RODS Racing

It's official: I'm the newest member of the RODS Racing Team.

Ironman Brady Murray founded RODS to help orphans with Down Syndrome find a home. The athletes of RODS run everything from 5Ks to full Ironman races in order to help fund these adoptions.

In most cases all of the RODS athletes race for a single orphan. When that adoption is fully funded, they move on to the next. They've had life changing success; I'm honored to be a part of this organization and ready to run my heart out. My first scheduled race for 2013 is the Instant Classic Trail Marathon. 

Through a special arrangement with the RODS Team, I'll be running to support Ana and Tim until their adoption is fully funded.Older orphans like Ana and Tim are in a  particularly dangerous situation. At sixteen years old, they will have to leave their orphanage. With no family, no social safety net, and the stigma of having been raised in an orphanage, a tragically high percentage of these young people turn to crime or suicide. In some cases, the only thing standing between them and a family is money: it typically costs $35,000 for a family to adopt a child internationally.

RODS works hand in hand with Reece's Rainbow to provide adoption grants. I first learned about RODS through my association with Reece's, so this just seemed a natural fit. Once Ana and Tim are home, I'll keep running until my legs crumble. There are just so many beautiful, needy kids waiting to bless a family. And if pounding the pavement will help to get them there, then let's keep moving!

Almost Home

Russian law requires three visits to the country before we can bring our new children home. The first visit will be to meet Ana and Tim. After that meeting if everyone - Val and I, the children, the adoption agency, the Russian officials - are in agreement, we will make a second trip to finalize the adoption in court.

Lord willing, the gavel will come down and the Judge will say, "We hereby grant you permission to adopt the two children Tatyana Deutsch and Artem Deutsch." 

And then we will wait. 

Because, you see, even though they will be our children in the eyes of the law and in our hearts, we will have to wait thirty days before we can bring them home. Within those thirty days, yet more papers will be filed, and any long-missing family members who want to contest the adoption will have their chance to come forward. 

At the end of our day in court, we will celebrate. We will cry. We will share a family meal. And at the end of that life shifting day, Tim and Ana will go back to sleep in the orphanage. Just like they have every other day of their lives. This time, though, it will be different. Because they will know that they have a home and brothers and sisters in another land. 

Just a little wait, and they will be home. 

Isn't that the reality of the Christian life? Every believer is an adopted child in God's family. We have a home and brothers and sisters in another land.

But still we have to wait.

Hope sustains us, though. Because we know in our hearts that our Heavenly Father has already made the arrangements. Our adoption has been finalized.

Just as I long to bring two more children into my home. Just as my sons and daughters anticipate welcoming their new brother and sister, my Heavenly Father longs to see me. My elder brother Jesus anticipates welcoming me into his home.

Saints who've gone before me will stand with open arms when I cross that final threshold. But for now, I wait.

Richmond Half Marathon: An Unexpected Race

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

The Unexpected Races

About this time last year, as we sat around eating holiday food, my buddy Michael said, Why don't we find a 5K to train for? It"ll help us get back into shape. So...one 10K and two half marathons later, and here I am writing this post

Two Half Marathons in 2012. Whoda thunk it?

And that's the least of the surprises: Going into last year's holiday season, adoption had never crossed my mind. But here I am, working and planning with my wife Val to bring two young people out of a Russian orphanage and into our home.

Funny. I had this feeling that God was telling me to prepare for something big. I just had no idea...

Adoption and racing converged at the Richmond Half Marathon. I thought I'd try using this race as a fund-raiser, and some incredible friends stepped up to the plate to support us. Friend Jeff upped the ante by challenging me to shave 10 minutes off of my previous race time. And he promised a bigger donation if I did.Yikes. No pressure there.

