Author: Delaynie Grove - Counselor at the Jim Ryun Running Camp

 

Latest book recommendation: The Calvary Road by Roy Hession  

 

Fav workout song: Reason by Unspoken 

 

Random fun fact: I am currently working on getting my charter captains license for boating

 

Social: @dgrove0711

            As humans, we tend to not like the idea of not being in control. We don't like unexpected twists in the storyline, especially when something doesn't play out exactly the way we want. It is so easy for us to get caught up in what could have been, or how we wanted things to turn out. Why is it so hard to be content with where we are? Why is it so easy to focus on what we wish we had? 

            The past two years have been full of a lot of these crazy twists and unexpected changes. Starting college in the fall of 2019, I had a perfect image of how I thought things would go. I was ready to jump into this new chapter of my life. The trials that I had faced in high school were still fresh in my mind and I thought that because of these experiences, I would be ready for whatever college would bring my way. However, God had some more tough lessons that I needed to learn from. 

            After the first semester of my freshman year I was all too aware that I was struggling in almost all areas of my life. I wasn't connecting with friends or teammates, my classes were proving to be much harder than I ever could have imagined, and running seemed to just add to my stress. I was on a downward spiral filled with worry, stress, and incompetence. My prayers for a calm to the storm I was in were answered in a way. However, once again God brought an unexpected twist. When Coronavirus hit and we all had to hit pause on our daily activities, I was disappointed that my freshman year was cut short and my track season was cancelled. It took me a few weeks to realize that God had answered my prayers. Time spent in quarantine gave me the chance to calm down from the whirlwind of craziness caused by school. During this time, I really sought the Lord. I spent a lot of time in conversation with the Lord and I saw how much comfort comes from time in prayer. Through all of this, I was still having a very hard time seeing how all of the events from the past few months were a part of God’s plan for me. 

            Sometimes, when we are going through big changes in life, we tend to question God’s plan for us; we are only looking at what is happening at that very moment and responding to how it makes us feel. At that particular time in my life, I couldn't see why transitioning to college was so hard for me, or why Covid took away my track season and separated me from my friends. From my perspective, it seemed like things just kept getting worse. I kept asking myself, “How could this struggle I am feeling be what God had in mind for me?” However, through this time I had been praying for a way to get out of the rut that I was in, mentally and spiritually. Once again God answered my prayers in an unexpected way. In the middle of the pandemic, I got the opportunity to move to South Carolina to work for the summer. 

            I moved at the end of May 2020 and I started working as a paddleboard and kayak tour guide in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Before going I was the type of person that would not even go to the grocery store without someone going with me. I would just follow and do whatever my friends wanted to do and I would never go do anything by myself. I jumped in head first by moving 12 hours away from home to an island where I didn’t know anyone. This opportunity that God gave me put me in a situation that was way out of my comfort zone. It forced me to learn how to be my own person. By taking this step, I was able to meet amazing people from all over the world and to work with people that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I got to hear other people's life stories and to share my own as well. I found that I was able to succeed by being myself and that I didn't have to follow whatever my friends did. By the end of the summer I had found confidence in myself. This opportunity would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Covid quarantine. As we all know, God works in mysterious ways. 

            Sometimes, when we are struggling, it is easy to focus on the bad and it is hard to see what good could possibly come from that bad. However, it is important to remember perspective. When we are in these types of situations, we are looking at it extremely close up. When you look at an image really close up and magnified, it is really hard to make out what that picture is supposed to be, but if you take a step back you can see the whole picture perfectly. God is always looking at the whole picture that is your entire life; while we are usually looking at just one extremely magnified area.  Take a second to think back on a time a few years ago when something bad happened to you and at the time, it felt like your whole world was crashing down on you. Do you still feel that pain or disappointment that you felt then? The answer is most likely no. Maybe you didn't win a race you wanted to, or maybe you didn't do well in a class, or get into the college you wanted to. Overtime you see that those things that seemed so important at the time don't even matter to you any more or maybe you don't even remember them. Overtime those earthy priorities change. The only thing that will always stay constant is our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus. 

            It is so important to have perspective in our lives: the perspective that all of our earthly desires will fade or change. Earthly things that make us happy will not last, but the joy and peace we feel from the love of God is everlasting. God always sees the whole picture and it can be so helpful for us to try to see things from God's perspective. Remember, that we are seeing things in this magnified and distorted way that make earthly feelings seem so much greater than what they really are. So take a step back and try to look at each situation in life from God's perspective. What is He seeing that we can’t see? 

            Sometimes, we just have to step back and trust that God is in control, that He has a plan for us and even when that plan doesn't match what we had in mind for ourselves, we can find so much comfort in that God sees the whole picture and His plan for us is greater than we could ever imagine. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path straight.” 

            I challenge you to think about in what ways you are actively trusting in the Lord.  Are you trying to do everything on your own? Or, are you leaning on the Lord and finding peace and comfort in knowing that He has you in the palm of His hand. Trust in the Lord! He has such amazing plans for you. 

 

May you be filled with God’s love and share it for all to see! 

 

 

Author: Noah Tindale

 

Latest book recommendation: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

 

Fav workout song: LAYERS by NF

 

Random fun fact: I can cook minute rice in 58 seconds

 

Fav podcast: The Porch (College Ministry Podcast)

 

Social: @noahtin (Instagram)

I think we can all say with confidence that these last twelve months have truly felt like twelve years, haven’t they? I can certainly “amen” to the fact that this chaotic season has brought massive trials to my own life I would have never have imagined. Just when I thought I was beginning to get a grip on life, the Lord laughed and said, “Hmm, actually Noah, you’re about to see that you don’t know as much as you think you do.” He was right.

