Why are You a Christian?

I was reading the beginning of "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. He poses a question to challenge all believers: "why am I a Christian?"

Is this something you think about daily? Do you have a ready response? Is your response a canned "church" answer or from the heart? Is is thoughtful, defensive, or simple?

I have been seriously challenged by this question. I mean, I know why I am a Christian...because...well, I know but I just can't seem to articulate it. Maybe I can start with a list

I am a Christian because...

- I believe in God and that the Bible is true

- I think I need redemption and that it only comes from faith in Christ

- I believe God has spoken to me throughout my life by signs, by my conscience, and through His creation

- I've seen miracles in the midst of disaster

- When times get tough, I have a sense of security that does not come from within me

- There's a whole boat load of legal-historical evidence to support the Biblically recorded life of Jesus as well as the resurrection. We, as a society, take much less supported ideas as true.

Well, those are pretty churchy answers. Maybe I'll come up with something more from the heart later. To be continued...

MOX 12 Hour Run Race Report

Now I understand why ultra-run race reports are often so reflective and philosophical. You get a lot of time to think about life during an ultra.

I ran what I would consider my first "real" ultra on October 5th - the Ohio River Road Runner's Club 12-hour endurance race here in Dayton at the Midwest Outdoor Experience. I "ran" (i.e. moved forward) just over 50 miles in 12 hours. This was the icing on the proverbial cake of my own little 3-weekend trifecta (AF Marathon 21 Sep, Philly Spartan 28 Sep, and this race 5 Oct).

First, the race organization was superb. RD Jeff McPherson put a lot of effort into this race and it showed. I won't even guess how many hours he put into this production. At one point he even moved the cars of racers who had been directed to the wrong parking area before the start only to be told they were illegally parked while the race was in session! Thanks again, Jeff.

The handful of volunteers were outstanding. Most were there from before the race started until well after we finished. They filled water bottles, made sandwiches, counted laps, moved our gear when it rained, and most importantly provided encouragement and humor on every lap.

Now for the nuts and bolts. The race took place from 6AM to 6PM - go as far as you can in 12 hours...simple. It was warm and muggy. Mid 60's at the start warming into the 70s or 80s in the afternoon with a brief rain shower mid-afternoon. There were about 40 runners on a 2.6 mile loop course which wound around the festival area of the Midwest Outdoor Experience. There were lots of people in this area (about a half mile of the course). The rest of the course ran through the woods along Mad River then back through the trails of Eastwood Metropark to the start/finish line in the festival area - mostly pancake-flat. I set a pace of 1 lap every 30 minutes early on, and stuck to it for 9 or 10 laps. This being my first run longer than 6 hours, I was then getting close to uncharted territory, so I slowed down by about 5-10 minutes per lap. After lap 11 or so, I realized the "fast" pace I set in the first 5 hours was going to hurt...and it did. I walked significant portions of the remaining laps (walking a bit more with each passing lap, eventually walking an entire lap). It wasn't that I was feeling horrible, but I didn't know what to expect with several hours to go. At this point, I wanted to keep moving until the finish. I did not want to end up sitting for more than a couple of minutes at the aid station - I wanted to be moving forward. I was able to do this. Finally, I was able to run the last 1.5 miles or so...a rewarding way to finish.

Ok, so if your still reading, this is where the "reflective" stuff starts...so feel free to bail with no further obligation.

I thought most about why I had signed up for the race..."why did I think this was a good idea?" inner dialogue stuff. So that led me to think about advice I could give to anyone preparing for an ultra. Prepare. I didn't really train for a 12 hour race. Personally, I like to race not knowing what will come next, but goal-wise, physical preparation would have helped me to set a pace and perform. Also, have a nutrition and hydration strategy. I think nutrition/hydration was ok. I had 20 oz. of water or electrolyte drink every lap (plus about 8 oz. of coke in the afternoon) and I peed almost every other lap. I made sure to keep careful track of my fluid intake and my bathroom breaks to avoid dehydration. I also took an electrolyte capsule (S-cap) every other lap. I never cramped. I wasn't so careful about calorie intake (I thought I could recover from stomach problems easier than dehydration). I ate the food supplied at the aid station (PB&J, Nutella, subway, trail mix, bananas) plus an order of McDonald's hotcakes and syrup plus some grapes and strawberries. I ate regularly throughout the day, although I did not keep track of my exact food intake. I never bonked or puked, so I guess it was ok.

