Another 5K

Under absolutely ideal conditions (perfect weather - sunny and temperate, and a magnificent course, uphill in the first half, then flat for a while, and then downhill to the finish), I ran another 5K (3.1 mile) race today - my third one of the year (following June 3 and July 4) - and punched a nice hole in my old Personal Record for a 5K (34:52 on July 4), finishing in 33:02. It was a great experience, but I found one thing curious. An emotion I felt was mild envy at friends running together who could talk to one another. (Grin) This race was named the Big House Big Heart, so named because it ended at Michigan Stadium, home of the Wolverines, which is affectionately known nationwide as the Big House (a nickname bestowed on it by legendary and renowned ABC telecaster Keith Jackson) for its massive seating capacity (well over 100,000 - the largest in America). We runners ran through the tunnel which the football team uses, to emerge onto the field, and then finished by crossing the 50-yard line, while being shown on the Jumbotron scoreboard.

More running

I have continued the running routine I established this spring and summer, and am currently doing 4 miles most every day, with occasional longer runs of 10K (6.2 miles). It is a lot of work, but it is successfully helping me to control and manage my weight ... a weighty goal for me (pardon the pun). On September 30 I am running a 5K called the "Big House Big Heart" run - it ends at Michigan Stadium, affectionately nicknamed the Big House, where participants will conclude by running through the tunnel into the stadium and then crossing the 50 yard line while being shown on the Jumbotron big screen TV scoreboards. I'm running as part of Team Hope from our church, collecting pledges to benefit Hope Clinic, a local nonprofit that ministers to persons on the lower end of the economic spectrum.

Driving

From May 2006 until late August this year, my driver's license was restricted (due to having accumulated too many points from speeding), so that I could only drive to, from, and at work. I consider myself very fortunate that Ann Arbor has a good bus system. However, in addition to being highly inconvenient, given the way our society is structured, this restriction was especially distressing to me because my highest ambition is to serve God and glorify Him with my life, and I realize that my behavior was completely at odds with this. However, the restrictions have now ended, and it is not only glorious to be able to drive freely again, but it is my earnest prayer that my driving henceforward will remain safe and legal.