William Chong

When you’ve entered an event which has 7500 participants, there’s a fair chance you’ll know other people that are doing it too.

On Saturday I ran with two friends and we had great conversation while throwing ourselves to the mercy of road running. Took a similar route to last Saturday, with the exception of having to swing past my house as one of the ladies ran out of steam…

And today (Sunday) I’ve just come back from a crazed run with another friend of mine. This regional hockey rep/team captain/athlete pushed me up a hill for a good 20 minutes before I cried “mercy” and cut short the route! I’ll aim to get fit enough to complete his massive 10km route at a later date (including a couple of killer uphill segments), but in the meantime I’ll stick to my hour-long runs.

I also got to chat with him about his faith and how he’s been going – he’s been water baptised and has been pretty keen on Christ in the past, so it was a good time of sharing and just encouraging him to get right with God, and look out for answers to the tough questions.

All in all I pushed myself pretty hard this weekend – you can tell you’ve run hard when your sweat leaves a fine film of pure salt across your forehead (seasonal greetings from an overworked physiology). But it’s only gonna get harder!

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I’ve had a great response from a lot of people so far on the HeartRacer page – thanks for those that have donated, and promised to at a later stage, and thanks for the encouragements and wellwishing! If you’re thinking of donating, I think $1 for each kilometer I survive is a pretty good start, though I’m equally taking prayer and moral support – it’s all meaningful! I got a good donation response from a couple of people at work (and they’re in the Sydney office) – so come on New Zealand, you can do better!

Just to add a personal touch, I talked with a good elder-statesman (read: senior citizen) friend who had recently survived a massive heart attack, and he was singing the praises of the support he got from hospital to physio to recovery. I look up to him in part because he’s someone I could never be: a Jewish Christian! But I know come November 2nd I’ll definitely be thinking about him as I run.

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Week 2 Training Record

19.8.08 – Route – 5:55pm – 27 min – Jog
21.8.08 – Route – 5:40am – 26 min – Jog
23.8.08 – Route – 8:36am – 53 min – Jog/fastwalk with AN and XL
24.8.08 – Route – 3:56am – 52 min – Run with BL

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N.B.: This post will make no sense to you if you’re not a Christian, it’s just not that easy to explain in a snippet. (Just ask me.)

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So I’m running. Displacing the air around me, surging upward and onward, and I tell myself I’m in control. Renewed zeal, nothing to war with in my life. I’m desensitised to the world around me bar my iPod, and the cadence of my strides.

And then, through Mark Driscoll, I’m being rightfully rebuked from so many different angles while pacing like a wannabe-harrier, through suburban streets in the evening breeze. His Word pierces me inside, and my priorities in life are unceremoniously realigned, much like a bouncer realigns a drunken soul. Pick it up. Fling him into oblivion.

And just when I’m about to stop running and collapse on my knees (and that’s not because I’m tired)…

… it begins to pour down from the heavens.

Gentle, comforting rain. Rain shy of cats-and-dogs, more like that Laser Eye Surgery TV ad…

But rain so beautifully on cue.

And then this urbane tinfoil voice, a spokesperson reading from God’s Word, strikes a gentler tone and reassures this broken Christian wheezing along Sunderlands Rd…

… “And therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ.” [Ro 8:1]

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Thank you.