A Strategy Emerges

If you want to cut 10 minutes from your PR, here are my suggestions:

• Run the mile you're in. In Ashland, I kept thinking about the miles in front of me. In Richmond, I just concentrated on staying strong at the moment. It makes a big difference
• Lolly-gag in your first race. Seriously. I didn't know what to expect at the Patrick Henry Half, so my only goal was to avoid the ignominy of being picked off the course by a shuttle. Maybe could have pushed that one a little harder? 
• Concentrate on speed work. Between August and November, I spent more time on speed work. Part of the reason for this - honestly - was because my knees just weren't holding up so well on the long runs. . 
• Have a cause. Brady Murray, Iron Man and founder of RODS Racing told me, "You'd be amazed what you can do when racing for a cause." He was right. 
• Finish on a down hill. The Richmond race closed with a nice decline heading into Browns Island. I try to finish most of my training runs on an incline, so this made for a swift kick at the end. 
• Pray. Can't stress this enough. Things happen when you pray.

Thank You, Pace Team

Just before the start, I noticed a 2:15 pace team in the corral in front of me. Perfect. If I could catch them and then stay ahead, that would get me in the neighborhood of 2:10. So that was the first order of business. By the time I reached Bryan Park, around mile 7, they were long gone. I had a burst of energy inside the park - fueled by the clock that told me I was under an hour for the first 10K.

Expect Great Things from God, Attempt Great Things for God

The Richmond race is behind me. But there's still a lot of ground to cover before we can bring Ana and Tim home. One thing I am trying to learn, though:, is to run the mile I'm in. It's too easy to be overcome by the distance that stretches out before me. But God's grace, like Manna, is enough for the day.

Rainy Day Workout

Here in my neck of Central Virginia, Hurricane Sandy went easy on us. Still, I decided not to run Monday night in the cold rain and high winds. (I know. That's just weak.)

Falling back on some of the body weight moves I learned from Adam Steer and the guys at ShapeShifter, I still put in a decent workout with 30 seconds each of: 

• Bucket Drops
• Burpees with Push Up
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Jacks

Followed by a short rest.

I wasn't feeling terribly scientific, so I just cycled through this routine until I had worked up a good sweat and felt about the same as I normally do at the end of a hard run.

The Mountain Climbers, in particular, imitate the burn you get from that final kick. When I perform my Mountain Climbers, I only let my extended foot rest on the ground. I find that keeping the opposite leg slightly elevated puts some extra pressure on the core.

Give this a try next time you get rained in. As a bonus, here's a video of Adam Steer with one of his body weight cycles. This video demonstrates (among other things) the bucket drop. Of all the moves listed above, it may be the most unfamiliar. But it's a great way to get the whole body moving and the major muscles groups working together.

Expect Great Things from God, Attempt Great Things for God

This morning, old-buddy-old-pal Jeff calls me over to his desk. What was your last half marathon time? he asks. 2:20, I reply. Tell you what, says he, I'll pledge $1 per mile for your next race. But if you can hit 2:10, I'll up it to $5 per mile. Gulp, says I. That's a 9:55 pace. Yes, there are runners who could crab-walk that fast. But for me - well - let's just say that the finish line picture won't be too flattering.

Later that day, Brady Murray - Iron Man and founder of RODS Racing - sends me this email:

I'll match that pledge.  $1 for every mile, if you go break 2:10, I'll make it $5 / mile.  You'd be amazed at what you can do when racing for a cause!  Start easy, work into it and then finish strong!  You got this! 

Racing for a cause. I thought about that tonight as I ran 4 miles on a hilly course at a 9:30 pace. God didn't adopt me into His family so that I could curl up on the couch. He's given me the privilege and responsibility to get up and attempt great things. Great things for His glory. Great things like bringing two young people out of an orphanage and into a home. And if that means I've got to break out of my comfortable pace, that's OK  I'm expecting great things from God.

And by the way, if you'd like to join in on this challenge you can sign up here. You can also learn more about  Ana and Tim and help them out directly by visiting the our adoption blog.

Richmond Half Marathon: A Race to Bring Two Orphans Home

A Russian orphanage is the only home that Ana (10 years old) and Tim (12 years old) have ever known. For children in their situation, aging out of institutional life can be disastrous. Many end up ill and on the street. 

Our family has just embarked on the exciting, frightening and faith building path of bringing Ana and Tim out of the orphanage and into our home. If we're successful, Ana and Tim will have a family, access to quality medical care, and the chance for a healthy, productive life. It's a massive undertaking, and I'm writing to ask for your help. 

Here's a little background: 

Our journey started with Reece’s Rainbow. This ministry helps to fund the very costly process of international adoptions. My wife and youngest daughter were introduced to the RR website by a friend and they quickly sensed that God was calling our family to the ministry of adoption. For me, that conviction was longer in taking root. But the Lord soon put Ana and Tim on his heart as well. 

As we began to explore the Reece’s Rainbow site, our eyes were opened to the plight of older children in foreign orphanages. For many, aging out of an orphanage is a disaster. With no family or social services to fall back on, many of these children will find themselves on the street, involved in drugs and prostitution. A tragic number resort to suicide. 

 How you can help Ana and Tim: 

On November 10, I'l be running in the Richmond Half Marathon. I'm asking for you to help by becoming a sponsor. It's a 13.1 mile run. If folks like you could contribute $1.00 per mile - $13.10 - it would go a long way towards bringing Ana and Tim home. Of course, anything you can contribute will help and will be greatly appreciated by these young people. 

 All donations can be made through Reece's Rainbow. Reece's is a registered 501(c)3 corporation that provides grants for those seeking to adopt children with special medical needs. To date, they have disbursed over $4,000,000 in adoption grants. To sign up as a sponsor, just follow this link: Ana and Tim - Richmond Half Marathon. Once you've committed, you'll receive a post-race email letting you know how many miles I've completed (13.1 at the most) and reminding you to go online and make a donation to Reece's Rainbow towards Ana and Tim's adoption. 

Of course, you can donate through the Reece's' Rainbow site, and learn more about Ana and Tim here. I also invite you to keep up with our journey - and the half marathon results - through our blog, www.DeutschFamilyAdoption.com. Most of all, we'd ask you to pray.When all is said and done, we're trusting God to move mountains for Ana and Tim and bring them home.

Iron Angels

Back in 1977, a guy named John Collins had the idea to combine three of Hawaii's most brutal endurance races into one event. He took the 2.4 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112 miles of the Around O'ahu Bike Race and the full Honolulu Marathon and created the "Hawaiian Iron Man Triathalon." The original 15 competitors were handed an instruction sheet that ended, "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!"

Today, that race is held on the blistering lava fields of Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Last Saturday, Brady Murray of RODS Racing conquered Kona's heat, distance and cross-winds in 10 hours, 51 minutes and 32 seconds. And he was racing for a lot more than just bragging rights. Brady is the founder of RODS Racing, which stands for Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome.

Each year RODS athletes focus on one Down Syndrome child and raise money towards his or her adoption.

Here is the RODS Racing Story, as told on their web site:

With the motivation of knowing that hundreds of orphans with Down syndrome were waiting for a family to find them, Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome was launched. Our purpose is to create awareness for these special children and raise funding that will go towards making what seemed like a distant dream of having a family of their own become a reality, one child at a time. 

 The seed for RODS Racing was planted in 2007 when founder Brady Murray had his newborn son placed in his arms. The doctors told him that his son has Down syndrome. What seemed like an overwhelming challenge has evolved into one of Brady’s biggest blessings. Brady’s son Nash has been the inspiration behind the creation of RODS Racing. The unconditional love that Nash shows to all and the desire to help these precious children is truly the driving force behind RODS Racing.

At the end of  the Iron Man, Rob Wright of myList handed Brady a check for $10,000. The funds will go to the Reeces Rainbow Adoption Ministry as a grant towards the adoption a Down Syndrome girl named Maggie.

An international adoption can cost upwards of $30,000. For families who long to open their hearts to a girl like Maggie, that burden can be as formidable than any triathlon. So thank you, Brady, Rob, and Reece's Rainbow for stepping up to the challenge!