The Adventures of Pumpkin Man

The photo on the left is of Pastor Ron (aka the "Pumpkin Man" getting set to cross the finish line at the Maine Marathon in 7 hours 36 minutes and 38 seconds. It was a great day! Thank you for your prayer, kind thoughts and best wishes.
I will be writing tomorrow about the things I learned during the marathon. Some were things that I did very well. Some are some opportunities for me to change. And last but not least, I've also got some actions steps to take in the future.
However, I'm not going to "squash" any enthusiasm or celebrations.
Sue Ann and I got back to Denver around noon today. We had an early flight from Portland after spending Sunday night and all day Monday and Tuesday at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. On Tuesday we cycled 17 miles with some Joanie and Aaron.

Mission Accomplished

Hi, I'll be posting more information on Thursday, but Sunday's walk was great!
Here's my official time

958   256 Ronald Glusenkamp DENVER CO 
  7:36:41   17:26  7:36:38

saturday night

Hi, everyone. thanks for the prayers and encouragement. It's been raining since we got here. The forecast for tomorrow is rain, but I'm hoping my wife's sunny disposition will make the clouds go away. We're here with Sheri, Joannie, Aaron and John (all from Denver) and Mark who came from Quebec City to join us. John is running the whole marathon. Sheri & Joannie and Mark are doing the half. Sue Ann is walking the half with her boot on. Aaron is in charge of logistics. Today we went to Freeport, to LL BEAN! We participated in a Chowderfest (and I've had the legal limit of chowder- seafood, alternative and corn). We carbo loaded tonight at the spaghetti dinner put on by the Rotary Club. The race officially starts at 7:45am, but walkers, (slow ones) can have an early start at 6:ooam. So, I've got the coffee pot loaded up, oatmeal ready to go and I'm getting set to hit the hay. I'll do my best to keep you all posted on www.twitter.com/rtgcycler tomorrow throughout the walk.

(one of my favorite passages is, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." phil 4:13
Peace,
RTG


13 I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Copyright © 1996, 1998 by Biblica
King James Version (KJV)
Listen to this passageView commentary related to this passage
13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
The Message (MSG)
View commentary related to this passage
Content Whatever the Circumstances 10-14I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Hoffnung für Alle (HOF)
13 [a]Alles kann ich durch Christus, der mir Kraft und Stärke gibt.
Footnotes:
Philipper 4:13 Eph 3:16
Hoffnung für Alle (HOF)
by Biblica
Reina-Valera 1995 (RVR1995)
13 Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.

"Fired up, Ready to Go!"

Good evening friends! Well, I spent my day off today getting a massage, going to physical therapy, sending lots of emails and doing a light set of weight-lifting. To quote President Obama, "I'm Fired up, Ready to Go!" Sue Ann and I leave early on Friday morning for a roundabout trip to Portland, Maine. We go from Denver to Atlanta, to Portland. All of this makes complete sense to me. I've got some butterflies in my stomach, but I think that's fairly natural. I plan on just listening to tune, praying, enjoying the sights and focusing on my "core." If I get access in Maine, I'll update the posts. If you want to track me on twitter, check out www.twitter.com/rtgcycler
I get an early start as a walker, so I'll be walking early Sunday am. I'd appreciate your prayers and kind thoughts.
Peace,
RTG

cartoon

I'm getting set to go out and do a little cross-training today on the bike.
Hope you are having a great day!

The Gift of the Blue Schwinn Collegiate

You'll see in this post a picture of Steve Roenfeldt and Kirsten Nelson Roenfeldt. They are standing behind a recycled, restored Blue Schwinn Collegiate which is a gift to me from them. Kirsten has spent the past two years working/serving at Bethany Lutheran Church (www.bethany-denver.org) in what we initially called a "discernmentship." The improvised word was to describe a cross between internship and discernment. She will officially start her real internship at Evergreen Lutheran Church in Evergreen, CO on November 1, 2009. For the past two years or so it was my pleasure and privilege to be a "supervisor" or mentor to Kirsten. Along with my colleague, Pastor Ruth Ann, we served together in lots of different situations. Kirsten took the lead in providing
some amazing energy around faith formation and adult learning opportunities.

As a "thank you" gift Kirsten blessed me with this recycled, restored Blue Schwinn Collegiate.
Steve did the work on bringing it back to life. Words cannot adequately express what joy I had when Kirsten gave the bike to me. It took me back to being a kid again in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. I'll post in a few days of what the young RTG looked like back then. Anyway, it is one of the best gifts I've ever received. I'm very grateful for it.

You'll note on Steve's shirt the word "saint." If you turn the picture upside down the word
reads "sinner." My sense is that if you turn most of us upside down we too read "sinner." For as my friend Peter Mayer sings, we are "this bittersweet concoction of fear and grace."

So what's all this got to do with "revup?" I think it comes down to a couple of things: (1) I'm grateful for friendship (and especially this cool Blue Scwhinn Collegiate; and (2) I believe it's good to be a receiver. So, many thanks to Kirsten and Steve. And here's the bonus point: It's God's Work. Our Hands.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

It's been some time since I've written on this blog. So, welcome back to you and to me.
On Thursday, September 3, I walked 18 miles.
I'm on track to walk the marathon in Portland, Maine on October 4th. Sue Ann and the other hand recently experienced a setback to her training. She has a hairline fracture in her left foot. Consequently, she has been wearing a "boot." Too bad Vera Bradley or some one like that has designed an attractive and fashionable covering for the boot. So, she's totally bummed by the situation, but will be joining us to be our cheerleader from the sidelines.
Her experience does remind all of us how fragile life is and can be at times.

My walking on Thursday was difficult. I need to be more diligent in stretching. So, if you happen to see me in person or want to drop me a note to remind me of that need and responsibility, I'll be open to your exhortation. I'm hoping and praying this weekend is a good one for you.
Blessings,
rtg