About Me…
Hi! My name is Rick and like most people, I wear a lot of hats. I am a husband to the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, my beautiful bride Kirsten. I am a father to the best kid in the world, Keller. I am a family therapist and an ordained pastor. I am loved by God and he calls me his son. And I am grateful to have friends and support around me.
I am also a runner. Not like “I have 6% body fat, the wind parts as I fly through, and the trails become gold bricks after each step.” More like “I have body fat, the wind hurts as I stumble through, and my feet feel like lead bricks with each step.” But I am a runner. I define being a runner as, and I know this is complicated, but as someone who runs. I don’t care how far or fast you run. If you run you are a runner!
I’ve completed a few 5 k’s and 10 k’s and two half-marathons. I’ve trained for a few full marathons but gotten injured during the process (more on that later). My longest run to date is 20 miles and boy was it awesome…and slow!
My Diagnosis…
In 2018 I was diagnosed with a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). AS is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause some of the small bones in your spine (vertebrae) to fuse. OUCH! This means I experience pain and stiffness in my hips and back most days. I find myself spending about double the time that most of my running friends do on warming up, recovery, and injury prevention. Honestly, this pain overwhelms me most days and I rely heavily on my support systems to keep me going.
About Come Alive Running Blog…
The name
While running up a hill my body began to fight me. My hips seized up and I felt pain all over. This was not an isolated event. I stopped running and started stretching while tears of frustration and sadness rolled down my face.
When things get hard, I turn to prayer. I asked God “Why me? Why can’t I just run?” I believe God pulled to mind Ezekiel 37 and the Valley of Dry Bones. This is a text of hope to the broken nation of Israel that God was going to bring life to where they experienced death. God told me “Through running I will bring life from where you experience death. Come alive and see others Come Alive!”
A mission was born on that hill through pain and tears. I am going to attempt to run a 100 mile Ultra and share my story in hopes of inspiring others to Come Alive running with me!
The Plan…
What: I will be tracking and writing about my experiences training for a 100 mile ultra while also trying to understand and overcome my limits living with AS. Each week I hope to add a blog entry recording both my experiences as well as lessons learned about overcoming obstacles. I will also be posting pictures on Instagram of my trail runs, posting excerpts from my blog on Twitter, and sharing updates on my training progress on FaceBook.
Why: I have many ‘whys’ for running 100 miles. But why record it? Simple. If I can inspire just one person to overcome their own obstacles and Come Alive, I will have accomplished my goal.
In the words of a man who inspires me:
Movement is Medicine – Helgi Olafson
About you…
All of this is about us together overcoming and achieving. As you join in my story, tell me yours. Jump in and comment on the blog posts or social media apps. Tell me your story!