 

As anyone who is close to me can tell you, I am not someone who is particularly good with transitions. So naturally, when multiple heart-breaking let-downs began to unfold leading to radical changes in my goals, daily routines and personal relationships, questions began to arise. These were deep questions that related to God’s nature and His plan for me. They were soul-searching questions about how I was to live out my faith in this world of constant struggle. They were convicting questions about myself and how I needed to be transformed to better represent Him. Can anyone relate to this? Despite the pain, there was beauty on the other end of the trials and questions. These questions, albeit humbling to work through, proved to be exactly what I needed in order to become radically conformed into the image of Christ. The apostle Paul reverberates the truth about the eternal results of suffering by stating in a methodological order in Romans 5:3-5 that “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” 

 

In reality, I am thankful for this last year, because it has shown me that God’s hand is on those whom He has called, and that He is doing a work in the believer… a work that will end with the hope of Christ, which will never put any of us to shame. I am thankful for this work, because it has changed my heart and continues to do so.

 

Okay, fantastic… but what does any of this have to do with running? Well, interestingly, everything! 

You see, it wasn’t until trials had been placed continually and quickly on my lap that I began to ask the right questions about my own life. Before this year, I was content with holding an image of who I thought I was supposed to be - namely, a high level athlete, who acted, spoke, and led others in a specific way. After experiencing a lot of hurt from several people in several situations, my broken heart brought my perceived self face-to-face with the Creator. There was no hiding anything from Him any longer. The question had to be asked… who am I? 

 

Since about 6th or 7th grade, I have labeled myself as “Noah Tindale, the runner.” That was what I took pride in. If someone asked me, “Who are you?”, my short answer was, “I’m a runner.” If someone asked me, “What do you like to do?” it was always, “I like to run.” I didn’t think there was anything necessarily bad with that statement. I was just being honest. That was who I was, or at least who I thought I was.

Besides, who wouldn’t think that way when most of the school praised you for your accolades? Who wouldn’t think that way when that was why many people knew your name?

 

With this mindset, most of high school and the beginning of college consisted of a rigid training plan and a dedicated mindset to perform well. I told myself that the only way that I could share God with my friends was if they saw me as a fast runner. I couldn’t conceptualize it being any other way! My desire was to work hard in my discipline so that I could win races with my friends and hopefully share the truth of God’s salvation through Christ in the process. 

 

Initially, this mindset truly did work out for me. I ran extremely fast times as a high school track athlete. The races that I ran certainly did become a means by which I could share the Gospel to other athletes. I can look back and recount several conversations where I went “Wow, God, thank You for using me to show others who You are.” Did I do it perfectly? Not at all, in fact I didn’t even know what I was doing most of the time. Yet, I believed I was making a difference. Sitting here now, I genuinely have joy in my heart thinking about the different experiences that I went through with my team both in the races and outside of the races.

 

Here’s the thing. Sometimes when you know that God has given you a gift, you begin to cling onto the gift as if the gift itself is God rather than clinging to the God who is the ultimate gift Giver. Through my own thoughts, through others’ praise of me, and through fear of letting others down, I began to believe that running was my identity. It became difficult for me to see that I had any other aspects to my personhood other than a nice guy who could run laps in a circle at a fast pace. Oh man, I was digging a deep hole for myself and didn’t even know it. Instead of cultivating other areas of my life, I hadn’t taken appropriate care of my mental and emotional health. It seemed on the outside, I was in touch with my full self, but in reality I only knew half of who I was. I knew the hard-working, athletic, driven person who was at the forefront, but the other half… the creative, musically inclined, spontaneous person… not so much.

 

A few months through the earlier portion of this previous semester,  I found myself at a very low point. I was a collegiate athlete who others saw as a lively, joyful person with many athletic gifts, but deep down in secret I was a hurting, broken person who needed to know I was loved and cared for as a full human being. My soul was torn between the runner that I thought I was, and the new creation that I knew the Spirit was leading me to become. And boom, it was here in my college dorm, that the questions brought forth freedom. These questions led to a deeper study of Scripture, a deeper devotion to genuine prayer and a deeper fellowship with others who I knew truly loved me. These questions led to action and to a holistic desire to know God fully. When running is put aside, who am I? 

 

I cling to the words that my youth pastor wrote in my Bible just weeks before the start of the semester…“Urgent in Obedience, Patient in Timing.” These words have convinced me, that even in the depths of my confusion and broken heart, I was to obey God’s Spirit and experience healing, and to know that eventually He would reveal truths about being fully, completely and holistically His child. Romans 8:15 was a lightbulb moment for me:  “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!” That was it. That was the moment I switched my outlook. God had done what I, nor anyone else, could have done for me. He set me free from sin and death and I was adopted as His child. His FULL child. Prior to this revelation, I thought I was “Noah Tindale, the runner, who also loves God.” Now, I realize that I always was Noah Tindale, a beloved, complete child of the Risen King, whom Christ bought with a price, and who was created to know God and enjoy Him through all of the gifts He has given me.

 

I bring these things up because I believe that there are many Christian athletes who are, unfortunately, deceived. Whether it be by culture, or by a person’s own thoughts, or by another’s admonition of a particular gift in an athlete, it is very easy to believe that an athlete is simply defined by what he or she does, and not by who God says he or she is. For me, I am beginning to step into the fact that I am a whole human being, who is more than just a runner. Yes, running is a gift to be stewarded well, but it is not everything. When I am emotionally and mentally healthy, when I have the right friends and family bearing my burdens with me and when I abide in Scripture, I am a complete person. As a result, running becomes an outflow of worship, rather than something I am in bondage to. The grace of God is such a burden-lifter to those who call upon His name! His grace is a comfort that should be embraced. Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light for all who call on Him.

