let's see if it dries out in the next few days.

See ya next time for more of pushing this weather boundary. Ice & snow are predicted for Thursday & Friday.

God Bless;

Ken

How Much are You Committed?

2010-01-22T14:24:00.026-06:00

Every second, someone in the world is committing to something. For followers of my blog, many are committed to breaking out of their self set, self limiting boundaries (oh & to endurance running also). Our last weekend's run was out at Post Oak Lodge on the same trails that will be run for the inagural Post Oak Trail Marathon & 50km in February.

The first hint that it was going to be interesting should have been the fact that 1) we had light rain (hmm, this is a TRAIL run so it is likely to be slightly muddy) & 2) that it was foggy. I just love fog as it always reminds me of Old London, Jack the Ripper & all that stuff.

Brian & team were nice enough to give us a few tips & remind us to sign the waiver before heading out on the trails. A waiver for a trail run? Is there "something out there in "The Fog" that we should know about?

We headed off just as the sun was out. The first thing that should have turned us back was the fact that my feet were soaked within the first 100 yards. But since "boundaries" are not necessarily to keep things in or out, but things that indicate just how much we want something, just how bad is our determination & committment. With this in mind, onward we marched (or should I say slogged). Jonny Spriggs (Post Oak Lodge Run race director) & Ed stopped shortly after heading off to be suer to check for any stragglers. It would be aweful to loose a runner here before the inagural race.

Although the trails are still under construction, Johnny & team did a great job.

Drizzle, rain & fog did not disappoint us. We had pkenty of wet leaves, mud, mud & more mud.

Here Johnny shows Ed how to jump the wet spots without landing in the water.

After slipping & sliding, we crested Hamburger Hill. Too bad past visitors charred the ground.

Even with all of our slipping & sliding, we stll have slogged on to know no boundaries. Besides, we were having loads of fun. It is not every day that grown adults get to play in the mud.

We headed back down from Hamburger Hill & were soon back out on the trails weaving around trees & rocks & leaping across what small creeks were in our way.

It was not long before we stumbled across the ancient ruins of our trail running ancestors.

After a short prayer on trail, we head off & made our approach on Holmes Peak. Holes Peak is the highest point in North East Oklahoma. Once at the top, we were blessed with a beautiful view.

After heading back down, we made it to more level terrain however the mud was still there as Johnny once again show us.

Once we finished up, a few of us wanted to head back out to check some other of the Post Oak Lodge trails. We took one quick break for a group photo.

From here, we finally headed back to the parking lot where I could take stock of myself after one heck of a fun mud party.

Now that we have had fun in the mud & realized that a little rain, a little mud & a bit of cold weather is only a boundary if we so choose. With this said, Know No Boundaries.

Our next run is Saturday & they say 70% chance of rain. Let's see how we can break through this boundary as well.

God Bless;

Ken

Arctic Run - Pushing the Temperature Boundary

2010-01-10T15:13:00.018-06:00

There are many boundaries that we run across; some are set by us & some are set by others. Still it is up to us to determine if we want to allow that "boundary" to be permanent or something to overcome. Such was the case this weekend when the weather was somewhat "chilly".I have go to say that it is an odd feeling when the mileage that we are running is more than the actual outside temperature. With the wind chill, it must have been at least 8-9 degrees (we ran 10). It was a true test of "breaking boundaries" for all of us who were out & committed to run despite the weather. I mean come on, we could all have stayed home cuddled up in our Snuggies.

Gathered around by Veteran's Park, we were all ready to go as Lisa held one of the signs (Slower than Oprah" to gather her group.

Soon we were off & body temps seemed to come up. It was snowing as we marched off which was somewhat surreal (I always love to run when it is snowing.)

Up 21st Street to catch the trail & then head north. I always have that funny feeling when we head up towards Peoria & right ahead is Moore's Funeral Home. Shortly after this once we cross Admiral (I think), we run along a cemetery. If this is not an incentive to keep moving, I do not know what is.

Shortly thereafter, we had out first water stop (yes, it was still water & not ice).

TZ (aka Ken Childress), Lisa, Jason & friends get a quick drink before heading off again.

We ran up to 3rd Street & then wound our way through some construction downtown. I wonder why we would get such odd looks from the construction workers there. You would think that we were doing something wrong! I mean, doesn't everybody run Saturday mornings when it is below freezing?

After navigating through the trail-like terrain, we head off to the "Center of the Universe". Quite an odd place & very, very surreal when you are standing there at the actual "center".

As I neared to top, I heard Tom say "Hey, that looks like Ken Saveth" (That's me). Until I get up to the top, I had no idea what he was talking about. Once there, I really had to take a second look. If I had the same glasses & had, it would look a lot like me.

Lisa mentioned on Facebook that this is "Panama Jack" but I could not find a reference anywhere. They say that everyone has a twin somewhere!

Heading back through downtown a lone unicyclist was out & offered a warm hello. Too bad I couldn't get my gloves off fast enough to snap a photo. Back down towards Veteran's Park, we made a short out & back along the river to get in the full 10 miles. Getting thirsty on the way back by the Pedestrian Bridge, I pulled out my water bottle for a drink & to my dismay (but no surprise), it was frozen solid! Hmmm, it this a sign that it is a bit chilly out?

Back at the start, I was able to grab a drink (although 2 out of the 3 water coolers were also frozen). Brian offered a cold beer from what was left over from the "Run Into the New Year 5km". One of us grabbed a non-frozen one & as soon as it was opened, it froze before we cold even get it to their lips. We could actually watch it as it froze.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_H5ZIoZSBo

Oh well, better opt for something warm like a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Until next time friends, keep pushing those boundaries.

One last note, I had lunch with someone who really knows first hand about knowing no boundaries & living outside the box. Todd Huston is a local man who lives & breathes through breaking boundaries & not being "boxed in" by society' mold of how we are to live our lives. I would encourage you to check out his site to see what an amazing person Todd is & to learn about his No Box World.

God Bless You;
Ken

2010 is Coming Fast

2009-12-23T15:35:00.005-06:00

Well, 2010 will be here before we know it. What boundaries have you broken through this past year? Have you accomplished any worth while goal that you set out to achieve back in 2008 when you laid out your 2009 resolutions?

Hopefully it was a good year & you have achieved some progress on what you set out to achieve. Often times our New Year's Resolutions are just done to appease our minds but in our heart of hearts, we know that we will not reach them. This is where you faltered. The negative self-talk will do you in every time.

Resolve to set achievable goals in 2010 & to not be distracted. Take steps every day to do at least one thing to bring you closer to your goal. A worthy goal is achieved one step at a time.

Maybe your goal is to run your first marathon. Runner's World has the perfect training program for novices & seasoned runners alike. If you love trail runners, the Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Runners (TATUR) are a great bunch of crazy run-loving people.

Just set some worthy goal & let no boundaries hold you back. Listen to Nick to gain some inspiration & to "Know No Boundaries"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY

Still Pushing

2009-12-13T12:19:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the long hiatus again. I had been in the Egyptian desert for 30 days & was out of touch with my blogging. Talk about "pushing boundaries", being in the desert for that long without friends & family (not to mention a good opportunity to run this time around) was pushing my mental boundaries.

Well I have to say that I am back home & things wil lbe clicking along soon enough. Back running again was on thing that was missed. I particularly missed K1; my ultimate running buddy. Although I will have to say that with the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays upon us, I have not spent much with my running friends as I would like.

2010 will be the time for Know No Boundaries to really shine as I will be pouring more of myself into it & kick off the year with some good fundraising events, possible speakers or som other major event. So far I feel that I have been skirting along the boundary edge & have not really pushed over to have a true monumental breakthrough. 2010 will see that push.

As I am not already busy enough, I joined up with the Gentlemen's Association; an organization to strengthen & even bring back the true aspect of being a gentlemen. This is in etiquette, manners, dress as well as business & personal interactions. I am going to be bringing in a chapter here to Oklahoma. In today's society, manners, etiquette & being a gentleman NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK.
We will see what else 2010 brings. Defintely it will bring more opportunities to break through previously set boundaries.

I want to wish each of you a very blessed Christmas holiday & may God bless you & your families.

K2

The Heart of the Matter (Heartland 100 - 2009)

2009-10-12T22:17:00.020-05:00

The 2009 Heartland 1oo started off as usual, standing in front of the Prairie Chicken capital sign & then having some good ole' pre-race carbs.

My good friend Ken Childress digs in.

After some good grub, we sat & visited with friends all getting ready to run in the morning.

Here coach Kathy, Jason, Roman, Lisa & Randy all have a bit of a chat.

After heading back to Lisa's dad's house for an awesome sleep over, we all rose to Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast (Breakfast of champions as they say, eh?)

We all dressed & headed off into the darkness @ 4:40 AM only to gather at the race start & try to stay warm.

A few last minute party pics of some of the group just before the start.

The race was off into the darkness. Spirits were high & the weather looked to be heading for a beautiful day. As a matter of fact, the Kansas sunrise over the prairie is a beautiful sight to see.

As the sun rose, temperatures warmed up a bit & we soon headed into the first manned aid station. Kathy & Jason took full advantage to fuel up.

Heading back out, the wind began to really pick up. It seemed that whatever direction we turned, the wind buffeted our face. The sun soon was covered by gray clouds. This made for what seemed to be a nice day turn into a really cold & long run.

The trail was beautiful with rolling hills. (Actually, there were so many rolling hills, I felt as though we were on a roller coaster).

