In The Dark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.