 

The Jim Ryun Running Camp Ministries have had a massive impact on my life in this way. Jim and Anne Ryun are two Godly individuals who have embraced the truth that they are fully loved by God and a have purpose that goes deeper than running. Their mission is to let young athletes know the same truth that they have experienced. Jim may be known for his times and accomplishments on the track. However, he will forever be remembered for the way he knew his purpose in Christ and lived it out to impact young runners.

 

So, reader, runner, student, coach, or parent: who do you say that you are? Young runners, I encourage you to enjoy the sport of running and remember that God is using your gift in the sport to teach you something deeper about His love for you. He is drawing you closer to His Spirit so that you will walk according to His mission for you, which is greater than you can even imagine. Be His! Be fully His. Discover other gifts in your life that God has given you to complement your running and embrace questions during the changes. They are good in the end. Maybe you can look at your own life and fill in the blanks: “I am _____________, a beloved, complete child of the Risen King, created to know Him and to love Him through the act of running and other gifts.” Freedom is awaiting, and boy, is it plentiful.

God bless and much love.

 

 

Author: Catharine Ryun

 

Latest book recommendation: Get Out of Your Head, By Jennie Allen

 

Fav workout song: Victorious, Skillet

 

Random fun fact: I beat President Bush in a 5K run 

 

Fav podcast: She Reads Truth (yes guys listen to it too!)

 

Social: @bethelight3377

Take a minute and think about a time when you gave thanks for something. Now think about a time you complained and grumbled about something. How did you feel? More than likely (and hopefully!) you feel better when you give thanks. But giving thanks doesn’t always come easily. I think about when I feel like giving thanks versus when I am just unmotivated and succumb to thoughts of discouragement and self- pity.  David in the Psalms quite often reminded his soul to give thanks. He wrote, “I will give thanks” not “I feel like it today, so I guess I will." I don’t know about you, but for me 2020 was a trying season in so many ways. And yet, it was a sweet time of growth. Stretching doesn’t always feel good at the time, but boy, do I love the outcome, both spiritually and physically. 

 

In July of 2020, I was part of a massive layoff due to Covid. It hit me like a punch in the gut and while I did shed some tears, I simultaneously knew that God had me in the palm of His hand. I have really enjoyed my career. I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to be employed at the White House and go on to become Vice President at a premier endurance sports company. I have felt God’s hand upon my life and I knew He wasn’t just going to leave me hanging. After my lay off, I took some time to really pray and study the Bible concerning the next steps in my life. What a gift it was to be able to take a deep breath and not feel stressed about life, no deadlines, no travel, no budgets to balance, nothing hanging over my head - this was an unheard of experience in my career. 

 

During this time, I really sought the Lord as to where I could use the talents and experiences He has blessed me with to bring joy to Him and others. Honestly, I thought nothing sounded good, like no fun at all. Funny that the first thing that popped up was the opportunity to participate in a modeling photo shoot, which led me down the path to launch my modeling career. This was more of an answer to something that sounded like fun (when not much else did at the time!). Me a model? 

 

I have had a passion for the Jim Ryun Running Camp since I was a baby. Now I had time to devote more of my talents to this great ministry. Yes, working with my parents. For years I’ve been a Camp counselor during the summers, using vacation time to run with youth who are MUCH younger. I am presently Director of Development for The Jim Ryun Running Camp! I get to stir up my creative juices with helping create a brand, store items, social media and organizing/managing a database - I love it!

 

I also have found time for another passion - becoming licensed as a foster mom. I have always had a heart to nurture and care for little ones. I signed up and completed Foster Care training and am now caring for my second foster newborn. This journey is like none other, learning to trust the Lord like never before. And learning to love deeply, but hold loosely.

 

Now you might be asking yourself, how do giving thanks and my story relate? When I went through my time of soul searching in August of 2020, I got into my Bible and prayed, commanding my soul to put its hope in God and praise Him for ALL things. I started writing out praise and promise Scriptures and taping them on the wall in my home. Often, I stand before that wall and remind myself and the Lord about many things. Believe me, this takes perseverance. 

 

I heard recently, we don’t learn perseverance by reading a book or listening to a podcast. We learn perseverance by persevering. We just keep at it, one step at a time, day after day. We continue to do what we know to be right and true. I still have my days, but I have to tell you, stating the promises of God out loud really works. 

 

I also make a habit of filling and renewing my mind with good things: daily devotionals, podcasts, Christian music. I know I am doing the right thing, because often I wake up in the morning with either a Scripture or Christian song running through my head. There is no greater feeling than to wake up content with God’s Word as my first thought.

 

This reminds me of a meeting I had with my nutritionist in March 2020. He gave me all kinds of different supplements and told me if I really wanted the “best bang for my buck”, I needed to give up gluten and sugar. Seriously? Give up my comfort foods along with quarantining? But I did it, and achieved the results I was looking for.

 

The conversation with my nutritionist makes me think about my mind, if we want God’s word to permeate every area in our lives, we can’t let things into our spirits (books, movies, music, etc.) that don’t please Him.

 

Every day my prayer is that I would have a heart more like His, that I would love the way Jesus loves. That I would love where He has placed me and with whom He has placed me. Am I perfect in accomplishing this daily? No, many days, I fall way short. But, I don't give up. I persevere.

 

I want to share a couple verses that have guided me thus far in my life:

 

  • II Chronicles 16:9a “The eyes of the Lord go around looking in all the earth for people who are faithful to Him so that He can make them strong...” HE MAKES US STRONG as we read and meditate on God's Word. I also know that God is faithful and He won’t give us more than we can handle. He loves to work in our weaknesses, which means I tell Him, "Help! I can’t do this on my own” and He says “Of course not, I will help you!" We may think things in our life should be a certain way, but I have learned to pivot with God and see what He’s up to! It’s an exciting life of adventure, which has had its disappointments, but I talk to God about it (I’ve had it out with Him a few times) and He enlightens my heart to what He is doing rather than what I think my life should look like. BTW, His plan is always better. 
     