As we ran, the wind grew fierce; so much so that my nose was numb. Good thing for the gloves, & hat.

Ken & & pressed onward & upwards & kept a pretty steady pace (so it seemed). The weather however, was taking a tole on our pace.

By the time we reached the 50 mile turn around, I could have sworn that I saw snow flurries (or maybe it was my breath condensing in front of my headlamp.

None the less, at the Texaco Hill aid station, we had missed the cut off time so were pulled. Seeing as we had given our all on the trail, we had nothing to be upset about. I made it 69 miles which was about 20 miles futher than before. I therefore broke through my old boundary & am now set tp break through it once more.

We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war!

Now as always, Know No Boundaries.

God Bless you & happy trails;

FlatRock 50K (less the flat part)

2009-09-28T20:27:00.030-05:00

After being talked into running the 50K @ FlatRock by K1 (aka Trail Zombie), I can say that it was Awesome. TZ looks relaxed before the 50K as he visits with Tom who is running the 25K. Brian on the other hand, was working on his video skills.

The weather was perfect, a bit cool at the start & with about 1 1/2" of rain the night before, we had a bit of a foggy send off.

Once our illustrious race director Eric Steele gave us the count down, we headed down a brief bit of asphalt & then off onto the trail .

Once off the beaten path, the fun began (some people have a weird definition of "fun").

It was not long before the adventure began as the "rock" of FlatRock was there right from the start. Sometimes even a bit of a tight fit.

Some of the places seemed a bit dark & spooky (Oooooo!).

None the less, we pressed onward & upward. Oh, I forgot to mention that the FlatRock course is ANYTHING BUT FLAT! Take a look at this profile -

Here one of the competitors navigates a tough section of the course.

After seeing how easy it was, the rest of the pack followed suit.

It seemed as though we were going up & up & up & up, but at the highest point on the course, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of Elk City Lake.

Support along the course was second to none with lots of good eats (although I could have used my favorite - Oreo cookie with peanut butter topped with an M&M). Even without this, there was plenty as TZ heads out & Long Vu looks over the selection.

After a quick top off of our water & a bite to eat, TZ was back on the trail (maybe after a bit of bushwhacking, eh?)

Onward we pushed; through thick & thin, over hill & dale (who is Dale anyway & why would we want to go over him?)

With the rain the evening before, we were not let down as there was plenty of good ole' H2O along the course. Here Long Vu demonstrates how to cross without getting your feet wet.

Further on down the trail, I finally found an area that actually had flat rocks that were not at angles or standing up on their edge. It was nice of the race team to move some of these rocks out of our way (NOT!)

I definitely did my share of "clearing the trail" for my fellow runners as I kicked & stumbled over many a rock as I trudged on.

I will give tremendous Kudos to Eric & his team as the course was plenty challenging, plenty interesting with plenty of twists, turns, rocks, ups, downs, rocks, steep climbs, steep descents, rocks & some rock (Hmmm, I am getting the point of the name - FlatRock!).

Although I will not likely make the Hall of Pain any time soon, I will definitely be back next year & thereafter.

I am definitely ready for Heartland 100 now!

As always, live your life for God & Know No Boundaries!

God Bless You;

Back from the desert

2009-09-14T21:43:00.014-05:00

Well I just MAY have found a "boundary" that I could not overcome. It was a technical boundary that I ran across while working in the Egyptian desert for 30 days. I had taken photos of my running endeavours but soon realized that a satellite Internet connection through Germany was NOT going to allow me to upload photos in my life time. Well now that I am back, I thought I would share a bit.

Heading off from the "camp", it was nothing really spectacular, just a graded dirt road.

After a while, it came to a 'Y' in the road so I headed off to the left. Still nothing too exciting, eh?

Further down the road, I began to run into your typical oilfield stuff (pumping units, storage tanks, etc.).

It was from here on out, that the trail began to get fun!

Lots of rolling hills, rocks, sand, sand, rocks & rolling hills.

It was the ankle twisting kind of rocks (not those little pebble rocks).

It was an absolute blast running here (& also a lot of work considering there was about a 15 mile/hour wind in my face in the way back.

As I ran, I definitely took in the scenery. Although it is deserted (duh, it is a desert), there were some signs of life.

I will say though, that I am very glad to be back home. Now I am preparing for Hearland 100.

YEAH BABY!

(Sorry, I just had to day that.)

As I alwsys say, Know No Boundaries.

God Bless You;

My First Run in Issaran Field, Egypt

2009-08-14T15:32:00.007-05:00

Well, here I am; in the desert in Egypt; miles from anything. I am here for (4) weeks to work so I thought I ought to find a place to run. I mean, I cannot use my situation as an obstacle now can I?

I found a 1.5 mile loop around the camp (Woooo!). Not too scenic, but will have to do.

It is a graded dirt road around the camp where I will be staying for four (4) weeks; BLAH!

Oh well, at least I can run. Here I am rounding the corner behind the camp.

Hmmmmm - - - I may have found a "boundary" that is difficult to break; the patience boundary. Here in the field it is like watching paint dry or grass grow in order to upload photos here. I will end for now & will ammend it later with more.

Good night for now & God Bless You.

Words of Wisdom from the Oracle of Omaha

2009-08-14T15:28:00.003-05:00

I was surfing the web last night & when I checked my TWITTER account, there on the list of those I follow was a great it of wisdom from the Oracle of Omaha himself - Warren Buffet.

"Chains of habit are so light that we cannot feel them until they are so strong that we cannot break them".

Think about this for a while.

God Bless You;
K

WE ARE OFFICIAL

2009-07-23T23:26:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Know No Boundaries is now officially recognized by the IRS as a 501 (c)(3) non profit foundation.

After a year an a half of hard work, prayers & God's help, we are finally official.

Stay tuned for updates on how the foundation begins to grow & what events we will have to raise funds.

God Bless You & in life, "Know No Boundaries"

Ken Saveth
Managing Director

50 Miles for 50 Years

2009-07-23T22:20:00.020-05:00

Sorry for the delay, but I have been out of the country; in Egypt. 50 years brings up images of some person who is half a century old & limited in their physical & mental abilities. As I constantly mention, most all boundaries are self set so by default, we limit our abilities in practically every way, financial, mental, emotional & physical. For my 50th birthday, I wanted to run 50 miles. It was well planned out & many friends participated in various capacities. K1 (aka Trail Zombie) & I had planned to start from his house near Turkey Mountain at 7 PM on July 10th, head down 71st Street across the Arkansas River to Riverside Drive. We would then head south & then @ 91st & Riverside, turn east & run out to Northeastern State University. Unfortunately it was still plenty warm & in the 90's. Kathy, Roman, Russel, Bobby & Marvin met us @ 96th & Riverside while Lenice started out with us from the start & Craig joined in @ 71st Street.

Heading east along the Creek Turnpike Trail, we began to spread out a bit. K1 & I was constantly aware of our pace. K1's wonderful wife Dana was our crew & was sure to keep us hydrated & fed.

As the sun went down, the temperature dropped a bit but not as much as I had hoped. It stayed really warm (actually hot) for most of the night. Although Dana had us well taken care of, passing the restaurant signs brought on pangs of hunger.. K1 was constantly on the telephone as friends were checking on us most of the night to see where we were & to join in when they could.

The shirts that I had made for my birthday run were great as the logos really stood out. Many thanks to Julie Rock @ Rock Custom Wear.

While K1 & I were still on our outward journey, Craig & Marvin were already on their way back with about 5-6 miles left for them to have completed as full marathon.

By midnight, Dana about had it & headed home after running a few friends back to their cars. She did think of us though as she left ice chests for us to find on our way back. At this point, they were like pots of gold.

Now a sane person would have long said that "they couldn't do this", but I am here to say to you that with proper preparation, anyone can do this. You CAN erase those mental & physically boundaries that you may have set years ago.

As the sun rose, we got to 71st & Riverside where the construction is & low & behold, there was "a boundary". And seeing as we "know no boundaries", we opted to check out the new trail.

Just before we made it here though, we were hit with two shocking signs -

I can promise you that we had NO INTENTION of turning around & if we went any slower, we would be going backwards!

At 31st & Riverside, Dana brought us a frozen cappuccino. It tasted heavenly but after about 5 minutes, I realized it was a mistake. I had not trained with it.

We finished up at 10 AM Saturday morning with smiles on our faces and only a single blister.

At the end of it all, I can say THANK YOU to K1, Dana & all of my friends who made my 50th birthday run unforgetable.

And as I always say, Know No Boundaries.

Barkley Book Fair - Night Race

2009-07-03T20:47:00.023-05:00

Well the 4th Annual Barkley Book Fair Race is behind me. It was my first Barkley Book Fair race & will be the first of many more. I believe it is taken from the Barkley 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Brian is here doing his pre-race stretches on the generator.

The race started @ 9:30 PM (in the dark) at Turkey Mountain on the trails. So what boundaries are we breaking out of here? Well, night time trail running can be a bit daunting as there are rocks, roots, limbs, climbing, sliding & other exciting things all of which you cannot see until you are there. It is sort of like faith in GOD; you have got to step out in faith without that solid knowledge or sight of what will be there only that things will be okay. Night time trail running is like that, You have got to trust your instincts & be able to react quickly.

The motley crew gathered for our instructions from our race director K1 - Trail Zombie (that's him in the middle).

