Hey LA...Get excited!

Team World Vision has great news! This is LA's year. We're going BIG! There is a new race in town, and guess who is the benefiting charity. That's right. World Vision.

On January 10, 2010, at the 13.1 Los Angeles benefiting World Vision over 500 runners will sport the Team World Vision orange to let people know why they run...because they care.

If you're in the LA area, you won't want to miss it. Andrea, Team World Vision's rockstar on the West Coast, is hosting info sessions over the next two weeks to tell you what you need to know.

Find one near you, RSVP HERE, and then invite a friend!

Julie runs because...

I felt God’s whisper in my ear to do it. I’ve been living an emotionally, physically and spiritually vacant life and God knew I needed to find myself again.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 7 years who also happens to struggle with depression. I love my kids, but I feel lost. I have been working so hard at seeking answers to my emotional “lost-ness” that I am burned out. I’ve joined bible studies, sought spiritual advice, prayed on my knees, joined more bible studies, and prayed on my knees some more. Somewhere along the line of being married and having two amazing kids, I became a self-loathing miserable person who can’t remember the last time she experienced true full-blown laugh out loud joy. Yes, I’ve done the fake joy. Anyone can do that. But you know what I mean; the joy that feels just as good on the inside as it appears on the outside. I miss that. I have felt kind of sort of “dead” for a while.

World Vision came into my life and managed to shake things up. Or God did. The day World Vision made their presentation to Willow McHenry about the marathon I felt like I had been hit by a ton of bricks. There was absolutely no question in my mind that I was supposed to do this. I told my husband “I’m signing up”. He said “are you sure you don’t want to go home and think about it?” I said “NO! I won’t do it then”! Well, I did sign up and I just ran 12 miles on June 27th. I will be running 14 more this coming July 11th.

I have never been a runner. I still don’t consider myself one. I just know I’m supposed to do this marathon. It was more than the goose bumps I felt when the World Vision video came on. It was a true opening of all the doors and windows to my heart, mind and soul and God whispering to me “do it”. So I did.

The day I ran 7 miles for the first time I came home and my 7-year old daughter had made a card in the shape of a heart that says “I’m proud of you, Mommy”. I asked her why she’s proud of me and she said “because you ran 7 miles”. That card is with me every step I take. Every time I come home from a run she asks me how many miles I ran. You ask me why I run? I run to show my kids I’m more than just a “mom”. With every mile I conquer I show myself I can do it and, therefore, so can they.

It’s not easy. I am not a morning person. Recently finding out that our 7AM runs will soon begin at 6AM does not thrill me in the least. I am a night owl. I don’t like to go to bed early so I can get up at 5AM to go run. There are days I want to quit, but I know I’m in the midst of a spiritual transformation and quitting would let myself down on so many levels. I want to make God proud. I want to make my family proud. I want to make me proud. I know I am doing this to raise money, but this experience is far bigger than that. It’s meeting people who won’t keep running without you, should you need to stop. It’s getting emails from your team members cheering you on and praying for you when you need it. It’s being part of a mutually supportive endeavor that some of us have done before and some of us have no idea what we’re getting ourselves into, but we’re all there at 7AM every Saturday morning and greeted with encouraging smiles.

I want to show myself and my kids that anything, at any age, is possible. It’s never too late to go for it. My kids have always inspired me. Now, it’s my turn to inspire them.

Julie Mleczko

I run because...

I started running because I needed a challenge. You know that ancy feeling when things have been the same for a while? I had that. I was pretty much as far from a runner as you could get, so I decided to join Team World Vision and give it a go. It was hard. But I ran a half marathon, raised almost $1500 for Africa, and signed up for the marathon.

I kept running because I liked the benefits, and not just the physical ones. Things like discipline, confidence, deeper relationships with running buddies, prayer time on the path: they all started to come a bit more easily.

Now I run because I can't not. It's become part of who I am. And it's basically synonymous with helping children in Africa. So how could I stop now?

What about you? Why do you run?

My thoughts while working out one day...

What does it mean to push yourself physically?  Why do people choose to push themselves? Its hard!  It makes you sweat, stink, and it often times hurts! Why do we choose to push ourselves to the point of pain and even making ourselves sick? Why? 

There is something about setting goals and achieving them that is inspiring and healthy, but why be disciplined? Why go beyond your own wants and desires, personally, physically, and spiritually? 

Why not challenge yourself for something else besides your own personal goals?  Why not go beyond ourselves to fight injustice?  Why not seek out justice for the poor, orphaned, and widowed?  

Setting goals, to work ourselves/our bodies to have discipline, its more than for you or me, its for them! Its to inspire, to love, to serve!  We care and so we risk challenging our bodies and minds for them!

Wicked Fast Runnahs

It's kind of impossible to be around Boston Marathoners for 4 days and not be inspired. I could feel the energy this weekend. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't the surplus of Gu and Powerbars. It's just something at the core of marathoners. They're disciplined, motivated, passionate, healthy. All such worthy goals to pursue and all such great reasons to train.

And then to be standing out there at the finish line today...
To share in the pride of Brian Sell's parents' neighbors who came out for the race...
To exclaim to a stranger that your friend just crossed the 10k mark...
To see a Team World Vision jersey on the jumbotron...
To cheer on Ryan Hall to the end...

Discipline, motivation, and passion are certainly involved. But I think it's the community of running, and cheering, that I like best of all.

Thanks for inspiring me.

Runners of the LA Marathon

May 25th 2009 marks our first year at the LA Marathon.

I want to give a shout out to the Team World Vision runners that are in the peak of their training. I have had the privilege of getting to know some of you, our team is very diverse, we have everyone from teen to later adult from doctors to students.

You are all running for children and communities that will be empowered because of what you are doing to raise money and awareness. I am very privileged to be apart of the team with you all.

We'll be at mile 12 cheering you all on race day!!!

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to fighting injustice!

Andrea

Group trainings, Ryan Hall and..the Easter Bunny?

Hey team!

I want to give a shout out to our East Coast teams who held their first team trainings this past Saturday! Our very own World Vision HQ training for the Seattle Rock n Roll half (woot-woot!), Shelter Rock Church in Long Island training for Chicago and New York Marathons (you guys ROCK!) and a few of us getting an early start here in the Big Apple! (yea Central Park!)

Want to train but aren't aware of a group in your area? Check out our group training listings on www.teamworldvision.org don't see one in your area? Hollar at us to get one started! teamworldvision@worldvision.org

My husband and I had an amazing time cycling in the Park yesterday. My first time with my new clipless pedals - and I didn't fall. Love it. Have I told you what we are training for? the NYC Tri and the Nation's Tri in DC. Nation's Tri registration is still open. (but is 95% full!) Join us! It's SUCH a blast.

Also, just for fun:
Check out this video of Ryan Hall on the Boston Marathon, Team World Vision..with a random visit by the Easter Bunny?