Just 20 Days away - It's becoming REAL people!  A few weeks ago wedding pews, centerpieces, bow ties, playlists, and party favors were dreamlike imaginings... Now the suits are pressed, hanging in my closet, the plane tickets and hotel rooms are booked, and I know more than I could ever wish to know about the minutia of party planning... napkin folds?! Seriously!? But honestly, I am STOKED!!  Britt has been a champion in planning so much of our special day.  I am doing exactly what a good fiance should do - "Yes Honey, that's exactly what I wanted... couldn't have chosen any better myself ;)"  And the best part is we are in the final stretch --- I am down to my LAST 2 races (Berlin and Rieti) before I stand at the end of that aisle waiting to recite those vows.  Homestretch, right?!

But this wedding is more than just a lovely day spent with friends and family.  For Brittany and I this is a day where we get to celebrate our devotion to one another but ALSO our devotion as a couple to making a difference in the world.  In so many ways our relationship started through running and then flourished through our joint passion for charity.  For us, CHARITY is synonymous with LOVE! We hope that this union is further celebrated by lighting a fire of compassion in those around us! 

Instead of gifts we are asking for our friends and family to memorialize the special day by touching hundreds of lives in East Africa.  We are supporting the Spark a Brighter Future project through World Vision which will provide digital education tools, internet connectivity, and training to students and teachers at schools in Kenya.  More than just providing access to educational resources, this project will empower children to DREAM bigger and CONNECT to a world of possibility.  During my 10 years as a refugee in Kenya I yearned for the opportunity to go to school and pursue my dreams of having a better life.  My friends and I wrote the alphabet in the sand of the refugee camp and dreamed of having a pencil and paper.  My life changed when I got the chance to write my story down and submit it to the US embassy for a chance to build a better future in the US.  With your help Brittany and I want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to write down their stories and pursue their goals in education. Education has changed both of our lives and we hope together we can celebrate our marriage by changing the lives of hundreds of children in East Africa.  
If you want to be part of our special day and help us SHARE THE LOVE with hundreds of children in East Africa, please visit our Wedding Giving Page!  Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts on our special day - I will be dancing down that aisle!

Since I have started this blog I have been talking a lot about training, racing, working hard.  But today we are going to do something different - it's a cross training day!  In honor of a 2 week cross training period since the end of my last indoor season race in NY, I wanted to do something different for fun.  I have been really enjoying my break and have had the chance to make a bunch of new friends in Dayton, Ohio as I have been here supporting Brittany in her training. Today I am going to answer 10 random questions just so you can get to know me a little better... so here we go!  

1. Favorite color?
- My favorite color is blue.  It was the color of both NAU and Air Force so very close to my heart in many ways.

2. Dream car?
- Solid Black 2013 Camero with White Stripes... everyone can dream, right?  :)

3. What was the best advice your dad ever gave you?
- Stay focused and be hungry for something greater.

4. What is your favorite place you have ever traveled but would not live?
- Monte Carlo.  I love running track races in Monoco but it is an incredibly expensive place to live.  It is fun to be there just for a day or two.

5. Are you a morning person?
- Heck no :)  I only wake up early if I absolutely have to - catching a flight, going to an early workout, or drug testing with USADA.

6. What are your favorite toppings on a pizza?
- Spinach, goat cheese, tomatoes, and chicken... Pizza is still my favorite food!

7. What job did you want to do when you were young?
- When I was little, I wanted to be a farmer just like my dad in South Sudan.

8. What is your favorite workout?
- 1200 meter repeats on the outdoor track.  I really like the mental and physical challenge.  My teammates and I usually try to make a game out of it as well... competing to run EXACTLY the perfect split time down to a 10th of a second.

9. What job outside of your career field would be the most fun to do?
- I would like to be in government.  I would love to start on the local level as a community organizer.  I really enjoy doing work with my non-profit and would love to be able to do that type of work in civil service as well.  Who knows what the future might hold!

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought it would be fun to reflect a little bit on what running teaches us about love.  While at first glance Love and Running can seem to be polar opposites (even runners gloat that "our sport is your sport's punishment"), running truly has a lot to teach about this lovely subject.  I met Brittany through running, so obviously love and running cannot possibly be very far apart.
 
Loving even the tough parts - Ask almost any non-runner and they will tell you that they "hate" running.  They claim that no matter how much they try they will never enjoy it.  The mistake here of course is being afraid of the pain.  Long runs, speed workouts, pushing through limits - they all require a certian amount of pain.  But runners know that the joy derived from running is worth every ounce of struggle.  If someone new to running can commit to running everyday for 2 weeks (even just a little bit) they would taste the fondness that grows with time.  In the same way, relationships only grow more powerful with time.  They are not unlike long runs - feeling amazing in the beginning, really have to focus and concentrate in the middle, and then pick up speed again towards the end. In Love and Running it pays to remembering that this is what you LOVE to do (and this is the person you LOVE) even though it might be painful for a moment.  As Yoda once said, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds" (on second thought I believe that one is from Shakespeare ;)

Cherishing- Every runner has heard of the "runner's high" and any obsessive runner has come to know they are addicted to incredible sense of euphoria that surges through the body at the end of a long run or a hard workout.  We can thank endorphins for the instant euphoria.  The long term sense of satisfaction and joy that runners feel is thanks to having achieved something that challenges limits and pushes boundaries.  Love is not that different - there is the instant satisfaction (the initial "infactuation" over your crush or the pleasure you get when you hear the words -"I love you").  Most of these feelings play on the "chemistry" beteween you and the person you love.  But then there is the sense of peace, compassion, joy that only comes from a relationship tested by challenges and trials. A Tanzanian proverb says, "That which is good is never finished."  These warm feelings have nothing to do with pleasure but instead result from a love truly cherished.

A few months ago I had the joy of getting my first puppy - Amani!  She is a border collie and husky mix that Brittany and I found at a rescue in Albuquerque, NM and we both fell in love with her from the moment we first met her!  Amani's blessings are many - a running buddy for Brittany when I am away training, unending energy, and a constant companion.  She also reminds me on a daily basis about the simple joys in life!  

1.  Food! - Anyone who has a dog (especially a puppy) knows how excited they get at breakfast and dinner time.  Amani does a little "food dance" whenever we go to fill her dog bowl with her delicious organic dog food (she's a runner and needs good fuel to train hard everyday).  Her "dance" involves wagging her tail, a little bouncing, and a little spinning while she struggles to stay seated because she knows she only gets her food if she "sits".  It is a daily reminder to never take food or nutrition for granted and to count the blessings of having access to food.  In Kakuma refugee camp I felt the same joy for the one small meal we got everyday and now in America I realize the true blessings we all have.