We were given our instructions & our map. Along the trail, we were to find (12) books the titles of which we soon found were very appropriate. We were to tear pages from the books corresponding to the last (2) numbers of our race number.

For me it was #36.

After this, we were pointed in the right direction sent off into the darkness.

Desiree is here finding her way in the dark (Duh! Were all in the dark all night!) We were soon running along the tracks heading North. I was all ears to be sure that I did not see any train lights coming.

We soon came across our first book (good thing for those darn paper plates giving us directions heading off into the bush - no wonder I was itching all the next day.)

We were soon back on the paved trail but not for long. We were back on the trails. We seemed to be gaining elevation. Up, up, up (& up more) we went. Good thing we could not see what was ahead of us.

We seemed to wander for hours (not really, it seemed like it though) when we came to an old wooden ladder. Once again, it was Up We Go only to find ourselves on top of a rock. From here, it was a rope to the next level. Oh, did I mention that I have a fear of heights? We had the option of going back down & taking the long way around but I felt that it was a good time to face my fears. I mean, what is the worst that could happen - I could slip & fall & break things. Fortunately the fear boundary was broken & up I went (sorry, no pictures here as I was holding on with both hands for dear life & the camera was stashed away).

We continued on trail taking turns leading & running when we could & stopped when we needed to to check our map as Russell is here.

TZ had promised us a surprise near the end but we had no idea what to expect. The map showed a partial loop but it was not until we had passed the same pile of broken glass for the THIRD TIME that we knew we were running in circles. Not only that, but the Book #13 was odd since we were only suppose to have 12 books.

And finally, we had gathered all of the book pages.

Way to go K1. Can't wait until next year.

Training to break those boundaries

2009-06-21T21:41:00.013-05:00

Well friends, with the weather warming up a bit, have you put a damper (or a boundary) on your outside activities? As long as you are hydrated & protect yourself, outside activities should not hinder you from getting some needed exercise (not to mention vitamin D).

I went for an afternoon run @ lunch only to find the temperature a bit higher then I thought. Oh well. When I was in Oman 2 weeks ago, a group of runners headed out for a lunchtime run but there it was 125 F! Ouch!

Anyway, as long as you wear a hat & hydrate properly, you should be able to enjoy your afternoon exercising. How do you think the competitors in Badwater deal with the heat - TRAINING, TRAINING & more TRAINING.

I was hoping for some clouds, but no luck. On the way back, the temperature was no better.

It was nice to get into the shade on the way back. I got the feeling though that I was being followed (or at least being watched - - you think?)

Our long run Saturday morning was really nice. K1 & I got in some extra miles earlier. I am a bit worried that my birthday gift to myself will be more painful than I care for. I well - I guess I ought to get prepared, eh? It was really nice to see some fellow Maniacs. We are now up to 1600 members!

Anyway, the run was nice & the group has really grown. It is great to see others pushing their running boundaries to run their first 1/2 or full marathon.

As it is always this time of year, it warmed up quick so hydrating was critical.

As we neared the last few miles, we had a few quite onlookers. Good thing that they were on the grass & off of the trail or they would have been sitting ducks for getting run over.

None-the-less, it was a great run & a way to push those temperature boundaries. At the end, cold ice sponges were heaven sent for the ole' noggin & across the back of the neck.

The Barkley Book Fair is coming next weekend & it should be awesome!

One more thing - - I actually believe that I am in the final phases with the IRS for my 501 (c)(3) none profit status for Know No Boundaries so STAY TUNED for exciting things & events.

And as always, know that YOU determine what you can & can't do & what "boundaries" are set. Remember, obstacles or walls are not there to keep others out, but to push us to see how bad we want something.

May GOD always smile on you & may your will always be HIS will.

God Bless;

50 Miles for 50 Years Route

2009-06-18T08:26:00.003-05:00

Well friends, I belive K1 & I have come up wit a proposed route for my 50 Miles for 50 Years Birthday Run. It is really knowing no boundaries as I am probably not ready & am a bit overweight (from my whirlwind Middle East & North Africa trip) but I WILL DO IT (even if I do a lot of walking).

Here is the proposed route. Come join us along the way for fun, friendship & pain (no whining though).

08/19/2008 Route (Mother Road 100 Training Run)
Find more Runs in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Enjoy & as always, PUSH THOSE BOUNDARIES!

K2

I'm Back (Again)

2009-06-14T22:46:00.005-05:00

Hey all. Sorry for the LONG delay. I had been in Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait & Egypt (crossing lots of boundaries ah?) & am just getting my land legs back.

I am glad to be back & to get back to my regular training.

I will have to say that I did way too much eating. I obviously went "outside my boundaries" in that I ate at the wrong times, & ate the wrong amounts. I will have to say though, that I ate PLENTY of fish. Being on the Mediterranean during part of the trip, the Gulf of Oman on another part & the Red Sea on the final part, there was plenty of sources of fresh fish. It was great! No knives or forks, just hands. As they say "when in Rome, . . . . ". We just grabbed a whole fish (gutted of course) but not de-boned, & just dug in. Hmmm, hmmm good.

I heard from the IRS & the final 501 (c)(3) status looks to be coming next week. I am thrilled as now I can begin formal fundraising. (Hint: You can send money any time).

The mileage is going to be ratcheted up quickly as the one major boundary that is being broken will be on my 50th birthday; July 11th. I am running 50 miles with friends. (Y'all are welcome to run it all or just part). Keep posted for run details. Met with K1 to discuss the route & it looks like it will be Turkey Mountain to NSU & back. This will give anyone who wants to jump in along the way plenty of places to join in.

Additionally, K1 & I have officially signed up for the Heartland 100 in Cassoday, Kansas in October. This will be just one more "boundary" broken. I cannot wait. The illustrious Dana will be crewing for us so we will be in good hands.

What boundaries have you broken lately? I would love to hear about them & be able to share them with the Know No Boundaries family.

Ciao for now friends & keep a close watch here for future news.

K2

Birds of a Feather

2009-05-12T16:15:00.011-05:00

Good afternoon friends. Saturday (like all Saturdays) are 'Made for Running' & this Saturday was no different. Although the schedule was supposed to be 5 miles, I really needed to get in more foot time. K1 & Bobby were kind enough to agree to meet an hour earlier to get in 5 miles before meeting up with the rest of the gang.

It is a great feeling when you win the battle with the opportunity clock. Most people will hit snooze or not set it on a Saturday morning but then again, maybe they are the same ones who say

that "they cannot" do something. Come on people, in order to "DO" anything , you need be committed. You need to make the mental decision to ignore any limiting thoughts or obstacles (I.e. your alarm clock) & get off your derriere & take the first step.

Now where was I? Oh yes, K1, Bobby & I got in some mileage before meeting everyone else.

In running along the Arkansas River, there is a Bald Eagle protected area. We were just hummin' along & K1 yells "STOP!". Holy Bald Eagle Feathers Batman (I mean K1). After quickly grabbing my arm, I realized that this was an opportune photo op - Birds of a Feather, eh?

(Notice any similarities?)

Actually, there are plenty of similarities between marathon & ultra distance runners & eagles -

They are bold (not bald!)

They rise above adversity

They are leaders, not followers

They are strong

They are born to soar

They will not quit

Now in addition to all of these great qualities, some of us even sport the same "look" (just kidding).

After getting over the shock of K1 yelling "Stop!". we made it back to the group where Coach Kathy was giving her pep talk to the troops.

Since we had already gotten in 5, we opted for our 2nd 5 to be up to Turkey Mountain & back. (You know, I have never figured out this name as I have never seen any turkeys there & it is really not a mountain).

We headed up until we hit some sort of diversion in the road.

Running back down we knew that God was smiling on us & that He was happy that we won over the alarm clock & got out to enjoy life & His day.

Not a Dry Foot in the House

2009-05-06T14:28:00.014-05:00

What a wonderful weekend we had (if you're a duck that is). It has now been raining for almost 11 days straight. Everything is wet & soggy not to mention that my lawn needs to be mowed! The Hope Rains 5km trail run was this weekend despite the rain & mud. Here is where many people set their boundaries, too wet, too muddy, cold rain, etc. There are some boundaries that "could" sound more justifiable than others (although not really acceptable); like not running if you have a prosthesis but not doing something because it is muddy! Give me a break. What did we all d when we were kids - PLAY IN THE MUD.

Just as you cannot discover new lands until you loose sight of the shore, you cannot truly reach your dreams, your goals, your passion unless you get out of your comfort zone. These "comfort zones are also ruts in which we find ourselves stuck in.

WE DECIDE OUR ACTIONS TO EACH & EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. WE DECIDE TO QUIT OR TROD ONWARD TO THE END! WE DECIDE TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES & BREAK THROUGH BOUNDARIES THAT PREVIOUSLY STOPPED US.

The path, the way to overcome our boundaries are all around us as well as in us, we need only to quiet the noise within us to hear the voice of God. God often give us clues as to where to go & how to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Never-the-less, not letting a little rain & mud keep us from enjoying the day was wonderfully fulfilling (not to mention messy).

It was obvious that it was muddy -

Despite the rain, I even got a nice tan line (NOT!)

When all was said & done, I was thankful that my hose worked (although the ol' Mizzuno's need to dry out a bit after getting a good cleaning.

I'm Back (Sorry for the Hiatus)

2009-04-30T09:21:00.008-05:00

Well, life has a way of putting obstacles & challenges in our path; often times resulting in our having to take a detour. Although I have not posted lately, I have continued to push my boundaries in many ways (spiritually, mentally & physically).

