picking up my marathon package, bitter sweet moment

 On Friday afternoon we traveled Athens by Metro, from Larissa station to Syntagma and walked towards the Zapion Exhibition & Congress Hall where the Marathon Expo was taking place. When we got there it was so overwhelming to see all the runners, all the excitement of such event. It was particular difficult for me because I was not going to run the Marathon. I felt like I failed, I felt shame and I felt defeated. I was training well and I was eating and resting properly and I could not believe that I hurt my ankle and I was not able to complete the training. This reminds me of Galatians 5:7-10
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

I have been meditating on the word of God and trying to really give it a thought of what it means to run the good race. All during the visit here in Greece I met with several runners and most of them are also had an injury and they were going to run the marathon anyway. Many of them told me that I should do the same and run even when I have not completed the training. At one point I got excited and I asked myself why not, I was convinced that not running would mean being a looser or a chicken for not trying. So I was excited because I thought I would run it and I would still get my marathon medal. 

Knocking at Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea

Last Thursday I had to submit an assignment for my class, Introduction to Ministry, I needed to submit a book review. It was about “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome”  by Kent and Barbara Hughes. The book is all about the call for ministry and how people measure success and define if a ministry is successful or a failure. The authors then summarize that God did not called us to be successful but to be among other things faithful, 1 Cor 4:1-2 "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful". So I thought of what I read and what I was trying to do and it felt that I was not doing the right thing. It felt that I wanted my ego to be fixed and feel proud about still trying something that seemed both silly and foolish to do. Running a Marathon without the proper training. 

I had to believe that I will get the chance to run my first Marathon with all the excitement and sense of victory that come with it. Funny enough this is like waiting for the groom and abstaining from having sex before marriage. Don’t laugh that is how this is. I felt like if I was going to be around the marathon and run just the last four miles just to have the medal, I would be cheating and I would have no value for the medal. I felt if I did not run it would be like going to my wedding without getting married and finally if I ran/walked the marathon it would feel like having a sexual relation and going to get married afterwards, why? Well, how can you taste the marathon and have a great expectation of the second time around if the first marathon was not exciting and had not the component of fulfillment and accomplishment?So Saturday I went back to the expo and asked them if I could downgrade the Marathon to a 10 K and the answer was positive. I had peace and I was excited once again, I don’t have to prove anything to anyone and my ego was sentence back into his cage hopefully for a long time!

Thursday night, 3 days away from the Athens Classic Marathon 2010

The jet lag kicked in but we got hungry and we needed to find a place to eat. Everyone told us to have dinner at Plaka and we went into the city to explore it and reach the Greek Taverna for food. Like in every city, people do not know how to give directions, their directions are given with meters and measuring the distance in minutes. “ You walk direct for 3 minutes about 200 meters and then turn left”. 

We found a desolated square with nice restaurants and I wondered where are all the other runners or the people? We had a nice dinner and we got to see our first ancient ruin, on the left is the Library of Hadrian. Athens is beautiful by night and all the monuments are lighted up very well, it brings a magical touch to the city. On the right is the Parliament building at Syntagma Square.

Make a story with these pictures!

We have been in Greece for almost a week. And so much has happened.  Annette arrived last Thursday October 28th at 5:15 P.M. I spent a day by myself and it felt a bit intimidating being in a place where I do not understand the language. It has been a while since I last traveled to a foreign country and my sense of orientation is a bit rusty. Nevertheless I found my way back to the airport using public transportation to pick Annette up.  

By accident I thought Annette would be arriving at 2:45 p.m. so I had some time to spent at the airport. I discovered that they have a museum there too and I visited it. In the upper picture is what they believe Athens looked like centuries ago. And here on the right is a pictures of weights and the half round object is the lid of a bee hive and underneath there is a lamp, it looks like a candle holder but was not meant to have a candle but oil.

