This morning I registered for Ironman Couer d'Alene after everything was said and done it cost me $480 to register for the event.
Before registering I went through some innner turmoil in regards to spending that much money for a single day event for my benefit. That money could have feed 6 families for a year in a poverty stricken country. Even now typing that sentence I cringe a little at what I've done.
This might be justification on my part, but I thought about the event and the training that would go into it. How, for me, there is strong tie between my spirituality and how and I live in my body. The apparent connection between the filling of the Spirit and deterioration of my flesh as I push myself beyond what I've previously known. I was reminded that it will be life giving in a sense, and enable me to learn more about myself and my creator and thus enable me to love more fully, more deeply.
Then there's training that will be done with Chad and Steve and how I look forward to our interactions and learning from one another. The opportunity to share my love with them. The ensuing road trip that will happen next year as we journey to the race creating memories along the way. I'm reminded that God created us to enjoy his creation and our time here, that the poor will always be among us and how I feel the responsibility even more now to ensure balance in my life. That as I indulge in this for me that I don't neglect my neighbors and ensure that I care for them as well.
It is only money, a commodity given to us to steward and an investment into becoming who God created me to be I believe to be a worthwhile investment. Along with that I have also made certain promises about the amount of races I will enroll in besides this one. At this juncture I believe only one more with a $50 entry fee, something I will put some more thought into, but something I feel necessary to do. To curtail my appetite and keep it healthy.
Then there's the great potential to leverage this event for the purpose of the kingdom beyond what it is at the moment. A means of spreading awareness about global poverty and potentially raising funds for World Vision as I did with my New Zealand race. Any thoughts on how to leverage the race?
7 comments:
sorry i dont have idea on leveraging, but was wondering what foods you typically eat for health?
i think the fact that you care about your body and it is a spiritual approach, holisticallyl, that really motivates the rest of us to take more serious matters about treating our bodies right. so that's surely a great thing. congrats on the ironman experience.
i'm training for a 20 mile walk, raising funds and awareness for the issues of depression and suicide prevention. while this is great for me to buffett my own body into submission, it has been an amazing opportunity to engage friends and family in these issues (which corollarily i'm finding out have affected them and their loved ones as well.)
i have a theory: people WANT to give.
they want to make the world a better place in tangible ways and reveal the bonds that tether humans together in the same condition.
so, what about making this larger than you by choosing a cause and raising money to then donate over to the cause directly (kind of like a fund matching program, since you already put forth your own $500ish towards the Ironman, you could raise $500 that would match the amount spent to enter the competition and give all of it to the organization. perhaps worldvision or some poverty program and talk about running for world hunger or something like that. it could also give a specific bent to this competition and training. does that make any sense?
just an idea. google warren buffett and bill gates if you get a chance, to see something marvelous.
hey danae-
what foods do i eat.....hmmmm.....in a sense i just try to eat simply. A few general things - I try to eat a lot of whole grains, fruits, veggies, chicken and fish. My favorite bread is a hearty sprouted wheat bread like Ezekiel 4:9. As much as possible I stay away from processed foods.
From what I understand these are great fo you:
almonds, broccoli, yogurt, eggs, beans, salmon, avacado, tomatoes, aged cheeses,
I don't think I'm super strict I just try to exercise common sense and try to look at it on a larger scale so rather than what did I today how did I do this week? this month?
For me I've found that glycemic index on foods does matter and helps my blood sugar from crashing and making me cranky.
I also eat A LOT of dark chocolate, love the stuff! If you get 70% of higher it has very little sugar.
hope that helps.
thanks annelies - i've been thinking something along those lines. I did that for the ironman i did in NZ and raised a good bit....perhaps I'll do that again.
where's your walk?
adam. i do the same, and like you, not super strict. i've had ezekial bread..it tastes pretty good. i definitely tell a difference when i eat white carbs or suger. in my past i was eating that for the majority, and then i did a major diet change and i no longer wanted to pass out after a meal! it's incredible what foods you eat. hey, i saw your pictures from sri lanka. those elephants are so awesome. man, i can't believe you stood right next to them! were there hippo's too? so they weren't angry or anything, and were u afraid or were you on adreneline rush?
it's in s.f.- not sure the route but it's going to take place from 7:30 at night until 4:30 in the morning... should be an interesting weekend. i'm funny with no sleep.
az
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