I have begun to pray (3) rosaries a day. Our lives, our families, our communities & our world severely need prayers so despite the fact that I am busy, I am adding more to my plate in the spiritual sense.

Mentally I have added in one more book to read. I am now reading (3) books at once (Return from Tomorrow - George G. Ritchie, Awakening the Giant Within - Tony Robbins & now One Tough Marine - First Sergeant Donald Hamblen USMC & Major B.H. Norton USMC - retired). Regarding our mental boundaries, I do not believe that man has found them nor defined them. It is the basis for the mission statement for Know No Boundaries that "we determine our own boundaries or limitations".

We decide how we will react to any given situation, we decide what fork in the road we take or what path we walk & we decide to keep on keeping on or giving up.

In the physical arena, I am trying to keep my mileage up (despite the fact that I did not run in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon this last Sunday).

Kudos to all who ran & who conquered!

Plans are underway for my "50 for 50" run this July. I am planning on running 50 miles on my 50th birthday. We will be starting the evening of July 10th & finishing up around noon on the 11th ( I was born then so I am told). In the mean time, I run, run, run & then run more. Then in October, K1 & I (K2) will be running the Heartland 100 in Cassoday, Kansas. I ran the 50 miler there (2) years ago so I know 1/2 of the course. I am really fired up friends.

Remember that as you go through your day & your life, keep in mind that there are many signs that if we are quiet enough & pay close enough attention, we can see where we need to go. Remember, God was not in the wind, or the fire, but in the ever so small whisper. Often times the direction that we need to go is right in front of us.

God Bless you;

Truly Knowing No Boundaries

2009-04-09T19:00:00.003-05:00

It is right there before our eyes, every place, every where & within every person. We all have that Grace of God within us allowing us to break through the countless "boundaries" that life sets before us. The wall that blocks you from achieving your goal or dream is only there to keep people out who do now want to achieve their dreams or desires bad enough. For those of us with a true God-driven passion, there are literally NO BOUNDARIES.

Many times our journey to overcome these so called boundaries in & of itself is a spiritual journey bringing us deep within ourselves to the true dwelling place of God Almighty. It is within the human soul that God finds His true home.

The Marathon Monks of Mt. Hiei are without a doubt, the worlds most incredible athletes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S06oMxdt40A

See at the top.

K2

Running, the olfactory & Perfume

2009-04-06T14:33:00.005-05:00

There is nothing like the an early morning run. On the trail, it is the smell of the morning dew, wet grass, jasmine or honeysuckle. In the city, it could be fresh brewed coffee, waffles or bacon wafting through an open window. As the day moves on, the smells of lunch or dinner move in or the smell of pinion wood in the Chimera.

Running with friends always makes it more enjoyable as the talk of eating is the subject of many of our conversations. This is where we can :stretch" the boundaries a bit. Seeing as we are running & burning calories, it is acceptable to talk about food. Too often we only get to have a few packets of GU although this morning, we were treated to pretzels, Cliff Blocks & other sundry treats @ Katheryn's house.

Thanks Kathryn.

I will have to say that the one odor that constantly finds the olfactory is perfume! I mean come on ladies, what's the point? Are you trying to meet your soul mate or impress that handsome dude in your running group? I mean, we are RUNNING, duh! We are expected to sweat. It an be kinda sexy to be hot & sweaty amongst those of the opposite sex.

I had a good conversation with Patti this weekend & she suggested that I cut our the feminist talk & to quit while I was ahead. I need to just get over it & accept that women WILL RUN with perfume & make-up.

I am not getting on to you ladies, it is just that I find it very odd. From a guys perspective, it is impressive enough that you are out there running & taking care of your body & trying to stay healthy. The perfume only detracts from the natural smells of life.

Until next time.

Happy trails.

6 Hour Snake Run (sans Snakes)

2009-03-31T16:41:00.014-05:00

Well this is a bit late, but better late then never, eh? The 6 Hour Snake Run on March 21st was great. A hint of freezing drizzle at first but that passed quickly. There was a really great turn out. I always feel closest to God when I am on the trails. It is just a "back to nature" feeling.

After a few words from our illustrious race co-director K2 (aka Ken Childress), we were off.

It was like Little Red Riding Hood except for the fact that there was no river (actually there was no Grandma either). There were plenty of friends out on the trail all looking for snakes however the only snake seen was most likely my running tights from Running Funky.

The trail was well marked with pink ribbon with black polka dots as well as "W" signs showing any trail neophytes that they are going in the wrong direction.

Bill Ford ran & was the epitome of Know No Boundaries. Bill was raising money for a high school track runner to be able to go to Australia to compete. Bill ran for 24 hours & ended up at the start of the 6 Hour Snake Run after having already run for 16 hours! Bill ended up with approximately 88 miles! Way to go Bill & congratulations.

Trail running (or any running for that matter) allows me time to think, pray & ccontemplate life. However we often times run across something that totally grabs our attention. Now WHAT is a clothes drier doing in the middle of the trail on Turkey Mountain? I guess that someone was trail running one day & dirtied their clothes & had to go all the way home to wash them. Maybe they thought that bring a washer here would help - - - NOT!! I totally despise people who do not respect our environment & who have not been considerate enough to dispose of this correctly. Whoever you are - - - SHAME ON YOU!

Kathy did a great job of pacing Bill during some of his 24 hour run & had reserve energy to jump in as well during the run.

It would also be poor sportsmanship if we didn't recognize our race sponsor & race mascots.

Thanks TATURS.

On the way will be "Trail Running & the Olfactory".

See you all on the trail & God Bless You.

Recapping the Mission of Know No Boundaries

2009-03-23T13:51:00.003-05:00

Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
What is the connection you say, well let's dissect the scripture.

I - This means you, me, him, her or whoever.

Can do - This points to being able to do something. Not try something or maybe do something but to actually DO IT!

All Things - It does not say some things, or this thing but not that thing but ALL THINGS.

Through Christ - Now here is the source of the "can do all things" ability. We are not in this world to sit idly & just ride the wave of life to its finish. We are here on a mission & we are fools if we think that we can do it on our own with no help. It is through & with the ever present power of God & the help of the Holy Spirit that we can overcome life's obstacles.

Who Strengthens Me - Again, the strength to overcome boundaries is not some innate thing that we are born with but a strength to overcoem obstacles & break through boundaries with the strength FROM GOD TO ME.

Okay, so lets get this straight, most of life's boundaries are self set or self imposed. We often think that we can muscle through them on our own & most often we get frustrated when we can't. Initially these are fine webs like those of a spider which are easy to break . But after our continued effort to do it on our own accord without the strength & guidance of the Holy Spirt, these fine webs begin to turn into steel cables further locking us into this inability to overcome our boundaries. It is here that our mental state begins to buy into our inability to overcome these boundaries.

Luckily for us that even these seemingly unbreakable cables can & are broken according to God's promises. Look around you each day & see those walking in God's grace & pulling from His strength living their lives overcoming boundaries & limitations. Men with two prosthetic legs competing in triathlons like Rudy Garcia-Tolson, blind men climbing mountains like Eric Weinmeyer who summited Mount Everest or Nick Vujicic who was born with limbs, has a double major in Accounting & Financial Planning & travels the world as a motivational speaker & preacher or . . . . . . . . you get the picture.

Know No Boundaries is a non-profit foundation aimed at working with people to help them overcome their self set boundaries through friendship, mentoring & supplying crutches, wheelchairs or even prosthetic where needed in order to further God's plan that we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

God Bless you.

I Just Love It When a Plan Comes Together

2009-03-17T22:28:00.004-05:00

Well friends, God is amzing in how He brings things together in just the rignt way & at just the right time. I have been attending a local networking group weekly. As a result, I have ran across some great opportunities for fundaising opportunities for the foundation. Although I am still wrestling with the IRS on the 501 (c)(3) status, I believe that this is from God & that it WILL happen. I am looking at logo candles from the Macaroni Candle Company & possible T-shirts from Rock Custom Wear out of Middleburg, Florida. check out their first go at the logo in reflective vinyl.

I continue to be amazed at how many people in the world who are living examples of "Knowing No Boundaries". A man in Missouri wou has been running barefoot for 5 years (rain or snow) & is raising money to supply wheelchairs for people in Africa; Serge & Nicole's around the world; 25,000 mile; 5 year epic run raising money for various charities but mainly Vision Quest to provide treatment and prevention for blinding eye conditions in under served areas worldwide. And then there is Erskein Lenier who will run across America in 2011 - BAREFOOT!

There are plenty of people out there breaking through boundaries & doing it for the good of humanity.

As for me & my world, I continue to grow Know No Boundaries & run with my usual group during the week & on Saturdays. This past Saturday was a great 18 miler (although I cut it to 13 1/4 for me as I missed some of the long runs lately).

The Tulsa sunrise is always beautiful. Many wer not present as they had the annual St. Patricks Day Run this morning. Too bad w didn't see any Leprechans.

Part of the way through the Midland Valley Trail, we always come up on this building. I cannot figure out why I always pick up the pace here. Even more daunting, is the fact that "the next step" comes up next on the trail.

None-the-less, the mornings run was good & we had a great time.

See you all on the trail & as always, God Bless You & Know No Boundaries!

To Truly Know No Boundaries

2009-03-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

Surfing on the web this evening, I ran across this truly amazing man who is the epitome of "knowing no boundaries". Check out the site & video trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1C0a0jYTYQ&eurl=http://beyondtheepicrunblog.com/movie/

You have GOT to comment on this feet ( I mean feat)!

