Sunday, May 16, 2010

"Pain is Nothing Compared to What it Feels Like to Quit"

Weather forecasts predicted scattered thunderstorms for the entire weekend in Dallas, TX.  I was definitely not excited about this, because I had signed up for 2 races.  Unbelievably, I was able to run both races under sunny skies!  Saturday morning I ran a 5K, and Sunday morning I ran my 5th half marathon.  I think I have become addicted to pain.  Allow me to explain...

Along with my two races, I also played 2 indoor soccer games this weekend.  One of them was a scheduled game with my team, and the other was a pickup game.  I regretfully admit that due to playing soccer my entire life, my left ankle is incredibly unstable.  As fate would have it, I rolled my left ankle last night.  Not once, but twice!  (I should definitely wear a brace, but they are extremely uncomfortable!)

Sunday morning's run was an out-and-back trek along White Rock Creek Trail.  Basically, we ran from Flag Pole Hill on Northwest Highway all the way north to I-635, and then we turned around and ran back to where we began.  With only about 50 people running the race, I felt as though I was running by myself most of the time.  This made me even more aware of the pain I was feeling in my ankle.


Someone once asked me what I think about as I run.  Usually, my mind goes blank or I just follow along with the lyrics of the songs that are playing on my iPhone.  During the time that I have been running with the cause of helping homeless people, I have tried to understand how my running can be related to the struggles of homeless people.  Today's 13.1 miles were no different.

It's very difficult to run.  Mark Will-Weber has been quoted with saying, "Running is real and relatively simple - but it ain't easy."  It's definitely not easy when you only have one ankle that you want to run on!  Herein lies a struggle that is ever-present for the people I encounter everyday through work.  The people I attempt to help are homeless, but they also have a disability.  They suffer from a major mental illness.

"Running is 90% mental.  The rest is physical."  I will take a sore ankle over an ill-prepared mind ANY race day!  Every runner gets to the finish line by believing that it can be reached.  The urge to succomb to the pain and quit is overwhelming, but the mind is able to conquer physical pain.

How hard must it be for homeless people to press on when they mentally can't endure the battle?  How tempting must it be for them to quit?  How much of a responsibility do we have to help them endure?

I always get so much encouragement from the audience at races as they hold up their signs and cheer on the runners.  This race was extremely small, so I had to run without that motivation.  Let's be those signs, a source of encouragement, for the homeless people in our part of the world.  Let's help them cross the finish line and see their struggle of homelessness finally end.  Like the title of this post says...

"Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit"

Thanks,

Brandon

Monday, May 10, 2010

"Haven't I Been Here Before?"

The weather was incredible Saturday in Dallas, TX. There were very few clouds in the sky. The temperature was a bit higher than what I prefer, but a nice breeze reminded me that a few weeks still remain between Texas and its brutal summers. I couldn’t resist the urge to run, so I set out on a 14 mile trek along Katy Trail.


If you have ever been on Katy Trail before, you know that it is only 3.5 miles long. I had to run the length of it four times in order to get to the distance I planned to run. Katy Trail is definitely a great place to run, but I have never been the type of runner that enjoys seeing the same scenery over and over again. It makes me feel as though I’m not really getting anywhere, and it lowers my motivation to press on.

The first seven miles weren’t very difficult. I kept reminding myself of my campaign Run for the Homeless, and the miles just kept adding up. The second half of my run, however, was brutal. I felt as though my campaign changed names and instantly became Survive for the Homeless. Like I said previously, I hate repeating the same steps while running. I kept thinking to myself, “Haven’t I been here before?” In those moments of questioning why I was running and really wanting to give up, I realized that my thought was the exact same thought that many homeless people face.

The Dallas/Ft.Worth Metroplex has many incredible emergency shelters and transitional housing programs that exist to provide the daily needs of the homeless. The Bridge and Salvation Army have been two shelters I have worked closely with over the past year. Through the partnership of LifeNet and these organizations (as well as others), many lives have been changed.

While many homeless individuals’ lives are radically changed for the better, still many others are facing chronic homelessness. I can think of many people I have encountered who can provide a homeless letter from at least 4 different agencies. They stay as long as they possibly can at an organization, hoping to receive help from someone…anyone. When their time at a given place runs out, they move on to the next location. Many times these individuals cycle through emergency shelters during their battle with homelessness, and I’m certain they have the same thought that I had on the Katy Trail: “Haven’t I been here before?”

I was only experiencing physical pain and a small sense of boredom when I was faced with that question, but the situation is much different for homeless people when they face that question. Their entire lives have been shattered, and they usually have no resources available to put the pieces of their lives back together. As difficult as it was for me to continue on with my running, how much harder is it for a chronically homeless person to battle the temptation to just give up? How much harder is it for that person to find within them the energy to ask for help?

I encounter people at different points along their path of homelessness. Some of them haven’t finished the first 3.5 miles of their Katy Trail journey. They are new to the struggles of homelessness. Other people, still, are well beyond even the distance I ran to help them. Some of them are experiencing a marathon of homelessness. Many of them have hit the “proverbial wall,” and they are at the end of their rope.
Regardless of when I meet them, I do believe that LifeNet can help them. LifeNet can rebuild and enrich their lives. LifeNet can end their battle of homelessness. With your help, we can do this to an even greater degree than we already are!

