A Honk and Wave Can Make All the Difference.

Saturday looked like it was going to be a wash out.  It was predicted to rain all day but I wanted to get in a 20 mile training run.  I stood in the rain in the morning watching my two sons run their Cross Country meet and hoping it would stop raining so I could get my run in.  As the day went on it was obvious the rain was not going to let up. 

So, at 4:30 I filled my hydration pack, stuffed two bags of Sport Beans in the pouch, grabbed a baseball cap and headed out into the rain.  At first the rain was actually a nice distraction and gave me something different to focus on.  But by about mile 15 I was rethinking my decision.  I did decide that wearing totally soaked clothes and shoes full of water is not a fun way to run.  But just then as I was heading along Maple Road with my head hanging down I heard a car horn honk and looked up to see an unknown driver with his hand out the window giving me a “thumbs up.”  A total stranger (but probably a runner) offering encouragement.  In an instant, without thinking, my head was up, I was smiling and had a burst of energy.  

The rain kept coming as I finished my 20 miles but I found myself giving a smile and a nod to the few people I passed in parking lots and at intersections.  I’m sure they thought I was crazy but a honk and a wave – whether you’re getting or giving – can make all the difference.

LLL Men’s Retreat: A Great Place to get Refreshed and Refueled.

Camp Arcadia on the shores of west Michigan

Golf, food, beer, softball, playing cards, – sounds like any other guys weekend up north, right?  Well, add in Bibles, prayer, lectures and 175 men singing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and you’ve got the 63rd annual Lutheran Laymen’s League Men’s Retreat at Camp Arcadia. 

Always held the first weekend after Labor Day, the LLL Men’s retreat is a time of fellowship, faith and fun.  It’s a chance for old friends (some of whom have been attending for decades) to reunite, and for first-timers to make new friends.  It’s a time for relaxation at the golf tournament or playing cards or ping-pong in the Wigwam.  It’s a chance for some good-natured competition at the annual softball game pitting the Southeast District against the underdog Michigan District.  But most importantly, it’s a time to pause, think and grow in your faith.  To get encouraged by excellent speakers who entertain and enlighten while acknowledging the unique struggles Christian men face in today’s world.  And also, for this runner, a chance to log a couple of short five mile runs through a classic, small northern Michigan town with scenic overlooks along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Book a hotel that has route cards and really enjoy your stay.

Route cards make running easier when traveling

Deciding where to run when staying at a hotel in an unfamiliar city can be difficult.  Runner’s World has made it easy with their route cards.  Available at Westin Hotels, these small laminated cards give you turn by turn directions for a three or five mile run. 

While staying in downtown Charlotte NC this week, I normally would have done a simple out and back on a typical downtown street so I wouldn’t get lost.  Instead, I used the Runner’s World card from The Westin Charlotte (www.westin.com/charlotte) and ended up in what has to be one of the coolest neighborhoods in the Charlotte area.  The Dilworth (www.dilworthonline.org) area has terrific tree-lined streets of beautiful, old, southern-style homes.  From colonials to mission-style to Tudors, and no two are alike.  I never would have found the Dilworth area if I wasn’t using the route card.

So, when selecting a hotel ask if they have route cards for runners.  It could make the difference between just “getting a run in” and really enjoying a run as you explore a new city.