What a Blustery Day Saturday Was

2009-03-08T22:31:00.014-05:00

Saturday's run made me think of the old show "The flying Nun", you know where Sally Fields took off in her habit. Man it was W I N D Y! Heading South on Riverside & across the Pedestrian Bridge was often like running on a treadmill - lots of effort but not getting anywhere. There was a GREAT turn out though & it was not frigid as it had been in the past. Despite the beautiful day, I was really sucking wind (no pun intended). All of always seem to have so much to do in our lives that we cannot always get it all in. For me, a daily run is not always doable. I/we all need to do better. I for one plan on going to the gym Monday morning & will see about getting out on the Liberty Trail out in Broken Arrow some mornings - Any takers?
We all totally enjoyed this spring-like weather although some folks seem to be enjoying themselves more than others. Unfortunately there were NOT in our group.

Today the boundaries of having to pull myself out of a warm bet only to run with a group of like minded people out in freezing weather did not exist. One would have been a fool to stay in bed on a morning like this. I expect that things will only be getting better for a while before the next boundary is place before us - that is staying inside a nice cool house when it is 100+ F outside. Badwater here we come.

Back to Saturday's run, we all really enjoyed ourselves, some even more than others. Although I love running along Riverside, it is something about certain segments on the West side that really depress me. The two ends are great, it is the middle section that is bad.

Back along the East side of the river, felt like homecoming as there were plenty of friends from many different running groups that were all there. What a community - you got to love it.

I gotta get one of these shirts. How many people actually ask you

"How far you ran today?" Do people really care? The largest percentage of society mainly run from the couch to the fridge interspersed with runs to the bathroom.

None the less, it was a great run.

We all gathered back at Veterans Park to chill a bit, re-load & visit about the great run & the wonderful weather.

Now as for that sucking wind thing, next time I will leave off the leg weights.
Dr. Z was there all prepared to soothe our aches & many took full advantage of it.

I'll be next Dr. Z.

Remember You Are Dust & to Dust You Shall Return

2009-03-04T19:48:00.003-06:00

You know all of this talk & encouragement about "knowing no boundaries" made me think recently. This is the season of Lent & during this time we have an opportunity to look at our mortality. What's that I said - mortality. That puts in perspective that we ultimately do have some earthly boundaries. It is not until we are in heaven, that we will truly have NO BOUNDARIES & will be immortal.

I continue to run into people who for no reason except for their own choice, have chosen to set boundaries; physical, professional, mental, emotional & on & on & on.

A man from California is planning on running across American in 2011 - BAREFOOT! Why you say? I say "Why not?" Motivational speaker Chris Widener has a phenomenal memory & has been able to repeat back 100 numbers backward & forward after only seeing them once for approximately 5 minutes. How you say? Learn the mental exercises & processes & do it yourself. The problem is that people say "I would give anything if I could ______ (you fill in the blank)?" They would give anything except time & effort.

Take time this Lenten season to not only reflect on your own mortality & your own TRUE boundaries & then decide to break through all others. You CAN DO IT.

"There is no mountain view without first a climb." - Ken Saveth

God Bless You

I've Been Thinking

2009-02-24T22:47:00.005-06:00

For some reason I was thinking tonight about boundaries & comfort zones. They are actually closely related if you think about it. We set boundaries in our lives based upon where we feel comfortable. Just when you begin to get a bit uncomfortable, BINGO - you hit your boundary, your limit, the edge of your comfort zone. Sometimes it is a warm blanket & some times it is something else.

I believe that in order to grow, we need to get out side our comfort zone. However this may not be as easy you would like. Maybe we can start by expanding our zone rather than just busting through it. I mean there is no point of just jumping off into something way out there.

Well, I'll make it a wrap for now. Just know that expanding your comfort zone as you move towards a total break out, is a good first step. You have to crawl before you can walk.

Life is full of opportunities to test this as God often pushes us into uncomfortable situations in order for us to lean on Him. When we do so, LOOK OUT; GREAT THINGS HAPPEN.

God Bless You & go get uncomfortable.

If It is Freezing, It Must Be Saturday

2009-02-22T20:13:00.015-06:00

Holy Frostbite Batman!

It was GREAT running weather all week but nooooo, it has to be

F R E E Z I N G on Saturday morning during our weekly long runs.

Mother Nature seems to have a cruel sense of humor. We huddled up at Veteran's Park & tried to stay warm before heading off into the wild & windy morning.

Despite the frigid weather, there are still those who choose to wear shorts. I guess when the ol' thigh muscles get moving, they generate enough heat to stay warm. As always, it is always good to see & run with K1. Too bad we couldn't use the pair of K's in last weeks Poker Run.

It seems that in weather like this, it could be easy to stay in a warm bed or at home with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate.. But then again, this would be telling yourself that "you cannot run in cold weather" - a self set boundary. I can tell you that standing out @ Veteran's Park before we headed out i did indeed have those thoughts. Luckily I got my wits about myself & stayed out there freezing & ready for a good morning's run.

We headed out onto Riverside Drive going North (figures as the wind was in our faces!). After about 5 minutes, there was no feeling in my nose & I pulled up my turtleneck up as far as it would go. WHOOSH - there went my hat - one of many times it would blow off. Across the 11th Street bridge & then South on the West side of the river.

Heading South was much better as we were out of the wind. Time to unzip the jacket for a bit. It is always nice on this part as the ducks are plentiful & often times the Tulsa Rowing Club are out on the river. After crossing the old wooden bridge, we made our way over to the Pedestrian Bridge & back across the river.

The wind was fierce crossing the river & I took off my had so that it wouldn't end up IN the river. It had already blown off (3) times already. Near the end of the Pedestrian Bridge it was obvious how windy it was as the fountains were covering the bridge in a C O L D mist. (it was actually icy as the mist had frozen on the bridge.

From here we looped around & then took off North again. At 21st Street was the first water stop aside from the usual water fountains. WOOSH - that darn hat again. I am thinking of getting some Velcro.
At this point, I am getting tired of having to stop & pick up my hat. If it were not so cold, I would stuff it in my waistband.

We made curve around Peoria Ave. & then looped around & headed torwards 6th Street. Every time I run by this area, I have to stop & thank God for life & my ability to run. The other thought is that if it is my time to go, at least I would not have to be taken very far.

Up 6th Street & then back South on Boston Ave. took us back to Veteran's Park. By now I was a bit warmer & ready for some carbs which Kathy always has ready for us. Fig Newtons are my favorite but I will take anything that is out.

A bit of final fellowship & conversation about the morning's run with good friends & then off for a hot cup of coffee.

Cold Morning Run and Men's & Women's Brains

2009-02-14T22:02:00.006-06:00

I will start off by saying that this mornings run was FRIGID! Well, after we got started I warmed up but after the first loop, we stopped for water & all that sweat began to freeze. I sat out the 3 miler & just waited for the 5 mile Poker Run (good thing I do not play poker, I had a horrible hand of NOTHING). Regarding "knowing no boundaries", I believe that I may have found one of mine - FRIGID WEATHER!. Well actually if I dressed differently, I would have been fine. See there; just when I thought I hit a boundary, I was able to talk myself out of it & came up with an answer. This is the same in all things in life not only in my life, but also yours. If we just look at things from a different perspective, we often find that our "can'ts" are "won'ts" & that we may often trying to justify our reason for not dooing that thing.

Now - regarding TZ's Women Driver video in his BLOG, hilarious. I am sure that the women out there will supply him with a stupid men's video. This however, reminded me of a video that I just received that explains HOW men's & women's brains work. This explains a lot of the driving video.

And as always, live your life under God's guidance & knowing no boundaries. K2

The Night of & the Morning After

2009-02-01T19:48:00.008-06:00

Sleep, who needs sleep. Again, it gets down to self limiting beliefs. "What the mind can conceive, it can achieve" - Napoleon Hill. The Broken Arrow chapter of the Knights of Colombus Council 6606 smokes meat (ribs, brisket, bologna & chicken) every year just prior to the Super Bowl. As always, I take the late shift (10 PM Friday to 6 AM Saturday). I like to let others sleep & work the shift that nobody wants. What a blast!

I will say that I do have a plan in mind. I generally run Saturday mornings so the plan was to work the lat shift, & then head down to Riverside for our Saturday morning marathon training. I gotta say that as the night wore on & it got cooler, I was thinking of that warm bed. But my irrational side won out & I headed down for our run.

The group gathered @ 73rd & Riverside at Helmrich Park & was eager to get going as the sun was not totally up enough to warm us yet. WHAT WAS I THINKING! I should have been home in bed. I had not slept since 5:30 AM the previous morning.(Shut Up I told my rational mind. You can do whatever you sent your mind & heart to).

It was great fo have the K-Team (K1 & K2 both Kens) in good spirts & good form. As we headed off, I relished in the thought that Life is Good. Crisp morning air, Great friends, Great exercize & overall, Great to know that we don't always get what we want, but we get what we expect. I expect GREAT TIMES & I get exactly that. In life, the boundaries or limitations that we seem to run into, are more often than not, reflections of our own mental attitidues projected in our reality. If yu change your attitide, you ultimately change your reality. I know that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to & I have every intension of doing just that. You can as well. You have the capacity; God gave it to all of us. Don't waste it. Desire to run up to the Pearly Gates at the end of your life, worn out, cut & bruised having used all of what we have been blessed with. This shows that we have used our God given talents & abilities. Don't be timid & shy being careful not to "damage the merchandise". God will wonder why you wasted the talents & abilities He blessed you with. We will all have to answer for our lives. Be sure that you have left nothing on the table.