  • II Chronicles 20:12b "...We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." When King Jehoshaphat was up against a vast army, he cried out to the Lord for help and began praising Him as his first line of defense. Praise and thanksgiving should always be our modus operandi as we walk with the Lord. 

 

I write all this to encourage you to keep persevering, keep thanking God and reminding Him and your soul of His promises. Keep praying for your heart to be in line with His, and you never know what kind of adventure He will take you on! Remember the BEST IS YET TO COME!

 

BTW - For weeks I had lots of different thoughts as to what I wanted to write about but didn’t feel the inspiration to put ink to paper. But as I sit here in the queue for my next modeling gig, I was inspired! It makes me laugh to think how God does things, His timing, it may look and feel different than what we thought it should be (just me on a couch here, with the lights and camera and my iPhone and time- I think the crew forgot about me or went out for coffee, but God knew I needed this time to write), He has a sense of humor!

 

May you be blessed in your walk with the Lord and keep honoring Him!

 

*This blog will also appear in my dear friend, Karen Berry's blog. Check out her story at PrayerBowls.com.

 

 

 

Author: Aaron Yoder

 

Latest book recommendation: How to Influence People, By John Maxwell

 

Fav workout song: Long Live, Florida Georgia Line

 

Random fun fact: I taught country western dance in graduate school

 

Fav podcast: Fit Soul, Ben Greenfield

 

Social: @shadowwar13

What a great year we have stepped into coming off an interesting 2020.  The year 2020 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision, but it seemed we were blindsided by many challenging obstacles. 

 

During this new and exciting year, I challenge you to set goals and participate in events that will provide you with long lasting opportunities. Have you set any goals for this new year? I always like to think about the saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, how do you know if you are going in the right direction?” As the Bible says, we should follow the straight and narrow road but only few find it (Matthew 7:14). The Bible mentions that this is a road and path that very few find.  What can you do in 2021 that will keep you on a focused and intentional road?  

 

Growing up on a farm in Kansas, I learned a lot about what it means to stay focused and intentional with time and energy. On the farm, we had many animals to care for and many chores to do daily. One of the great lessons I learned is that there are no days off since the animals depended on us to feed, water and provide them with shelter. In life, we all have responsibilities to attend to everyday. What greater service do you have to yourself than to seek a resting place for your soul for all eternity? I like to think about our spiritual chores as a daily sign-in sheet.  Also, when we have the right mindset, we won’t see spiritual disciplines as chores, we will see them as cherished moments that will keep our paths straight. When we seek God’s direction every day, His word will light the path to our steps and put a lamp to our feet (Psalms 119:105). 

 

Through great lessons of stewardship that I learned from my parents and brothers, I have been able to have many opportunities. Some of the great opportunities I have cherished have been in education, athletics, coaching, teaching and preaching. I can see many parallels of my life and the life that King David lived.  Simply put, he started out as a modest shepherd being alone most of the time, tending to his flock. Soon enough the daily disciplines and the training he did paid off and he became known as the shepherd champion eventually becoming the King of Israel.

 

What are some of the daily disciplines you engage in that will help you to become a better steward with what God has given you? Growing up I found great inspiration in Jim Ryun. Being a Kansas native, I knew the name and respected what he did as the greatest miler to ever live. I found out more about Jim Ryun by reading the book “Master of the Mile” again and again. My family spoke often about the famous Jim Ryun. What I found interesting is that Jim was incredibly disciplined and focused on his training with the goal to be the first high school runner to break 4 minutes in the mile. When we have goals, we can start planning a strategy to achieve that goal with discipline, consistency, determination and daily devotion. The more I found out about Jim, the more I was impressed with how he lived a life of giving back. After retiring from running, he served as a U.S. Congressman to Kansas for over 10 years. He and his family also started the Jim Ryun Running Camps. My parents encouraged me to attend the Camp after my freshman year of high school (2001). I had a great experience and loved it! You should all give yourself a chance to experience this amazing Camp (check out ryunrunning.com). I came back a second time in high school and then proceeded to become a counselor at the Camps during my college years. Now for over 10 years, I have been serving as the head Camp Coach. The most amazing aspect of the Camp is knowing it is a Christ-centered camp. Everything we do stems from the central core of Jesus Christ! When we properly plant our life with God in the center, our path and direction in life will be straight.  

 

As a Camper, I found it so interesting to hear how Jim Ryun’s faith fueled his life on and off the track. I am thankful to say that the Camp gave me a better understanding of what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ.  Through the years of serving on staff, I have come to a place where all my decisions are based on what direction I receive from God through time spent in the Bible, praying, receiving counsel, and meditating on God’s path for my life. I hope you can all experience this wonderful environment where you will learn to run on the straight and narrow path.  

 

Additionally, I have experienced an abundance of fruit from the path that I am walking. Due to injuries years ago, I had to evaluate if I wanted to continue to run. Through many prayers and petitions, God redirected my life. The first thing that happened was my Olympic dreams died. Since that moment of re-direction, I started running backwards, yes, in reverse. Upon making the switch, I was able to break the World Record in the Backward Mile in 2015. Since then, I have won 7 World titles and set 5 other World records. It is amazing what God can do if we allow Him to direct our path. On the coaching side, as a former distance runner, I started coaching cross country. I also started coaching sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, throwers and pole vaulters.  Even though I didn’t know much about those events, God positioned me to have greater influence and passion for these athletes. My passion has shifted into teaching proper running technique, jumping and technical weight training. This passion has allowed me to direct and teach all runners to perform at the best of their abilities to the glory of God.  

 

God has an amazing path prepared for you that perhaps you haven’t even thought of. That path is going to be better and more rewarding than you can ever imagine or planned for yourself. I have seen that in my life and know that it is waiting for you in your life as well. I want to close with this great verse, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

(1 Corinthians 2:9)

 

Many Blessings!