We all go through the ups and downs in life. Life is exciting and boring, colorful and drab, good and bad. Life is full of accomplishments and failures. Life is full of finding ourselves in places where we have been before. As you press on and run the course that life has laid before you, remember that you are not the only person asking the question, “Haven’t I been here before?” A homeless man, a homeless woman, even a homeless child is asking that very same question.


Join us, Catch the Vision, and help by "Giving the Homeless a Second Chance"

Thanks,

Brandon

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Light Will Come

Rain...  Clouds...  Thunder...  Occasional lightning...  Perfect day for a run a 9 mile run around White Rock Lake, right?  haha!  I didn't think so either, but I'm definitely glad I ran.  While I didn't experience any homelessness on my run, I really gained some insight into the struggles that they face and an amazing story of hope and encouragement.

I almost decided to let the weather keep me from running last night.  As I considered my options, I thought about all the homeless people that I see around Dallas who don't have the ability to go inside a home to stay dry and warm.  They have to brave the elements that Mother Nature unloads on us, so I thought I would empathize with them and run in spite of the storm.

The rain poured.  The wind blew.  The thunder rolled (though not quite like the Garth Brooks song).  I was cold.  I was soaking wet.  I was miserable.  And on a day that would usually find White Rock Lake swarming with people, I was alone.  I only counted 4 runners the entire time I circled the lake.

As I braved the elements, I thought about how many homeless people don't even have 4 people helping them through their struggle with homelessness.  I didn't need anyone to help me run, so I wasn't worried about being alone.  Homeless people, however, find themselves in serious need of help and without anyone to advocate for them.  They are usually cold, soaking wet, miserable, and alone.  That is definitely not a desirable way to live.  Will you be someone who will hear their voices crying out and help them?

When I approached mile 7 of my run, the sun finally began to appear.  The coolest thing about seeing the sun after a storm is how much brighter the sun shines than if the storm hadn't occurred!  The appearance of the sun after a storm is so breathtaking that it actually makes you THANKFUL for the storm!

I had already run 17.5 miles since Saturday at this point, so I was definitely getting tired. The light was shining brightly, and my weary legs were able to regain some strength.  I was able to see my goal carried out to its finish, much like when I get to witness homeless people receiving housing through LifeNet.

LifeNet Permanent Supportive Housing can be that light for homeless people. Their struggle doesn't have to end with them giving up during their storm.  With your help, they can endure through their battle and eventually see housing become a reality.
 
As I ran and witnessed all of what nature was speaking to me, I couldn't help but think about how we are all like the homeless in some ways.  We all have our struggles.  We all have our storms.  We all call on others when we can't seem to run through life anymore.  I read a verse in the Bible Sunday night that really hammers this point home:
 
"The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all." - Proverbs 22:2
 
I would not even be in Texas if I had not endured my own personal storm a few years ago.  I won't go into the details, but the struggles of my storm literally had my at the bottom of a pit.  I had never felt so much uncertainty, heartache, and sorrow before enduring that painful situation.  As I ran through my own storm, I was encouraged by the realization that the storm would one day end.  I listened to The Light Will Come, a song by Phil Wickham over and over again.  Eventually, the light did come!  The light came, and it shined brighter than it ever had before!  (I even got to meet Phil Wickham, the man whose music God provided as a way for me to endure my storm)

 
Check out the song that was mentioned!  The Light Will Come - Phil Wickham
 
So, how can you relate to the homeless?  How can you get an idea of what it would be like to run through life in their shoes?  Most importantly, how can you help them?
 
Please consider helping me through this journey of "Running for the Homeless" by making a donation to this cause.  You can give a one-time donation in any amount or a certain amount per mile that I run the next two months.  If you would like to give, checks can be made to LifeNet Housing and sent to:
 
LifeNet Community Behavioral Healthcare
ATTN:  Development Department
9708 Skillman St
Dallas, TX  75243
 
Join us, Catch the Vision, and help by "Giving the Homeless a Second Chance"
 
Thanks,
 
Brandon

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Run for the Homeless Introduction

Hey everyone!  Thanks for visiting my blog!  I plan to use it as a way to track my progress and provide communication to my supporters for a goal I have that involves running and homelessness.

I currently work for LifeNet, an out-patient mental health agency in Dallas, TX that provides services to low-income and homeless people.  I oversee all of the recruiting and marketing for our permanent supportive housing program.  Serving about 300 individuals and families at any given time, LifeNet is the largest non-goverment provider of housing in this area!  It has been an incredible opportunity to see firsthand the lives of homeless and mentally ill people changed by the services we provide.

I recently had an idea to combine my passion of running with my desire to help homeless people.  I love the benefits that I personally get from running, but I want other people to benefit as well.  Throughout the months of May and June, I hope to use my running to bring about awareness of homelessness and generate funds for serving those who are experiencing homelessness.  Through personal training and various races, I hope to run about 200 miles in the next two months.  If you would like to help the homeless clients we serve, please consider making either a one-time donation of any amount or by donating a certain amount per mile I run.

I will be updating you about my running, donations collected, and housing success stories through this blog.  More information detailing how you can help me with this cause will be e-mailed later this week.  I will go through my address book and e-mail the details to everyone.  If you believe I do not have your e-mail address and you would like to get involved, please send me an e-mail at blong@lifenettexas.org.

Thank you very much for your time!  Please feel free to subscribe to my blog to receive updates.  If you know of anyone else who might be interested in this cause, you are welcome to share this site with them as well.  I look forward to partnering with you and sharing this journey with you!

Join us, catch the vision, and help by "Giving the Homeless a Second Chance"


Housing Promo Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EZspnJSL60