A Half Marathon, a Funeral and a Wedding

Beed's Lake near Hampton, Iowa.


Ted Kennedy.


My cousin Megan and her husband Phil Porter.

On August 29, my Saturday began much earlier than usual.

The alarm buzzed at 4:45 AM and surprisingly, I jumped out of bed. I knew that I had planned a lot for the day. Excited to begin the adventure, I got ready real quick and hopped into my car.

The drive to Hampton was uneventful. I twittered about how ridiculously early in the morning it was, I drank an FRS Orange and nibbled on an energy bar.

By 6:15 AM I was at Beed's Lake for the half marathon and ran into a friend from the Wednesday night bike rides that I've been going to in Clear Lake.

The 13.1 mile race began at 7 AM and even though I went out pretty slow (about 8.5-9 minute miles), I felt good about everything.

Listening to my iPod (Sweet Disposition by True Temper) and watching the sun rise above the rolling hills near Hampton, I felt that usually elusive feeling of bliss.

Pure happiness. Everything was right with the world.

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During the second half of the race, I kicked it into gear. My goal was to break 1:50 and I knew I had to book it to beat my goal. My left calf muscle started to feel a little cramp-y but I didn't have to push it too hard toward the end and I finished in 1:49:08.

I still want to become a better runner but this spontaneous half marathon proved to me that I was in good shape and ready to push the limits this fall.

Coming up...
- 100-mile bike ride in Northfield
- 5-mile Frontier Days run in Forest City
- Half Marathon in Mason City or Des Moines
- A winter of training with Kansas 70.3 in my sights

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I returned home to talk to my parents about my morning and ended up sitting with my dad and watching Ted Kennedy's funeral.

We were both waiting for Obama to give the Eulogy but I was inspired well before Obama stood at the lectern.

Yo-Yo Ma played Bach. Placido Domingo sang. A contralto sang Ave Maria.

But the person who truly moved me was Ted Kennedy Jr.

He told loving, funny stories about his father. How even though his father had personal flaws, he had an undying commitment to public service.

Ted Kennedy was a true liberal but he was also a politician of times-gone-by. He was a compromiser, a legislator, a man who knew how to get a law passed.

He was equally friendly with Orin Hatch and John McCain as he was with Bill Clinton and John Kerry.

Ted Jr.'s eulogy was incredibly moving -- it reminded me that we are all called to help others.

It made me think of "The West Wing" and the idea that public service could make a difference in the lives of others.

Why am I a Democrat? It's because of people like Ted Kennedy.

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The day came to a close on a happy note. My cousin Megan was married to Phil Porter on Saturday.

I gave the readings from Colossians and Phillipians. Both of the readings reminded me what I like about Christianity. Lately, I've too often been turned off by either the religious right or fundamental Christians acting like hypocritical, self-righteous zealots.

Anway....the wedding was beautiful and the reception was a lot of fun!

13 miles and 13 beers (drinks).

Megan looked beautiful and I was so happy for her and Phil. Phil is a great guy and I know they'll be happy together!

A little dancing and a few drinks later it was 1:30 AM and we were at Shooterz.

The epic Saturday had turned to early Sunday morning.

A half marthon in 1:49:08. A funeral of a great statesman. A nap. A wedding. A reintroduction to the good parts of my childhood religion. A dinner. A dance. A few freestyle raps. A few too many beers. An epic day turned to Cinderella's pumpkin.

A reminder that each day ends and becomes a new day.

A new beginning for me. A new life for Ted. A new union for Megan and Phil.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm