#15 YOUR WHY & The Heart Warrior Half Marathon

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As the year 2020 comes to a close, I would like to invite you to a New Year's Day challenge -- The Heart Warrior Half Marathon.  Enjoy this latest blog post and if you haven't done so already, sign up for the free virtual running/walking event on the Cross Runners Heart home page. If you have already signed up, invite a friend! 


It was a crisp, 62 degrees on a sunny Fall day.  My feet felt light on the flat blacktop of Ohio's Richland County B&O trail-- a frequent running route for me.  My mind drifted from topic to topic.  Noah's upcoming second open heart surgery was at the forefront of my thoughts, while my lungs sucked in the cool air.  My mind shifted to think about why I had started www.crossrunnersheart.com. Asking "why" can be such a powerful question.

Fall running
       My Fall running in Virginia (not Ohio, but you get the picture)

As I trotted the path that day, a flight of ideas came rushing in. Suddenly, I realized there was more fuel to add to what I hoped to achieve with the website.  The Cross Runner's Heart mission is implied within tagline on the homepage,"A runner's life experience, leading hearts to the cross". However, there is openness to having the blog achieve whatever positive message a reader wants to take away so that they may find a benefit for themselves.  

So why ask WHY? A couple different motivational podcasts that I have been listening to have discussed the premise of having a well established answer to the "why" question.  By this I mean, why is it that one would want to accomplish "X" thing .  Ryan Hall, America's fastest marathoner in history, has a podcast segment where he talks about focusing on your strong WHY to get through the toughest parts of marathon training.  Lately, I've listened to real estate investing podcasts that stress the importance of a sound mindset before establishing an investment strategy and having your WHY question answered as a way to maintain focus. 

Many of my "good ideas" come to me when I'm running.  It must be all the extra blood flow that gets pumped around my body.  While I didn't have all the details then, it was that crisp Fall day we had here in Ohio when I decided to host an event, THE HEART WARRIOR HALF MARATHON! 

So what is a Heart Warrior? And I know some are starting to think -- How far is a half marathon exactly?  In the congenital heart disease (CHD) community, children who are born with structural heart anomalies are called HEART WARRIORS.  One parent of a heart warrior summed up this title well by saying, "they are heart warriors because they will show you true courage and strength, and in turn, they will help you find your own."

My son (Noah) is a Heart Warrior and the clear catalyst to starting Cross Runner's Heart was his diagnosis (HLHS) of having developed only "half a heart" when he was created in his mother's womb.  

An extensive amount of testing has been performed and his HLHS was found to be a spontaneous occurrence. We have been given reassurance that there is nothing we could have done as parents to prevent our son's hypoplastic left heart.  We don't know why this happened.  We DO know that Noah was fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-16) and God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). 

One of my "why" answers for the Heart Warrior Half Marathon is simply to raise awareness for CHD.  The other reason for creating this event was to help you!  I want you to find your inner courage to accomplish whatever great endeavor or resolution you have for 2021.  There is a reason we are running (or walking) this event on New Year's day.  Let's kickstart the new year and dream big for what is ahead of us.  In the process, think about YOUR WHY.  

Some of you are wondering if you are committing to the distance of a half marathon (13.1 miles)!  There are a few options that are far less-- there is the "Half of a Half" (6.55 miles), "The Decimal Changer" (1.3 miles), and the "Double Decimal Changer" (.13 miles). To show that this event is accessible to just about anyone, the "Double Decimal Changer" comes out to be about 25 laps around our home's dinning room table. My 3-year-old daughter and I figured that out one night!  Also, the "race/challenge" is officially - unofficial, meaning no official chip timing results, no designated course or regulations, and no post-race bananas or T-shirt (sorry!).  It is a virtual event, meaning you can participate anywhere with and anyone (or go solo).  More details are on the www.crossrunnersheart.com.  Register from the home page.  Just do it, you will be glad you did! 

If you have already registered, and have not shared YOUR WHY-- I would love to hear it.  Email crossrunnersheart@gmail.com  


MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!







Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 1, 2021 at 4:06 PM

    Felix and I did the warrior walk because we love your Champ, Noah and all your family. We also are thankful for our good health that we can walk/run.

    ReplyDelete

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