Finally Annette's plane was arriving, so I went down to wait for her. Before I knew I was surrounded by paparazzi, I figured that someone important was about to arrive. So I asked whom they were waiting for and they told me that Maria was about to come out. I have no idea who Maria was, she is a famous runner but I had no clue. They told me her last name but it was Greek so didn’t catch it. Annette came out and I was so relieved to see a face I knew.  Maria Menounos also came out and we understood that she is a famous NBC personality that occasionally runs marathons, she is Greek and a national super star. Many people came to the airport just to welcome her.

I also welcomed the delegation of Brazil as you see they were all wearing yellow and the delegation from Uruguay was also very festive with their colorful wigs. I saw people from all over the world, I got to talk to some of them too. The Marathon registration booth was right in the same arrival area. You can say that I welcomed everyone by name and shook their hands. Not literally but it felt like it.

I was there to welcome my friend Annette and I was so happy to see her face and knowing that she made it all the way to Athens. Welcome Annette, I pray we will have a great time in Athens, I am so happy to see you here!

The Spirit of the Marathon

The journey to Athens

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I got on time to Paris but my flight to Athens way delayed due to the air traffic control strike. For some days now I have seen on television the people expressing their anger and discontent with the government but this morning I got to see them at the airport, marching and making lots of noise. When the plane landed at the airport I saw a Concorde fuselage displayed in the middle of the landing strips. 
The Charles de Gaulle airport is so big and high-tech and the people that work at the airport are very friendly, including their security personnel.  The temperature was 10 degrees C.

When my flight took off to Athens I could clearly see the fields and the beautiful combination of the autumn colors. Then I took a nap almost involuntarily as I was very tired.
When I woke up again I was amazed by the view of the mountains and then it changed to the Greek island scenery. When the plane landed in Greece it started raining and the temperature was 26 degrees C.

During the connection time in Paris I met a few couples from LA that were also traveling to Greece for the marathon, some of them have injuries in their knees and they are going to run anyway. They think I should just run, I told them I think they should not run...Then I met a lady from Brasil, she is here for the same reason and she was telling me of her plans for next year, she is going to South Africa! She also has an injured knee-cap. I took the local bus to travel to the city, it only costs 3.20 euros, the taxi was about 35euros. The Metro would have been a better option but they are on strike! Once in the city I shared a taxi with the Brazilian lady and got to my hotel, the taxi driver charged us too much money(20e) but he looked descent and gave us a tour as he was driving, so he earned it. So I learned that tomorrow is the biggest national day for the Greeks Ohi (means No) Day that commemorates the Battle of Greece during the second WWII. Read more here
Now is time to take a shower, get something to eat and work on my Greek!

αντίο

A taste of the Classical Marathon Athens, Greece, 2010

Run the Good Race 2010

Have you ever been to a race? It is amazing, if you have been part of a race you know what it feels like to be waiting behind the Start line. You are pumped that you are going to run and you have a time set in your mind of how long you plan on doing your run. if you have never been to one just look at the picture here and look how many people are just waiting to start the race.

Everyone has a story on why they are there, some run for fun, others are in a running group supporting a cause, others just want to accomplish a personal goal or just keeping themselves in shape. I run too, and I run because I believe that a race is very similar to our journey in life. But I am talking about the journey of our faith. In the months ahead I will prepare for my 1st Marathon. I have run two Half Marathons and now I am striving to do my first Marathon.

The Bible also compares a race with our lives, look what it mentions in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

This verse right here motivated me during my last 3 miles during my Half Marathons, usually at these last miles the body is very tired and feels like giving up. It feels the same when we have a relationship that is going nowhere, a job that will not give us a prosperous future, perhaps a tough sickness; you name it. There are times in life where we just want to quit. I have Christ in my life, so I have hope and faith to persevere and keep going as to get the prize.

The finish line is never as crowded as the starting line, at this point many lost the dream of winning, some give up and don't bother to reach the finish line and others are disqualified. If you were to compare your life today with a race, what kind of runner are you? Will you make it to the finish line? Tell me, what is your story?