God Bless you all.

Pushing Through Frustration

2009-01-27T13:46:00.004-06:00

It is good to be blogging again after a long hiatus. Things have been C-R-A-Z-Y both at home & at work. With the start of a new year, we all rekindle our drive & commitments to bettering ourselves; loose that weight, take that class, run that marathon, etc. You get the idea. This time of year has the gym absolutely packed with new faces diligently working with resolve to achieve some pre-set goal.

It is unfortunate that most of those people will fade into obscurity after about 30-45 days. The excitement of the moment, the big resolutions and up being taken over by life's events. That report for the boss that needs to be finished, the recitals & sporting events that need to be attended all seem to take precedence over our goals. Albeit, these things are all important, but without our internal resolve to follow through with our commitments, to break through those boundaries that we see as keeping us from obtaining our desires, we are unknowingly cheating our loved ones, our colleagues and most importantly; ourselves of a critical trait. The trait to overcome obstacles, find solutions to perceived problems, find the resolve & inner determination to press on against seemingly insurmountable odds. All of this says more about ourselves than we know. It teaches our family, our colleagues & ourselves that WE CAN. WE CAN run that race, WE CAN finish that report on time, WE CAN loose that weight, WE CAN!

Now that I am back from my first-of-the-year business trip to Dubai & Cairo, I am re-committed to working towards pushing the limits, breaking through barriers, knowing no boundaries. I have several ultramarathons planned for this spring so watch for more details.

Additionally, I will be 50 this year & I will be making sure that this is by no means going to limit me. Society may lable 50 year olds as "old", but that is purely a mental label & one that you can definitely overcome. Again, better than 80% of limitations ARE MENTAL. I have seen runners with (2), that is TWO prosthetic legs running a marathon. I am sure that this man will not let a conventional mindset limit him.

I see this through all of my global travels in people overcoming HUGE challenges. Nobody told them that they could not do something, they just decided to JUST DO IT!

Brrrrrrr!

2009-01-03T13:40:00.005-06:00

Hey there fellow Polar Bears. It was GREAT to take my "first" plunge on the 1st of the year. Nothing like ice cold water to make one really feel A-L-I-V-E!
Crazy you say? I say you need to get outside your comfort zone in life in order to accomplish or achieve anything. A boat cannot discover new lands until it looses sight of the shore. In this way, one cannot discover all that God has planned for their lives until they break out of their self limiting boundaries.

This is a new year & often time for new beginnings & new resolutions. Why not resolve to be a new person this year; to set goals just out of your reach, to stretch yourself to a point to be a bit uncomfortable. God has blessed each of us with unique gifts & I believe that we owe it to Him to use those gifts & not waste them.

I know that when I am in front of the Pearly Gates of Heaven in front of Almighty God, I want to be sure that He knows that I used ALL of the gifts that I was endowed with & did not sit quitely by the sidelines of life making sure not to "break anything." Get your bible out & read the parable of the talents to get my point.

May 2009 really stretch you & may you break out of those self limiting shackles.

Onward my fellow soldiers!

2009 - A Time to Break Out!

2008-12-24T12:52:00.003-06:00

Good day everyone.

It is a GREAT day to be alive, eh? Although 2008 is quickly coming to an end, do not forget the birthday celebration tomorrow, our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the "Reason for the Season". It is not about buying that latest gadget or outfit, but about being all we can be with what God blessed us with & TO SHARE IT with our fellow man (& woman). There are plany of people who will not celebrate Christmas as advertized so it is up to us to bring Christmas Cheer to them!

For those of us who are still stuck within our own, self set limitations, know that God madse us to be all that we can be & to do all we can do. We should not limit ourselves based upon our own perception of reality. Often we are looking at the world through rose colored glasses. You never knew of a tree that only grew half way did you? No, it grew as tall as it could grow. As we sit down & begin to write down our goals & what "boundaries" we wil break out of in 2009 (you are writing them down aren't you?) be sure to S-T-R-E-T-C-H yourself. There is no sense in just doing something that you are comfortable with now is there? We all need to reah outside our comfort zone.

I wish all of you a Blessed Christmas & may you break out of all of your limiting boundaries in 2009 & beyond.

A Blistering Pace

2008-11-27T10:16:00.005-06:00

Well - - - - - - - Mother Road 100 (Part 2) is now behind me & I have learned a lot from my experience. Taking off at 9 AM on a beautiful Saturday morning gafe no hint of what was ahead of me. As the miles clicked on, I met & talked to many, many wonderful people from all different places. I had a warm feeling inside that I was not alone in my crazy, off kilter world of ultra running and that there are actually other beings who share in this love.

The countryside was beautiful & many passer byers (hmmm, is that a word?) honked or waved. The small towns that we ran through were great. They obviously had no idea of our lunitic tendencies. My friend & neighbor (Craig J.) was a life saver as we played leap frog all day with me running & him keeping all of my needs (E.g. Powerbars, drinks, pretzels, gloves, headlights, etc.) in his car. One thing that mere mortal runners NEVER think of when running is "the call of the wild". Needless to say, toilet paper was not one of the things in my goodie bag & restrooms are defintely not conveniently located. You can imagine (maybe you can't) how difficult it is to run with your legs crossed. Anyway, you can use some of your imagination for the rest of this story.

Most of the day I was about an hour ahead of my drop dead time. This went on pratically all day & into the night. The strange thing though, is that sometime between 9 AM Saturday morning & sundown, I must have overlooked that warming feeling on the bottom of my left foot. By the time I got to the 1/2 way point at the aid station in Weatherford, OK, I realized that a blister was a stong probability. Luckily there was a doctor there (a marathoner as well) who took a look. He asked me to sit down & take off my shoe (this was very funny as I could not even come close to bending over & removing a shoe). The look on his face when he looked at the bottom of "mi pies" was enough. A HUGE blister over most of the ball of my left foot. He did what he could, taped me up & wished me luck. In addition to this, I have strange shaped toenails as well from all the pounding mileage.

Getting back outside (after my body temperature dropped from sitting inside) caues me to shiver uncontrollably. I could not recall ever having been so cold. I jumped in the car & cranked the heat. "This was going to be tough" I told myself. Eventually, I got myself out & going but by now, everyone was gone, it was still dark as it was now after midnight & my foot was toast. Craig informed me that I was no longer ahead of schedule but was "right on schedule" That meant that I could not slack any more & had to keep a pretty steady pace the remainder of the race (50 more miles). After another mile, I realized that this was not to happen today & that it was time to have a reality check.

Although I chose to pull out here, I did best my previus 50 mile time by an hour!

Looking back now & talking to others, I am taking notes as to what I need to change in my training & planning. Different socks for one, & possibly changing out shoes a few times throughout the day.

I am now taking some needed rest for the ole' tootsies but am scouring the internet for another 100 mile with which to redeem myself & once again, push outside one's boundaries.

Mine Your Step

2008-11-06T20:37:00.006-06:00

Well it is just two days until the Mother Road 100 - Part & a real test to push my boundaries. I am anxious, excited, scared & everything in between. Have I trained enough? Have I spent enough time preparing? Am I ready? I believe that the answer is obviously NO. We are never truly ready to step outside our comfort zone but that is just it, we need to know the feeling of crossing the boundaries, to feel the exhilaration of overcoming a previously set limitation or boundary.

For the past several months, I have been running & preparing. Unfortunately my job takes me out of the USA so I cannot always get in that important "long run" every week. Last week was one of those times. I had been in Egypt for 10 days & was approximately 5 Km from the Red Sea. What a view & what a chance to run along the Red Sea; to stand where Moses had stood (or at least close). I asked the guys at the camp where I was working where to go & they pointed to graded dirt road that curved around & supposedly went all the way to the Read Sea.

Just before heading out, they ran over & told me to make sure to stay on the graded road. I wasn't sure so I asked "Why?". Well, back during the war between Egypt & Israel, this area contained many land mines (Yikes!). The area that had not been graded may still contain un-exploded mines! That will surely put a crimp in your running, eh? Well, I took off & after about a kilometer or so, the road seemed to fade away. Visions of missing limbs (my limbs) came to mind & rather than try to find where the road actually went, I quickly turned around & headed back. What's a few dozen 1 km loops back & forth. Oh well, so much for a good last long run before MR100.

My next blog entry should be very interesting as I will be able to share my experience of "going the distance" & "knowing no boundaries."

God Bless You.

Between the Ears

2008-09-18T22:49:00.004-05:00

What is actually between our ears? Some think that our brains are there. Actually, our entire reality is there. Our life's experience is present as a culmination of all of what we have experienced so far & our interpertation of how those experiences relate to us. It is through OUR eyes that our reality is created. Whether it is true or not, we make it so according to what we decide. This is where the self limiting boundaries are set or overcome.

Tonight I sat in on a presentation on Psychology and Running. In that presentation, we were told how our mental view of life; our life; become our reality. How we play these mental games to either convince ourselfs to do or not do something. We were told that we need a road map to help us achieve our goals whatever they may be. With out this map we are like Alice in Wonderland when she met the Cheshire Cat.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' `That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat. `I don't much care where--' said Alice. `Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat. `--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation. `Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'"

We are sure to achieve some result in everything that we do but unless we can overcome our self limiting boundaries, we are doomed for medeocrity rather than the greatness God has planned for us.