 

Author: Jim Ryun

Latest book recommendation: Seven Men & Seven Women, By Eric Metaxas

Fav workout song: A Million Dreams, By Catharine Ryun & Tom Ewing (embedded below)

Random fun fact: In 5th grade, lost the school 600 yd run to a girl

Fav podcast: In Touch, Charles Stanley

Social: @jimryun

What a year 2020 was. As we all know now, the year had many twists and turns.

So, how have we handled these expected and unexpected circumstances? May I suggest that the ability to process these events to a large part comes down to one’s attitude and trust in the Lord. As my wonderful coach, Coach Bob Timmons, often said to me when faced with challenges particularly regarding attitude, “James, you don’t have to do this, you get to do this!” Attitude mattered then as Coach was refining me into a world class runner and it matters today as we face unexpected challenges in life and on the track.

Because of uncertainties in 2020 and the unchartered days ahead of 2021, anxiety can occur in anyone’s life. Anxiety is something we all face. How we handle this will determine our success in being victorious.

During my daily "appointment with the Lord" (a quiet time alone with the Lord), I’ve had some help with these thoughts from Dr. Charles Stanley’s daily devotional. Dr. Stanley addresses anxiety with the Bible verse I Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on Him (Jesus), because He cares for you.” That means fears, trials, apprehensions...will I have a cross country season...will I be in virtual learning forever...will I have an outdoor track season…will 2021 have a live Jim Ryun Running Camp (yes, we will, check out ryunrunning.com)? Only God knows the answers to these and many other questions. Dr. Stanley offers four suggestions in dealing with the unknown future.

You are of great value to God. “Look at the birds of the air…your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26


You are not only useful to the Father; He also loves you unconditionally. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3


He (God) is fully aware of your needs-even those you don’t know exist. He will supply them. “He who did not spare His own Son…how will He not also freely give us all things.” Romans 8:32


God is greater than whatever you face. “Cast your anxiety (cares) on Him, because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 God is in control...stop fearing…let go and let God have control of your life.


Is any of this easy? Yes and no. Will the virus, wearing masks, social distancing, ever end? But herein is the test. Do you love God and trust God enough that He is Sovereign and knows what is best? This is not unlike your coach having you do a particular workout that you have never done before. He has your best interest at the heart of what he is having you do.

I remember as a junior in high school, as we chased my becoming the first high school boy to run under four minutes in the mile, Coach Timmons gave me workouts that challenged me way beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone. One in particular changed my paradigm of thinking. On paper, the mileage was limited. But, in reality, it was a “humdinger” of an effort. After a good warmup, Coach had me run 1x1320 under 3 minutes, take a short rest of 1 minute, then run 1x440 under 60 seconds. My 17-year-old response was, “Wow! Is that even possible?” Not only was I going to experience a new level of pain, but more importantly, my thinking and trust that a four-minute mile could become a reality would move a step closer.

How does this relate to the four suggestions Dr. Stanley offers in dealing with anxiety, dealing with the future, will my life ever return to “normal?”

Just as I had to trust Coach Timmons that the workout mentioned above would move me closer to running under four minutes in the mile, so you and I must trust that God’s plan for our lives is the very best. Although there are more questions about the future than answers, we get to trust that God’s plan is superior to anything we think we have.

And now for the rest of the story. Coach Timmon’s workout was a success. My 1x1320 was 2:58. My 1x440 was 57.0. I experienced a brand-new level of pain. I ran 3:59.0 on June 4, 1964, finishing 8th in the field.

Life is an adventure. God has a plan for your life! Don’t let fear or anxiety steal what God has planned for you.

See you in Camp this summer!

Jim Ryun

A Million Dreams, By Catharine Ryun & Tom Ewing
Million Dreams

Strength Training for Runners

First of all, let's establish one thing. 

If you want to become a better runner, what do you have to do? You have to run. 

However, there are a lot of auxiliary components that make great runners. Nutrition, rest and strength training are a few that come to mind. These components create the complete, dynamic runner and allow you to achieve great performances.

On the topic of strength training, we are big believers in runners lifting heavier weights and lower reps versus the converse of lighter weights and high reps. Running builds endurance, lifting builds strength.

Here is a great article on that from Competitor.com on How Should Runners Lift Weights?

From the article:

The real key is knowing how to lift weights effectively. Runners are not bodybuilders and they are not lifting just for general health. Instead, they’re lifting for three main reasons:

  1. To get stronger

  2. To prevent injuries

  3. To race faster

When accomplishing these goals, runners need a different approach in the weight room than your typical boot camp class.

So shake up your paradigm this winter. Stop lifting light. Get in the weight room and challenge yourself! And as you do, remember the golden rule to improvement: Gradual adaptation. 

The Daniels' Running Formula

We LOVE the Daniels' Running Formula. It isn't theory. It's lab tested science. You want to become a better runner? Just apply even part of the Running Formula and you will see dramatic improvements in your performances. 

To make things a little easier for folks to understand, we worked with Dr. Jack Daniels to distill his 300 page book into an easy to understand infographic. To download your copy, just click on the link below. Get ready to run fast!

The Daniels' Running Formula Infographic

Jim Ryun Wins the Emsley Carr Mile in 1967

In what had already been an epic summer, having broken World Records in the one mile (3:51.1) and the 1500m (3:33.1), Jim Ryun went to London to face Kip Keino and the rest of the Commonwealth team. A few weeks prior to this, Keino had forced the pace in Ryun's 3:33.1 1500m World Record but had been unable to match Ryun's blistering 37 point last 300m. In the Emsley Carr Mile, he decided he was going to be the one to sit and kick.

Watch as this race unfolds.