Mentally, just prepare yourself for a wide range of emotions, strange thoughts, and mental battles over whether to slow down, speed up, eat more, take a break, walk, run, change shoes, etc. Your body will most likely be in revolt for a majority of the race, so be prepared to put down this uprising with your mind.

Next, be humble about your efforts. No doubt, running an ultra is a great accomplishment, but before you start thinking of yourself as some sort of superhero, consider the everyday struggles of others. They say an ultra is like life, with all its ups and downs compressed into a day's time. It may be analogous, but the pain of forcing yourself to run past exhaustion and physical discomfort is still a choice. Many people don't have the luxury of choosing their method of suffering (Think POWs, widows/widowers, wounded warriors, parents who give up their dreams to see their children succeed, you get the point). These are the real heroes. An ultra is just a shadow of real-life at best...learn from it and allow it to strengthen and change you. Use it as a lens for feeling empathy, but don't think you understand all pain and suffering because of it, and certainly don't trick yourself into thinking it is the ultimate feat of endurance - there is no such thing other than life itself.

Finally, I just thought a lot about how thankful I am to be able to run. I thought about my friends, family, neighbors, and brothers in arms who are not able to run. I realized my ability to run, even 1 step, is a gift from God not to be taken for granted. I love it, but it is not guaranteed. So I ran thankfully to my creator who has allowed me this small pleasure. God willing, I have many miles to go.

A few words from Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon:

"What a conqueror!--a conqueror who controls humanity at will, and wins to himself not only one nation, but the whole human race. What a marvel! He attaches to himself the human soul with all its energies. And how? By a miracle which surpasses all others. He claims the love of men--that is to say, the most difficult thing in the world to obtain; that which the wisest of men cannot force from his truest friend, that which no father can compel from his children, no wife from her husband, no brother from his brother--the heart. He claims it ; he requires it absolutely and undividedly, and he obtains it instantly.

Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, Louis XIV strove in vain to secure this. They conquered the world, yet they had not a single friend, or at all events, they have none any more. Christ speaks, however, and from that moment all generations belong to him; and they are joined to him much more closely than by any ties of blood and by a much more intimate, sacred and powerful communion. He kindles the flame of love which causes one's self-love to die, and triumphs over every other love. Why should we not recognize in this miracle of love the eternal Word which created the world? The other founders of religions had not the least conception of this mystic love which forms the essence of Christianity.

I have filled multitudes with such passionate devotion that they went to death for me. But God forbid that I should compare the enthusiasm of my soldiers with Christian love. They are as unlike as their causes. In my case, my presence was always necessary, the electric effect of my glance, my voice, my words, to kindle fire in their hearts. And I certainly posses personally the secret of that magic power of taking by storm the sentiments of men; but I was not able to communicate that power to anyone. None of my generals ever learned it from me or found it out. Moreover, I myself do not possess the secret of perpetuating my name and a love for me in their hearts for ever, and to work miracles in them without material means.

Now that I languish here at St Helena, chained upon this rock, who fights, who conquers empires for me? Who still even thinks of me? Who interests himself for me in Europe? Who has remained true to me? That is the fate of all great men. It was the fate of Alexander and Caesar, as it is my own. We are forgotten, and the names of the mightiest conquerors and most illustrious emperors are soon only the subject of a schoolboy's task. Our exploits come under the rod of a pedantic schoolmaster, who praises or condemns us as he likes.

What an abyss exists between my profound misery and the eternal reign of Christ, who is preached, loved, and worshiped and live on throughout the entire world. Is this to die? Is it not rather to live eternally? The death of Christ! It is the death of a God."

(Quoted in Hilarin Felder, Christ and the Critics, vol. 2, pp. 216-17)