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Wednesday, May 20

Ultra Spiritual Man

Like some of you I've been reading the book Ultra Marathon Man. While reading I've thought a lot about a friend of ours who lives here in Oklahoma. Randy Ellis is a long distance runner who became intrigued with the life of Andy Payne. In 1998 Randy fulfilled a lifelong dream and ran across the United States. Randy ran from North Carolina to California covering 30-40 miles a day. I remember this journey in his life so poignantly and how his run was such an inspiration in my own running life both physically and spiritually. He wrote a book about his experience called;

Running with Payne: A Step-By-Step Journey Down Route 66 & Beyond

With Randy there is a spiritual element to his running that I don't read about in Ultra Marathon Man. He's a humble unassuming guy and if you didn't know him personally you would never know he ran such an amazing journey of faith. It was so neat to be a part of watching and praying for Randy as he fulfill this dream. Knowing he did it with a desire to glorify God. Now that's a reason to run!

4 comments:

Much Ado said...

Sounds like a really interesting read. Funny, when I read the Ultra Marathon Man, I admired so much his passion and found his perspective interesting but thought to myself there was a certain emptiness to it at the same time.

This book sounds like it would be really interesting, with the perspective of glorifying God and not self/man.

Kim said...

This books sounds really good!

Terri said...

Jane, I felt the same way. I am inspired by Dean Karnazes's drive and perseverance but at the same time thinking it seems to lack something so much deeper than self.

Wendy said...

I agree. I felt that emptiness when I read the book too.

This sounds like a good book!