Jim Ryun Wins the Emsley Carr Mile in 1967

The Daniels' Running Formula

For years we have had the privilege of having Dr. Jack Daniels speak at the running camps. What I love about Jack's formula is that it's lab tested fact, not theory. If you are interested in becoming a better runner, then the Formula is for you. I tell the campers, "If you apply just parts of the Daniels' Running Formula, you will become better. It's that simple." 

From threshold to interval to repetition work and the critically important easy running, the Daniel's Formula gives you a step by step guide to running faster. Now, in a downloadable format, we are posting the distilled version of the Daniels' Running Formula. As a note, the VDOT app from Run Smart is the perfect compliment to this PDF. 

The Daniels' Running Formula

 

Sara Hall Podcast

It's a lot of fun for me as a camp director to meet kids when they are young and then get to know them better as adults. In the case of Ryan and Sara Hall, I had the chance to introduce them years ago at a cross country meet in 2001. Ryan and I were chatting post-race and we saw Sara. He mentioned he might like to meet her and I said, "Then let's go meet her!" Ryan wasn't as certain as I was, "Maybe later." 

Me: "It'll be fine, just follow my lead" (little did I know that "lead" would end up in marriage for Ryan and Sara the fall after they graduated from college in 2005).

Later that year, Ryan finished third at Footlocker Nationals and Sara won, establishing themselves as two of America's rising distance stars. That spring Ryan ran a solo 4:02 1600m to win the California state meet and Sara won the 3200m, ending her season as the #1 ranked female high schooler at that distance. Both went to Stanford on full rides and became integral parts of a powerhouse program, Ryan helping lead the men's team with his 2nd overall placing to the 2003 NCAA Division I men's team title while Sara finished 3rd in the women's race to lead the Stanford women to the 2003 NCAA Division I women's title.

In the years after college, both Ryan and Sara moved to the marathon, with Ryan ending his career with a sterling 2:04:58 PR set in Boston and Sara, currently still running, setting her personal best of 2:28 earlier this year in Tokyo.

I had a few minutes to chat with Sara last week for this podcast. Enjoy!

 

Dr. Wayne Westcott Podcast

Over the years we have had the privilege of having strength coach Dr. Wayne Wescott speak at the running camps. Author or co-author of 20 books on strength training as well as numerous articles, Wayne brings a wealth of knowledge to the subject of resistance training for runners. In this podcast we chat about the need for runners to hit the weight room and what benefits they can expect from it. 

College Coaches: Strength Training Is Good for Distance Runners

This is something we talk a lot about at camp: strength training for runners. It's a topic of conversation among a lot of coaches and runners, but clearly the right kind of strength training is very beneficial for runners. It makes them stronger, more dynamic and healthier. It is one of the best injury prevention steps young runners can take. 

MileSplit ran this article on strength training. 

From the article: 

"Strength training helps with maintaining form which will allow the athlete to run more efficiently," he says. 

Better form, better running, better times. 

"The biggest changes I see once an athlete starts my weight training program is body composition, stride length, and frequency and ability to maintain a faster pace for longer periods of time."

Another side benefit to weight lifting, according to Coach Richter at St. Vincent, is the reduced risk of injuries. A stronger neuromuscular system means you are less likely to get hurt.

Carrie Lane Podcast: Strength Training for Runners

I am a big believer in creating dynamic runners. Dynamic in the sense of motor skills and the ability to move explosively in every direction and in every plane of motion. Strong runners are durable runners who don't get injured and explosive runners can carry their speed out as far as the rest of their training will let them. This doesn't come from running endless miles. It comes from strength training, drills, plyometrics and other auxiliary components that create the complete runner.

This year at Camp we had the opportunity to have strength coach Carrie Lane join us. Carrie has a unique background in that she started as a distance runner, running collegiately at Marquette, before becoming a hammer thrower post-collegiately and then ultimately a strength and throws coach. From 2006-2009, she was the personal coach for Adam Nelson, 2004 Olympic gold medallist in the shot put and silver medallist in 2008. 

Carrie joined me earlier this week to help kick off Season 2 of the Art of Running and during this podcast we discuss the need for kids to be multi-sport athletes growing up as well as strength training and drills for runners. During the podcast, I mention the session we had with Carrie at Camp. The video of the drills relay is here. 

Recently Carrie and Jeff Boele at the Roots Running Project recorded a series of videos for purchase, Strength Training for Runners. You can purchase those videos here.

Carrie has also launched her own website. Bookmark www.VerticalPush.com and make sure to check it out.

As a quick note on the intro to this podcast, I had to re-record it, thus the change in quality from it to the rest of the podcast when I used Zoom to record over the phone! Enjoy. 

15 Minutes with Christ

Each year at the Jim Ryun Running Camp, we ask various counselors to give a morning devotional on a topic that is applicable to the every days lives of our campers in the 21st Century. We live in a day and age of relativism, where, as Judges 21:25 says, ". . .every man [does] what is right in his own eyes."

There are no absolutes, no real right or wrong. The Bible is no longer relevant to many in our culture because many view it as either a period piece or a book of allegories, not realities. I happen to believe to the contrary. It is living history. There is a God who still speaks and the Bible is a plumb line for living and inside of this paradigm is a road map for life.

15 Minutes with Christ (Becoming Spiritually Fit)

I want to talk to you this morning about being spiritually fit. We have talked a lot this week about how we can become physically fit, from threshold running to anaerobic work to reps and mileage and how each one of these parts of the Daniel's Running Formula fit into your training regimes. Around this core component of running are the auxiliary things like nutrition, biomechanics and strength training. We even got to hear from Dr. Dave Templin on how we can train the mind for our best performances.

How can you become spiritually fit even as you train the body for its best performances? For those of you who are returning campers, you might remember some of it, but it is a great launching point for this morning's devotion.

