“. . . Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.” Matthew 28: 5, 6
Bull Run Battlefield has got to be one of my favorite running spots and this morning was no exception. I timed the run this morning so that I would be running in an open field heading east just about the time the sun rose above the treeline. It was a beautiful morning, cool and not a cloud in the sky and the sun rise could not have been brighter. It was a great way to start Easter. I was able to hammer out about 15 miles and get home by 0900, get cleaned up and off to church for the real celebration.
This has been a pretty good week of running even though the weather has been less than cooperative. The spring like temperatures of last week decided to give way to an arctic blast, hopefully we are done with that. I was able to get 40 miles in during the week and think that is about where I needed to be going into Bull Run 50 on Saturday. I will try and get a couple of short runs early this week and then rest up for a couple of days prior to the race.
This crazy journey into the world of ultramarathoning has r
esulted in some incredible revelations and discoveries over the past two years. However, I was really unprepared for the news that I received on Friday, when I was informed that I had been selected as the Henderson Hall Male Marine Athlete of the Year for 2008 (Henderson Hall is the Marine Corps Base that supports the National Capitol Region). I was aware that my name had been submitted but had no expectation of being selected. This award, although it had my name on it, was not presented to me solely for athletic accomplishments. The criteria for this award reached past athletics and into the USMC community at large. For over a year now I have been running to support the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and this effort was recognized as a significant factor. That being said, there is no way that I would have been able to receive this great honor without the support and generosity of all those that have contributed to the support of our wounded warriors, thank you for your continued support your contributions are making a difference in the lives of Marines and their families. 
I have been blessed to be able to support such an incredible organization as the IMSFF. Their support and assistance for our wounded Marines is second to none and they continue to grow beyond expectations. If you have not had a chance to visit the IMSFF web site or have not visited recently, please take a look at http://semperfifund.org/ and see the good work that they are doing daily. My name now gets submitted for competition as the Marine Corps Athlete of the Year and hopefully with that we can continue to raise awareness of the needs of our injured Marines. Run Strong!
God Bless and Semper Fi,
Huffer
Training for 6-12 April: Weekly Mi (40.7), Monthly Mi (71.2), Yearly Mi (634.1)
Mon: Off
Tues: Off
Wed: 8 mi – WO&D Trail AM Run Commute / ABs
Thurs:
Fri: 8 mi – WO&D Trail AM Run Commute (Tempo)
Sat: 10 mi-Bull Run Do-Loop Trail
Sun: 14.7 mi-Bull Run Battlefield Trails
Huffer,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award, you certainly deserve it. It looks like you have come a long way since your first ultra, and that wasn't all that long ago.
I saw that you are doing the 24 Hour. Depending on recovery from Promise Land, I hope to be there as well. It looks like you are doing alot of the Trophy Series races. If you do well at the 24 Hour, and 12 Hour you have a great shot at winning the entire series. Throw in a few other races, and you would be a strong contender. I was just thinking that it could be a wonderful opportunity for you to highlight the Injured Marine Fund, and represent Christ in the spotlight.
Best wishes,
Mike Bailey
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. Good luck at Promise Land, that is a great race. I will be at Bull Run this weekend, I hope to see you there.