A nod to the past

May 1999.

I wrote a eulogy in two hours the night before my dad's funeral which was 11 years ago yesterday. He died on Oct. 17, 2000, just two weeks before his 50th birthday.

I don't spend much time commemorating or celebrating holidays, anniversaries or birthdays. They're just another day of the year to me. When I do spend time reflecting on those days, though ... well, I end up getting sad and blogging about it. :)

I found the eulogy in an old journal recently. I thought I'd share a couple interesting moments from it as I look back on a very sad time in my life 11 years ago. It's a good reminder of the anguish and fog with which those days were filled, but how I've still been able to move forward toward many good things after the biggest tragedy of my life. Thank you, Jesus.

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...But then the question came to me: "What was great about my dad and how was he special to me?" All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind regarding his personality, his values and his attitudes.

He always welcomed me in or came in to a room with a lively, yet humble smile, ready to be friendly and take a sincere interest in your life.

...His death has made me realize this: I just enjoyed being in his presence.

Now, I would be remiss if in talking about Dad's life on earth, I didn't talk about his new life with Christ.

I've talked to a few people who've expressed a curiosity pertaining to Dad's salvation, and when I relayed to them that he was saved, they were so at ease.

So, be assured that today, my father is with my Father. Through his sickness, he trusted Christ. Through his death from his sickness, he is with Christ.

I went to King's Island recently, and they've just built the largest, fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. As my friend and I were standing in line waiting to ride, we couldn't help but to stand in awe of the intricate, complex structure which supported the track. It was probably more amazing to behold than the coaster was to ride.

Remembering that support structure, it reminds me of God. In some places, the foundation stood high. In some places, it stood low.

It always met the track where it was; either falling down a dip or going on a straight line high off the ground.

That's exactly what Jesus does: He meets you where you're at, but He also refuses to leave you where you're at.

Jesus met Dad on a steep, unexpected dip called terminal cancer.

Gary, David and me 10-21-11.

But they met.

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I've moved on since those days. I've been happily married for nearly 10 years, have awesome step-kids, have the coolest job and remain close to my mom and the rest of my family. The Lord continues to bless me.

Not a day goes by, though, that I don't think of Joe Kiser. Some days, like today, it just bites more than others.

Saying goodbye to what would have been my first

Several months ago, I added the Columbus Marathon to my Google Calendar for Oct. 16. I was excited to add it, even typing in parentheses, "First One!"

Sadly, injuries have kept me from being able to train for it. In fact, though I have two half marathons under my belt, I wouldn't have been able to even do the half again this year. I was lucky to have squeezed out a 5K last weekend.

Admittedly, I was envious of my friends who were Tweeting their times at the various points in the race, like I had done the year before. However, it was still cool to be able to congratulate them being a member of the club, so to speak, and understanding the challenge and reward of their training.

So, as I allowed myself those few moments of sadness today looking at my calendar, I truly believe that hope springs eternal in the human breast and nowhere is that more evident in my own outlook.

Today is the first day of the rest of my adventure, and I'm already looking toward next season. I'm definitely eyeing the Flying Pig in May and the Nationwide Columbus next October. Plus, throw in a few triathlons in the mix and 2012 could be quite spectacular.

No training, no problem

Thirty minutes before the gun went off, I decided to run a 5K.

I had been a part of the organizing committee for the Highland District Hospital Foundation's Inaugural Family Fun 5K and had no plans to run; I was going to help. A half hour before the race started, the RD said there were enough volunteers and said I could run if I'd like. The only running essentials I had on me were my running shoes and iPod (which I realized after the race started was dead).

Well, really what more do you need to run than just a pair of running shoes?

My colleague, the managing editor of The Times-Gazette, Steve Roush, decided last minute to run the race and showed up on site. It was great to see him and we agreed it would be cool to run it together.

Steve told me that it had been four years since he'd run. Having lost several pounds in recent months and owning the eliptical at the Y, he was ready to go, but planned to take it easy.

I've been dealing with some kind of feet injury since July. It's some kind of muscle issue as a result of wearing the wrong pair of new high heels for too long over a three-day period ... I believe. So, I've been taking it very easy on my feet since my last tri on July 30.

Considering everything, teaming up with Steve for the three-mile run was a perfect plan.

We kept the same pace and only walked twice (walking a few yards to sip on some water). I went a little slower than my normal pace, but it was very comfortable and allowed me to soak up the beautiful scenery even more. I felt good the whole race and my feet didn't bother me.

We finished 56 and 57 out of about 120 with an approximate time of 38 minutes.

My hamstrings, quads and abs are sore today ... so are my feet, just not in the exact spot where my pain had been. I'm hoping it's just regular muscle soreness from lack of use.

We'll see.

Of course I'm biased, but this race was awesome. The family-friendly atmosphere was a hit with parents (pony rides, bounce house, pumpkin decorating and 10 and under fun run), the backdrop of the lake was beautiful, it was well-organized, started on time and had plenty of volunteers.

I can't wait until next year.

Why do you blog?

I'm working on a story for Salt Magazine about why people blog, specifically as it relates to preserving memories. I'll explore my own reasons for blogging in the story, but I was curious as to what compels other bloggers to publicly journal and share their lives.

I can tell you briefly that, for me, it's a way to share my life with family members who live far away; to share my journey with others traveling the same road. Someone once said that friendship happens the moment one person says to the other, "You do that? Me, too!"

It's also a way to leave behind a part of myself someday.

You can answer one or all of my questions. If you're comfortable, you can leave your real name and location.

QUESTIONS

1. Why do you blog?
2. What specifically inspired you to start?
3. What do you blog about?
4. Do you ever go off-topic?
5. Do you consider your blog a way to leave behind a legacy?
6. Why is blogging a good tool for you to use to preserve who you are and where you've been?
7. What do you find to be most satisfying about blogging?
8. What are some surprises you've had from blogging, such as meeting new people, discovering more about yourself, etc.?
9. Anything else that you would like to add?

Thank you in advance for your answers. Shoot me an email at labernathy@timesgazette.com if you have any questions. I'll be sure and link to the story when it comes out in November.

I'm really looking forward to what you guys have to say!

7 reasons to run with a sippy cup

A lady on Beginner Triathlete posted this recently, and I just had to share it with you. Here are raeray80's reasons why she races with a sippy cup:

7. Carries 10 oz., just enough to take two good sips every five minutes on a 70-80 minute run.

6. Built-in, no-leak silicone valve means no unscrewing of cap, and no push-pull action to manuever with one's teeth to get a drink. Just lift and suck!

5. Spill-proof for a toddler = spill-proof for me! The cap of a dropped sippy cup does not pop off, exploding my precious drink everywhere when my hands get sweaty and I have an "oops."

4. Contoured design makes it easy to carry without a strap.

3. Running with a sippy cup screams confidence. Yeah - that's right, it's a sippy cup. You can stare all you want. I know you wished you'd thought of it. Yeah, keep staring, pointing, laughing at the ridiculous awesomeness that is beholden to me.

2. With so many color options, I can pick my mix 'n match cap and bottle to fit my mood. Am I cheerful? Pink with a yellow top. Patriotic? Red, white and blue. PMS'ing? Environmental? Sleepy? Lazy? The combinations are limitless.

1. Price tag: $1.97. Enough said.

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