A Reason to Run

Hi. I’m Adam Specht and I am endeavoring on a mission I never thought possible for me. A week ago, my sister asked if I would run in a marathon with her in 2014. Without hesitation, I replied, “Yes. Of course.”

Just typing that, I’m a little shocked by that response.

Why?

I’m shocked because I’ve never run the distance of a marathon (~26.2 miles)…

I’m shocked because I’ve never run the distance of a 25K (~15.5 miles)…

I’m shocked because I’ve never run the distance of a 10K (~6.2 miles)…

Heck, I’ve never been in a race consisting of 5K (~3.1 miles).

How can I even think of running a marathon?

I won’t think about me…but I’ll do it, thinking about all the people I will be helping.

Here is my plan.

I am registered and will run in a 5K the first weekend of January.

I will register and run in a 10K in March.

I will register and run in a 25K in May.

I will register and run in a marathon in October.

This will be a four-race total of approximately 51 miles.

I will be raising money for the local Food Pantry here in Decorah, IA and the 500+ families it serves.

 http://www.firstlutherandecorah.org/?page_id=51

How is that going to happen?

I will be asking you, yes you, for a pledge for every mile I run in a race in 2014. Don't worry if you haven't heard from me yet. You will.

What does that mean?

It means that if you were to sponsor me at $0.50 a mile, you’ll have pledged a total of $25.50 to help the Food Pantry better serves those in need. If may not seem like much, but every bit helps.

What are your goals?

I plan on raising $2,500 with the help of 90 people.

Pledge Amount	Pledges	Amount Raised
$0.25	40	$510.00
$0.50	30	$765.00
$1.00	20	$1,020.00
$5.00	1	$255.00

Total

91

$2,550.00

I am positive that I can reach this goal and perhaps much further beyond.

I also will be accepting pledges and donations of any size.

Any checks for donation should be made out to Food Pantry at FLC and mailed to 604 W. Broadway St, Decorah IA, 52101.

Just make sure to let me know so I can thank you for the support.

Where am I at now?

I have finished my first week of training and have eight weeks until my first race since the 1-mile fitness test in high school.

Each step I take is a personal best.

I’m just starting and I want you to come along and be a part of this with me.

Let's help others. Contact me and pledge today.

Adam Specht

625 Center Street

Decorah, IA 52101

adam.p.specht@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/adam.specht.96

Good Morning Sunrise

Dear 5:00 a.m.

I know, I know. I've seen you for the past couple of weeks and I should have said, "Hello." I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for how long I've been away from you. You and I used to meet each other every day, head outside into a new morn and enjoy the surroundings. We'd great the sunrise together, let it bathe us in it brilliance.

But now?

Now...now I'm not waking to just see you. In fact, most days I'm awake before you even arrive. I'm sharing your time with someone else now. No more jogs together. No more runs together. I can't even get a few burpees or jumping jacks in with you. No, I sit in the darkness. Hushing...soothing...praying that a little boy can will get a few more hours of sleep. WHY WON"T hE GO bACK TO SLEEP? It works maybe once a week.

So, I know that we'll see each other in passing. I'll try to give you a little smile or a "Good Morning," but my time will not be ours. It will be his and mine. At least for now.

I'll see you when Daylight Savings Time ends.

Always,
Adam, The 5amDad

Alice the Camel

Wow. It's been nine months since I've blogged. Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of ideas to write about and share. I think what holds me back is that I'm a much more private person than I thought I would be. So, lots to write about in retrospect but for now I'll provide a little nugget from this evening.

I traveled to my brother-in-law's in Winona, MN to borrow an inflatable water slide. On the way there Evalyn and I were playing "I Spy." A few minutes in she made the game harder by saying, "I spy with my little eye something outside of the car and it is pretend and not real." After literally 15 minutes of me asking questions and guessing, she told me it was a unicorn named "Uni." So we continued playing this game...moving on to Pegasus, Centaurs, Cupids, Apollo, and Nyx. This in turn swung to glyptodons, sabre-toothed cats, mastodons,  the Columbian Mammoth, Woolly Rhinos, and ancient horses (she forgot the name, Dinohippus.) After the last one, we started singing (with her laughing) "Alice the Camel." Evalyn was singing the last line pretty loud on her own, "So ride, Alice, ride." The last verse went as follows...

Me: "Alice the camel has...no humps. Alice the camel has...no humps. Alice the camel has...no humps; so, Alice is a....(pause)"

E: "Western Camel that lived in North America until it migrated to the Mideast where it developed humps and evolved into the camel that we know today."

THAT is a lot better than, "horse."