We can accomplish miracles with faith & love for God & a burning desire to walk with Him through everything. It reminds me of watching Tony Melendez & his wonderful gift of musinc & song -

Ants

2008-09-18T13:50:00.002-05:00

What comes to mind when you think of ants; maybe a ruined picnic or biting fire ants? Think about it for a minute. In your mind's eye, picture an ant walking across a picnic table. You move something in its way. What happens? He (or she) goes around. You move the item in front of it again & the same thing happens. Let's say that now, you string a whole bunch of things across the whole table. What happens now? The ant may move to the edge of the table & even try to go along the edge or the underside. If he can't, he may just climb right over the top.

Now you are probably asking yourself what does this have to do with "knowing no boundaries". Look at it this way, the ant has some goal (walking to the other side of the table). It is not aware of the option of "giving up" or just going part of the way. Once on his way, the ant will continue to try & try & try & try until either he reaches his destination or you squash him.

Can't we relate this to our lives? We set a goal only to get only so far & then say "I can't do it. It is too hard. I do not know how. I am not good enough." We are constantly limiting ourselves personally, professionally, spiritually, physically & in any other way you can think of.

You Can If You Think You Can!
If you think you are beaten, you are,If you think you dare not, you don't.If you like to win, but you think you can't,It is almost certain you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost,For out in the world we find,Success begins with a fellow's will.It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,You've got to think high to rise,You've got to be sure of yourself beforeYou can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always goTo the stronger or faster man.But soon or late the man who wins,Is the man who thinks he can.
~ C. W. Longenecker ~

With strong faith in God & God's plan for us, we can truly know no boundaries in what we can do or accomplish. In St. Paul's letter to the Phillipians (Phil 4:13) he states " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He didn't say some things, he said ALL things.

As you reflect on where your self set boundaries are, think ANT POWER & "never give up, never give up, never give up" ~ Sir Winston Churchill~

Some days . . . .

2008-09-17T22:02:00.012-05:00

Sunday was the Turkey & TATURS 50km trail run (2x 25km loops - one in each direction). I was very curious as to how the day was to pan out as it had been raining the day before & it was supposed to rain the day of the race. Although the trail was going t be plenty muddy (yea mud!), I was not looking forward to running 50km in the rain AND THE MUD. The Trail Gods were smiling that morning as it was not raining & was perfect running weather. It was dark for the first 15 - 20 minutes until the sun came up & then it was a perfect running day. The trail was very peaceful & serene. Once all the runners were out of the way (which was not long) as they were far ahead, the birds, & frogs put on a concert like no other. What a way to hear God & know His presence in the world.
Aside from my spiritual focus, I was definitely focusing on pink ribbons with black dots. If not, I was sure to get lost. There were also plates nailed to trees pointing out the direction of the second loop (Oh, did I mention that there were trees, trees, trees & more trees. Also an occasional rock or two or three . . or billions.).

There were a few times that we came up to the top & had grand views of the Arkansas river & downtown Tulsa. Coming out into the open allowed for wonderful breezes to cool me off .

The aid stations were second to none & the volunteers were great (even if one had an OSU shirt that WASN'T Oklahoma State University - just kidding!). Trail running is unlike any other sort of running a trail runners have never met a stranger & are always first to extend a hand or say an encouraging word. This is even from the front runners as they whiz by.

There was one point (Lip Breaker) where I thought more about Lung Breaker than any other part. I was glad to get the top. You couldn't really run up it as there were plenty of rocks (did I mention that already?).

As I am working towards Mother Road 100 - Part 2 in November, it was nice to see an encouraging sign on one of the trees.

Now, coming into the end of the first loop (25 km), I dug into my drop bag to see if there was anything that I could not live without & when I found nothing that I needed, I took off back down the trail to run the loop in reverse. For some odd reason, some of the trail looked different. Hmmm, maybe I was focused on those darn pink spotted ribbons to notice everything. I expected to pass runners going the opposite direction on the first loop, but when I passed one for the second time, my mind was going wild. Maybe there was a second part of the course where the runners pass. When I passed two additional runners going the opposite way & crested a hill that I could not remember, I knew something was not right. I turned around & decided that if I wasn't too far off course, would get my bearings & head off again. Much to my surprise when I turned around, I came out into the open right where the 2nd loop was supposed to end (the race finish). I quickly tore off my race number so as not to have any of the spec-TATURS think that I finished well.

What a disappointment. I was mad at myself for not paying attention. This was my first race in 10 years that I did not finish. If there was a good side to things, at least I got in a good 20 mile trail run.

Live & learn. I need to learn to watch trail markers better.

As always - - Know No Boundaries.

Nothing like my morning shot of running (better than coffee)

2008-09-07T17:38:00.013-05:00

My early Saturday morning runs are great - they are better than a double shot of expresso or a hot cup of your favorite Joe (I always though coffee's name was Juan Valedez). It is great to be up & active & to be in tune with the world BEFORE most prole are awake.

Anyway, it is always nice to get out & get the ol' bones moving. Getting up early is another one of those so called "boundaries" that we often run into. "How can you get up so early? Aren't you tired? I could never get up that early on a Saturday. I need my rest after working all week." So once again, here is the proverbial self fullfilling prophesy - "I could never get up that early on a Saturday." That is the key to Know No Boundaries, the fact that people limit themselves in EVERY ASPECT of their lives by this negative self talk. The most important conversations that you will ever have in you life, are those that you have with youself! If you say yo can or if you say you can't, you are right.

Why don't you say YES to possibility, say YES to your desire to life a healthier life (morning runs are a great start), say YES to studying harder in school or working more diligently at work, sSay YES to being a more positive person to everyone you come in contact with and say YES to GOD. It is GOD who gives us the strength & fortitude to break through the boundaries that we feel are shackling us to a life of limited possibilities. Pray for help to Know No Boundaries.

I even found a TATUR singing Numa Numa. You'll be singing it all day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duGNW_b7C9o

Speaking again of boundaries, the Turkey & TATUR 50km trail run is Sunday September 14th on Turkey Mountain in Tulsa so I will once again, push my boundaries. I cannot figure this one out. It is not really a mounitain & there are no turkeys on it (unless yo call us trail runners turkeys). And as for TATUR (maw said to keep away from them thar tatur's. Is it tatur as in Po-tatur? I guess not. It is Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Runners). I wonder if Mr. Potato Head is a TATUR? He looks to be out on the road. Hmmmmm, I don't know why I am thinkng about mashed potatos.

Well as you go into a new week, take a long look at you life & your self talk & tell youself that YOU CAN do whatever you sent your mind to. Then - - - - DO IT!

Know No Boundaries

Disapointment

2008-08-26T20:54:00.002-05:00

Well, the Big One came & went. I was really psyched for this run but it was not my night. Dinner just didn't sit well (need I say more?). It started off GREAT around 9:00 - 9:15 PM. Although I had hoped that the weather would have colled off, it was H O T!. Oh did I mention a zillion percent humidity as well? I made it about 13 miles & then had to hang it up. There was no body more disappointed at me than I was. Unfortunately I reall beat myself up all the next day. Sometimes the mind is strong & the body is weak. I need to really be aware of WHAT I eat & WHEN I eat it. I will not do this again. I am looking for another opportunity ro run long. I might just have to plan additional miles around my normal Saturday morning long run.

I really need to work on this mental game as well. I mean, that is what it is right; a mental game? The mind needs to be like a steel trap with regards to its committment & it needs to fool the body that it is not that bad. I'll work on it.

Any suggestions?

Until next time - - Know No Boundaries

The Big One

2008-08-20T22:14:00.004-05:00

Saturday evening we have our B I G run. I am using it for my Mother Road 100 training run. It looks to be about 51 miles (yikes!). We will start around 9:00 PM (ish). Knowing my pace, I will probably get back to the house around the time that my daughter is finishig a late breakfast - around 11:00 AM Sunday.

I am pretty psyched (is that how it is spelled??) about it as well as a bit apprehensive. My pace is slow so I often end up running alone. At night, it could be a bit SPOOKY (lions & tigers & bears Oh My!)

Oh well. It should be a blast anyway. At least I can sleep the rest of Sunday when I get back home.

Know No Boundaries is also beginning to take a more solid shape. I am waiting on final approval from the IRS for my 501C3 status. Then we can begin seeking donations. The website should also be up soon. It may not be totall high tech at first, but I will be working with our Director of Technology on adding plenty of fluff.

Until next time my friends. And as always, Know No Boundaries!

In The Dark

2008-07-09T20:47:00.002-05:00

Well friends, I had my FIRST night run. What a rush! Several of us met along one portion of the Creek Turnpike Trail @ about 10:45 PM & got in a good 14 miles. It was very surreal for me at first. Headlamps bobbing up & down, darkness on either side with "things" lurking just outside the lit path. It sort of gets the ole' adrenaline going. One good thing about running in the dark is that since you only see what is in the scope of your headlamp, you cannot see any of the hills looming ahead & do not end up anticipating anything.

The run was great & the cooler night brought out intense scents of honeysuckle. It was almost overwhelming at times. None-the-less, the run was great. Seeing as the Mother Road will have plenty of time "in the dark", it was good to get one in. Now if I can only get in a few more.

There is a 60 miler planned for sometime in August which will be an ideal opportunity to really get the feel of running through the night.

