Once more (third year in a row) I was fortunate to be a part of the ministry and outreach in Tempe for the 2007 Ironman Arizona, April 12th through April 15th. Hats off to my homestay buddy, Jason Ford, for helping make the trip a success and for shuttling me all over the place. Staying with Jason and being in Tempe for the race was a real kick-start for my flagging athletic motivation. Basically, I had been largely dormant (emphasis on "largely") since I crossed the finish line at the 2nd edition of Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006. In particular, Jason took me out 3 days in a row for some slammin' runs, including 2 trail runs up to one of the mesas above Fountain Hills, where he lives. Just making it to the top proved that: (1) yes, that I was completely and woefully out of shape, but also (2) I could still get out there and do it. Since I've been home, things have come around and there has been a real improvement in the frequency and enjoyment of my workouts. That, in turn, has helped me get into a better place mentally for keeping up with my responsibilities at home and at work. (Thanks, Jason.)We had a great outreach in Arizona, and if you want to read more about it, you can check out the ministry report online.
Finish strong,
Stan
