Chronic Side Stitches in Experienced Runners: This Ain’t Middle School Anymore
TL;DR Does anyone else get shooting pain in their abs when they run hard, despite being in the best shape of their life? Me too. But I can help! After seeking a LOT of medical attention, I want to share the things that actually worked for me. Scroll to the bottom for those. The Problem On your first day of middle school track practice, as … Continue reading Chronic Side Stitches in Experienced Runners: This Ain’t Middle School Anymore
Injured
“So are you disappointed that you can’t run?” Ah, an innocent seeming question from a well-meaning person. I wish I could tell you how many times I’ve been asked this throughout my especially injury-ridden career. Other sports have their iterations: “Do you miss playing soccer since your concussion?” “Is it hard to watch your teammates play without you?” My usual answer: “Yes, but I’ll be … Continue reading Injured
MCUSA Young Adult Rundown: Orlando 2017
I joyfully received a call from my good friend and fellow EMU grad, Tyler Eshleman, last fall, asking if I was interested in helping him organize young adult events at the upcoming MCUSA Convention in Orlando. Convention was a life-changing, life-giving experience for me in high school, so I’ve made every effort to attend the biannual event since my first one in Columbus, 2009. Young … Continue reading MCUSA Young Adult Rundown: Orlando 2017
Morning in the City
*Names have been changed The morning sunlight was just beginning to seep up to the horizon, swirling and mixing with the blue and white glow of the city at night. A man beside me held 2 lb weights that were as orange as the sunrise, a notable contrast to his dark skin and clothes. My ears were still ringing from the proximity and enthusiasm of … Continue reading Morning in the City
Committee Lessons
Actually, this should more accurately be called “things I learned from the people on the EMU Presidential Search Committee,” because my weekends spent working with that amazing group of people opened my eyes in such unexpected ways. Our end goal was to choose a president for the university, which we succeeded in doing. On the way, though, I experienced more vocational discernment and general life … Continue reading Committee Lessons
American Dreams
As we were crawling through traffic one afternoon, homebound on I-75/85 through downtown Atlanta, the Chainsmoker’s song “Closer” came on the radio. My housemate commented, “I feel like it’s about Millennial poverty”. I’ll admit, we love it. It’s so… Millennial. Boulder. Tucson. Tattoos. Blink 182. Moved to the city in a broke-down car. We ain’t ever getting older. Man, it’s so catchy. Millennial poverty. The … Continue reading American Dreams
On Being Aware of the Space We Occupy
A few weeks ago we traveled to Bristol, a tiny Appalachian Town in Tennessee where the winding country roads extend for miles in all directions and children playing in the yard stare at you in awe as you run past, what with you being the first person to appear on foot in quite some time and all. I labored up the highest hill I could … Continue reading On Being Aware of the Space We Occupy
What Algebra Doesn’t Teach You
It’s so easy to let fear guide your life. I dragged myself out of bed last week and stumbled to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my teeth, having an honest moment with myself. “If I didn’t have a team, there’s no way in hell I would be lacing up my flats for repeat 2-miles. Not at 6:15 am. Maybe in … Continue reading What Algebra Doesn’t Teach You
The Threads that Keep Us Intact
honeymoon phase / ˈhənēˌmo͞on fāz/, noun. The beginning of something new and exciting. Waking up before your alarm. Butterflies. Giggles. Willingness to do small tasks with great enthusiasm. Hope for the future. Blindness to past pain. In our orientation, they warned us that this would happen. We’ve all experienced little honeymoon phases throughout our lives: the first week of a new school year, the addicting … Continue reading The Threads that Keep Us Intact
Mennonite Espionage
What a whirlwind of a week. For those of you who don’t know, I spent last week at orientation for the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program through the Presbyterian church. Although DOOR/Dwell was originally a Mennonite program, it has since done a merger of sorts with the YAV program. I could have applied through MMN, but I decided not to because it required 6 references … Continue reading Mennonite Espionage
Dwelling in Motion 