Tomorrow I get to go to the other extreme. We have a Coffee Run @ 6 AM. Although it will still be dark, I can have the anticipation of a nice Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks afterwards.

For now, let us press on through the night & onwards to the coffee.

Fast Trax Ultra - One More Step

2008-06-23T21:26:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally got in my FIRST "international" ultra run. I ran 50 km in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I was "sappy" when I was done. Sad because I had paid for 50 miles of pain when in reality, I cut back to 50 km bu the end of the day. The happy part was that I pulled off a PR for my 50 km distance (yeah!). I guess I will just need to get in a 50 miler this summer (Whew! It will sure be HOT!). It is all onmy way to the Mother Road this November. Oh did I mention that I paid for 100 miles of enjoyment along historic Route 66? I will definitely have to push through whatever boundaries I have. This will be physical as well as mental.

Well the paperwork has been submitted to the IRS in te final step for Know No Boundaries to be a real 501C3 non-profit organization. The board of directors is already formed & we are looking for our first bit of work & will be accepting donations soon.

It is funny how things work out for those who serve the Lord. I run into people who can help, end up having conversations that are inspirational in furthering my passion & end up literally drawing things to us that we need. The Law of Attraction truely does apply - EVERYWHERE!

I will see everyone out on the trail & wil be sure to keep this site current.

God Bless You;

Ken

On my way to 100

2008-06-01T10:07:00.006-05:00

Well it has been a while since I have added anything, but I have finally bit the proverbial bullet. I have put my money where my mouth is. I have signed up & payed for the 2008 Mother Road 100 Mile Road Race. It is a 100 miles on old Route 66 in Western Oklahoma held in November. My previous "boundary" had been 50 miles so I had to break through that.

As part of my training, I will be doing the Fast Trax Ultra 50 mile run in Edmonton, Alberta Canada on June 14th. At least this is a start.

There are probably a few other long runs that I will be doing between now & November to prepare myself for this.

On the real front line, I officially began the process for Know No Boundaries to be a true 501C3 Non Profit Charitable organization. The documentation should be in any time. I have met with the local chapter of Catholic Charities & will be joining up with them to provide some mentoring, counseling & whatever is needed to some of the people who contact them & who seem to have reached some "boundary". It is surprising what one can & will do once there is a reason & an internal drive to push on & to overcome limitations.

Until next time, God Bless You & be sure to Know No Boundaries.

Gaining Momentum

2008-01-24T21:59:00.001-06:00

Know No Boundaries is gaining momentum in that I am searching for a recipient for me to help break through their boundary. I think as a first "live" attempt at taking my ministry to the world, I am going to try to find a person who has a physical boundary in that they cannot achieve or do something due to a lack of a wheelchair, prosthesis or some other physical device. Maybe they cannot afford it or they do not feel that it will help.

Through much prayer & contemplation, I devided that I am going to work through our local Catholic Charities to find that recipient. I may even try to align Know No Boundaries with Catholic Charities due to the similar nature of the missions of both organizations & the God centered love for those in need.

Catalyst

2008-01-14T20:07:00.000-06:00

I had the most amazing experience running my last marathon of 2007; Run for the Ranch; in Springfield, MO. Prior to the run (which started at 2:20 PM), runners were just mulling around waiting for the run to start. We were talking about how it was going to be getting dark before all of us finished. An older gentlemen with a big smile, a southern accent & wearing a white marathon hat, a red, white & blue tank top and matching running shorts. We spoke a bit before the run & kidded each other about who would be behind who. AS the race progressed (& it got dark), I yelled words of encouragement to my southern friend.

After the race, I sat down inside for a hot bowl of chili & some water (like I hadn't had enough of it by now). My southern friend sat down next to me & we began chatting about the race, the temperature (It had dropped to near 40 degrees). He said to me that he ran this race for Jesus. The fact that He suffered & died for us, suffering through a marathon was nothing compared to this & that he offered it up for Christ. I told him that that was a wonderful & self-less thought to offer it up for the Lord. I often think of this very thing during long runs. I actually pray my rosary quite often.

At this point, I shared with him my calling for Know No Boundaries. That I have had the thoughts for many years & after much prayer & contemplation, I realized that God was calling me to do something. To somehow provide ways for people who feel that they have " reached their boundaries", to help them with God's guidance, to break out of these self limiting boundaries. Be it helping them get a wheelchair or a pair of crutches, a prosthetic limb or just listening to them & sharing how God loves them & help them to "break out".

After our brief talk, he asked me to come out to his car before heading home. While we sat there, he told me he was a retired firefighter from Georgia (near Atlanta) & had just completed 13 marathons that year (2007). He then proceeded to had me a crisp $100 bill & said it was for my ministry. I did not know what to say besides "Thank You" & "Are you sure?" Before leaving, I asked for his mailing address & promised to keep him informed on how things progress.

I could not think of anything else the whole way home except that there are angels amongst us.

Route 66 Marathon Completion

2007-11-22T10:38:00.000-06:00

Well, the Route 66 Marathon is now history. Weather was beautiful - overcast most of the morning, slightly misty & in the 60's. Having run the Spirit of Survival Marathon 3 weeks prior, I was not sure what I was going to do or expect. The redone course was beautiful however some the hills were saved until the latter part of the race. Oh well.

I had a quick recovery afterwards which is a good sign in my preparation for my Chisohlm Trail Challenge in 2009. I am trying to focus all of my effort on knowing that we truly do not have boundaries except for those that are physically impossibilities. Sometimes through our suffering, we feel that we have reached our limits & just quit. Time & time again, history has shown that people have endured tremendous physical & mental hardships; often beyond what the average person would deem impossible. But ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD.

I will be starting my fund raising campaign in 2008 in efforts to raise money for wheelchairs, prosthetics & canes fro those who need them but cannot afford them. It will bring about an awareness that we can all overcome our self-limiting boundaries if we only have faith & are of strong will.

- Until next time -

Way Outside the Boundaries

2007-10-08T13:58:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally decided what to do to celebrate my 50th birthday in 2009. I plan on running the Oklahoma portion of the Chisholm Trail!

The Chisholm Trail was used to move Texas Longhorn cattle from Texas up through Oklahoma (Indian Territory back then) up to Kansas where they could have access to the railway & ship cattle to the east. Back in 1867, the first herd of longhorn cattle were driven up the trail.

Although the original trail goes through a lot of provetly owned land, the trail roughly follows Hwy 81. The distance is approximately 150 miles & if I run a marathon distance (26.2 miles) per day, it should take approximately 10 days!

Is there a point to this madness? The point is that we can accomplish impossible tasks with our mind focused on God. We have all read the parable of the mustard seed. It just takes faith, unwaivering faith that all things are possible to those who trust in the Lord.

I will be looking for help from many friends & local entities. From support on the road, to running gear (shoes, socks, etc.), to food & lodging. I will be raising money for the purchase of wheelchairs or prosthetics for those who cannot afford them.

As plans begin to come together, I will continue updating my blog.

God Bless you. And may your faith give you the understanding that you can overcome unsurmountable odds with God on your side.

Know No Boundaries

2007-05-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

Know No Boundaries

Hmmmm, what are boundaries anyway? To some they are what we tell our children not to color out of, to others they are what divides states and countries while to still others, they stand for our current physical limits. Through God's grace, we can overcome many (if not all) of these self-set boundaries.

Several years ago (or more), my physical boundaries were how far I had to move to get the TV remote. The thought of people actually running 5km seemed ludicrous. After finally getting off my duff and actually running a 5km, I was elated that I broke through a boundary that I thought was impenetrable. Since that first glorious day, countless 5km runs have been completed. This first boundary was just a faint memory.

When one truely loves God & desires to serve Him through all of what He guides us into, many of life's boundaries fall away; some physical boundaries included. Running a marathon was another of those self limiting boundaries. I could not imagine the insanity of running further than 5km let alone an actual MARATHON! Time passed & through much prayer, I decided to give it a try. I can say that I am now one of those insane marathoners (8 times over). The more you are ;iving in God's grace & doing His will, the easier breaking through your boundaries is.

As I got more marathons under my belt, I realized that I could over come this boundary too & to encourage others to know that they can as well with the help & guidance of God. I began to get thoughts of running beyond the marathon distance. Was that possible; I thought? How could anyone actually run 50km, 50 miles, 100 miles or more? or was this just one more self limiting boundary? I have since completed (8) marathons, (3) 50 km trail runs, (1) 40 miler & (1) 50 miler.

Now what is this all about? It is about abandoning yourself to what God has in store for you in your life. When you abandon yourself to God's will, there are no boundaries. It is about knowing no boundaries in how much you help your family & loved ones, your neighbor, your community. It is about having nop boundaries in what we choose to do for God & for God's people.

Whatsoever you do to the least of those in God's kingdom, it is done also to Jesus Christ Himself. God will never let us down & will help us overcome, physical, spiritual, emotional & financial boundaries as long as we abide in His love & do His will.

Know No Boundaries is a Catholic Christian Ministry formed to help those who feel that they have reached a boundary in their lives & to share God's love for them in their lives.

I will be 50 years old soon and so I have started thinking about what other boundaries need breaking through. I desire to reach out to as many people as I can to help them find their self-limiting boundaries & with God's help, to help them break through them. As for my next physical boundary, I am running my 2nd 50 miler in August 2007 & may shoot for my first 100 miler in 2008. After that, only God knows!