Let’s take a look at I Kings 18:29-39. It is the famous showdown between Elijah and the Prophets of Ba'al. I want to give you some context for this event. It took place on Mount Carmel in Israel.

I have been there and stood atop the Mount. It's an amazing place, a rocky mount that over looks the Valley of Jezreel, one of the most bountiful valleys in the Middle East. It was also one of the main thoroughfares in ancient times, which is why the fortress, Megiddo, sits there. It was a Canaanite royal city before Israel entered the Promised Land and in Solomon's time, became one of his chariot strongholds. The greatest king Israel ever had, King Josiah, died there fighting the Egyptian army. Oftentimes "har" is used in front of Megiddo as it is built on an elevated place. It is the Hebrew word for "hill" and from there we get "Har Megiddo," or as most know, Armageddon, the final battle of time between good and evil.

Across this now quiet valley sits a small town that many of you have heard of. It's called Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. One has to wonder if he ever stood at the edge of Nazareth and looked over the valley. I tend to think he did. The home of the Prince of Peace, Mount Carmel, Armageddon. It seems almost too good to be true.

But it is on Mount Carmel that we witness one of the great showdowns in history between good and evil. Let me lay the groundwork for this epic event. In a day and age where the lines between right and wrong, good and evil are blurred, the events on Mount Carmel seem foreign to us. During that time in history, there was a distinct line between good and evil, in part I think because the good was so good and the evil so evil. The people of Israel were torn between two belief systems. One was the belief in one God, the God who had led them out of Egypt and shown them His signs and wonders time and time again. On the other hand was the worship of Ba'al, the fertility god of the Canaanites and more importantly the god of Queen Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel. It was a brutal religion, calling for human sacrifice because of the belief that if Ba'al was offered up humans, the crops the following year would be more plentiful. 

I love how even the names of our protagonist and antagonist reflect the times. Elijah was the prophet of God, Yaweh. Eli-JAH. The "jah" at the end of his name meant, "I am with Yaweh." And then there is Jezebel's name, with the same type of delineator at the end, "bel," and you all can guess that that means. She wasn't with Yaweh.

In the midst of this time of good and evil, Elijah had told King Ahab there would be no rain in Israel, a direct insult to Ba'al, who was also the god of storms. After three years of this, it was time to settle things and Elijah threw the gauntlet down. "Call the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, Ahab. Bring your 450 prophets of Ba'al and let's settle this once and for all."

And there they stood on Mount Carmel, the solitary figure of Elijah on one side, the 450 prophets of Ba'al on the other. The rules of engagement were simple. Each side was to offer a bull as a sacrifice to their chosen diety with one caveat-no fire could be used.

"You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God."

The prophets of Ba'al laid their bull out on their altar and began to call on Ba'al. Midway through the day, there was no answer and they began to cut themselves, going into a frenzy while Elijah and the people of Israel watched. In fact, Elijah began to taunt them. Still, there was no answer.

Nearing the end of the day, the prophets of Ba'al collapsed and now it was Elijah's turn. He rebuilt the altar of God and dug a trench around it and cut his bull into pieces. Then he did something incredible. At a time when it hadn't rained for three years, he asked that water be brought to dump over the bull, the wood and the altar. One time, then another then a third (where did they get the water, I wonder). When the water overflowed the trench, Elijah prayed and I love this prayer.

"Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let is be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God."

It is recorded that fire burst from heaven, consuming not only the bull and the wood, but the rocks as well. The rocks! That is intense heat. Can you imagine the reaction from the people of Israel and the prophets of Ba'al? Holy smokes seems to fall a little short, but kind of hits the nail on the head. 

And here is where I want to challenge you. Elijah didn't suddenly show up on history's stage. Yes, he was a man chosen of God and there is some historical evidence that he was also a Nazarite, someone totally committed to God, a step above others.

But consider his prayer. It was really just five words: "Answer me, Lord! Answer me!" There is power in its simplicity, but I happen believe it sprung from a place of spiritual fitness.

We may never stand atop a mountain and prayer for fire. We may never be called to as great a stage as that one on Mount Carmel, but I do believe we are called to be spiritually fit just as we attempt to be physically fit.

With that in mind, I want to challenge you today to take 15 minutes a day with Christ. Your time with Him may grow from there, but it is good to lay down an attainable marker at the beginning and I want to present to you three easy steps.

We talk about mileage as runners, right? It's the foundation of becoming a good runner. To become a good runner, you have to actually run and to achieve your goals, there is a certain amount of running that needs to take place. Remember what Jack told us? The simple function of running, even at 60% of your maximum heart rate, does what? It recruits more mitochondria through the process of running forcing more oxygen into the system (you run, you breathe). The more mitochondria, the more energy is produced in your muscle cells. This is all from the function of just going out and running at conversational pace. 

Reading God's Word daily is like running mileage. It provides the foundation for the rest of our spiritual lives. It provides life, just like Moses told the people of Israel so long ago.

"Take to heart all these words I am giving you as a warning to you today so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this law carefully. For they are not meaningless words to you, but they are your life and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

God's Word is life to us. It provides a guide book for living, a measure by which we can decided what is right and what is wrong in a day when we are told neither exist. Start by taking 5 minutes a day and dig into God's Word. I always start my day with reading various Psalms and the "Proverb of the day" and go from there.

Next in this goal of spiritual fitness is what I like to think of as the Anaerobic work, the intervals. You know, the 1 to 1 type work of a 60 seconds of hard running with 60 seconds rest or 30 seconds hard with 30 seconds rest. The kind of work that makes your head feel like its going to explode after a while. I think a spiritual correlation is scripture memory. It's not easy, right, taking the time to commit chunks of written words to memory, but it is great training to internalize God's Word. King David wrote all those years ago:

"Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You."

And

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

When we take the time to internalize God's Word, we become that much more spiritually fit. It literally becomes part of us, how we think and how we act. So take 5 minutes a day and work on memorizing various verses from the Bible.

The third component to spiritual fitness is the one we all struggle with the most: sitting still and meditating on God's Word. When I say meditating, I am not referring to Eastern mysticism. I am referring to sitting still and listening for the voice of One who still speaks today.

After his great showdown with the prophets of Ba'al, Elijah did something very strange. He ran and not in victory. He ran away to hide and he hid in a cave on Mount Horeb. Some Biblical scholars think Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai are one and the same, the latter being where God handed the Ten Commandments to Moses, but to some extent it doesn't matter. Horeb was a holy place and Elijah fled there for a reason. As he hid there, the Lord spoke to him.

"Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord."

There followed what must have been one of the most amazing displays of God's power over His creation. There was  a wind that "shattered cliffs" and following that an earthquake and then fire.

"But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'"

I love that phrase, "a soft whisper." God could have spoken to Elijah through His mighty power, but He didn't. He spoke to Elijah in a soft whisper.

Our modern day and age is loud. We are assaulted on every side with this and with that. It's noisy. It's busy. We are encouraged to constantly be on the go. Being alone and quiet are the antithesis of our "modern" age.

But after your reading of God's Word and memorizing of Scripture, I want to encourage you to take 5 minutes to sit still and listen for God's voice. As Jack says and I firmly believe, you have to allow your body the time to absorb the training and the same is true spiritually. 

I am not saying that if you take 15 minutes a day with God that you will suddenly find yourself atop Mount Carmel, calling down fire from heaven.

But I do believe that when we are spiritually fit we will be like King David in Psalm 18.

"God-He clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights. He trains my hands for war, my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me your shield of salvation, your right hand upholds me and your humility exalts me."

That, my friends, is the essence of being spiritually fit and when we are spiritually fit, God can and will use us to do great things in His name and for His glory.

 

3:33.1

The last of Jim Ryun's world records were perhaps his greatest. His 3:51.1 mile was called the finest of them all by Roger Bannister. Straight to the front, no pacesetters, just one man against the clock. That was June 23, 1967.

Two weeks later, Jim Ryun was at it again at the Commonwealth versus the United States in the Los Angeles Coliseum. In the interim, he had disappeared into the mountains of Colorado, based in Alamosa where he ran the sand dunes and runs at 8-9,000 feet of altitude. While America had some of the world's greatest milers at that time (in fact, 6 of the top 10 milers in the world that year came from the AAU final on June 23rd), Ryun knew he would be facing the great Kenyan, Kip Keino, in the Commonwealth meet. 

In preparation for the race, less than one week out, Ryun attempted a one mile time trial. It did not go well. Shooting for a 4:05 in the rarified air of Alamosa, Ryun ran a 4:15 with splits of 67, 2:11 and 3:16. But he didn't panic. He took the rest of the week easy-his training log is filled with "5 miles easy" and "7 miles easy" and even, "30 minutes easy" leading up to the showdown with Keino.

And what a showdown it was. With a pedestrian opening 400m of 60.9, Ryun and Keino lurked at the back of the pack, content to let others do the work. Upon hearing the first 400m split, though, Keino decided he'd go from over 800m out and floored it.

The next 400m was covered in 56.6 seconds as Ryun tucked in behind Keino.

800m slipped by in 1:57.5. It wasn't World Record pace, but it was a race. 

Desperate to escape Ryun's punishing kick, Keino kept the pressure on but could not shake Ryun. The third 400m was covered in 58.5 for a 1200m split of 2:56 flat. Virtually neck and neck with Ryun, Keino strained to summon additional speed while Ryun dropped his head and started his kick. A gap appeared as Ryun took the lead with 300m to go.

5 meters then 10 then 20-Ryun was moving away with ease. Keino was beaten, but Ryun was was not done. 20 meters became 30 and at the top of the homestretch, Ryun's lead grew to almost 40 meters as he crossed the line in 3:33.1.

His final 300m had taken only 37.1 seconds, equivalent to a 50 second last 400m. His last 1200m was clocked in 2:46, one of the fastest ever recorded. Gone was Herb Elliot's World Record of 3:35.6. In a sport where tenths of seconds often decide World Records, Ryun had taken 2.5 seconds off the previous World Record.

It is one of the records that physiologists and followers of the sport have bandied about for years with, "What if. . . ?"

What if Ryun had been running on a Mondo track and not dirt? Some felt he lost a second per lap just for the surface of the track. What if Ryun and Keino had squared off in one of the Scandinavian meets with temperatures in the 60s instead of 100 degrees?

Clearly this record was superior to his 3:51.1 and to this day, when asked, Ryun will say, "I wish I'd been able to run the last 100m+ to finish a mile. I think I might have just had enough to dip under 3:50."

If one was to convert Ryun's 1500m to a mile (17 seconds), it was a 3:50.1 mile. If one were then to take a second off per lap, one doesn't have to stretch the argument too far to realize that Jim Ryun had the ability to run 3:46-47 for the mile.

In 1967. To watch clips of the race, click here.

This is why many call him not only America's greatest miler, but one of the greatest of all time.

EPILOGUE: 

Just weeks later, Ryun and Keino would square off again in White City (London) in the Emsley Carr Mile (race here). Keino switched tactics and decided he would sit on Ryun. After splits of 62 and 2:03, Ryun took the lead from 880 yards out and pushed the pace. 3/4 of mile was covered in 3:02. Keino lurked, easing up on Ryun's shoulder, hoping to turn the tables on him. But as Keino tried to pass with 220 to go, Ryun pushed the accelerator down once. Then twice. In a matter of 50 yards he was 10 yards clear of Keino, a margin that increased down the homestretch as Ryun crossed the line in 3:56, covering his last 440 in 53 seconds. For a highlight reel of the meet, click here.

 

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