This week we’re hearing from Megan Mathes, a member of our Run the Race team who will join 23 other runners this fall in a 200(ish) mile relay race that raises approximately $48,000.00 in support of Living Water Ministries restoring momentum. Community is one of our core values and that sense of community is truly present among our runners and the greater event called “Ragnar” put on by Reebok. To learn more about this effort, please visit www.elcalivingwater.com/runtherace
When people ask me why I like to run, I am not sure how to respond. Running is a complicated sport that I recently began last year. Before then, I would never run in my free time, even if someone wanted to workout. In fact, I tried to avoid running as any form of cardio.
I started running because I was inspired to join the LWM Ragnar team. I wanted to be part of a community that inspired me to not only become a better athlete but a better Christian. I wanted to watch myself achieve things I never thought my body was capable of.
Ragnar gave me a purpose and a reason to run. I was running not for myself but for all of the campers, pastors, co workers and christians that have inspired me over the years to grow in my faith and my own individuality. I was running for van 1, which was filled with loving women I had just met but already felt like were my best friends. I was running for my own self worth, for my own sense of accomplishment. I was running for my community and my church.
Living Water Ministries has always been my church. My faith started at Michi-Lu-Ca when I was in 6th grade and developed and expanded my 3 summers I was on staff at Stony Lake. My favorite memories as a child and young adult are all centered with camp. By running Ragnar, my goal was to help others create their own camp memories with camp scholarships.
Ragnar was a way for me to contribute to my church as I grew up and became a married working adult. I loved the way Ragnar made me feel connected to old and new friends. Ragnar helped me stay connected to Living Water Ministries and create new memories that are my new form of camp.
Running the Ragnar was one of the hardest things I have ever done physically. From the high elevations and hilly routes, to sleep deprivation and runs in the dark, this race is unlike anything I had ever done before. But this race is also the best thing I have ever done.
Ragnar was one of the greatest accomplishments I have ever completed. I still think about the Ragnar on the regular just because of how much fun it was. The community that was formed among the 24 team members was unbreakable. To this day, we still all post memories and pictures on our facebook page.
Ragnar also gave me the love for running. Running is now my sport. Running gives me purpose and a sense of accomplishment. I recently even completed my first half marathon, something I never thought I would be able to accomplish before running Ragnar.
During these past few months of quarantine, running has been something I look forward to. It has also kept me connected to people through our Ragnar page. Running gives me a community, even at a distance. I never would have had this if I didn’t take a leap of faith and try something new.
I hope that you can take a leap of faith and contribute to Ragnar this year. In 2020, camp is going to look different, just like the rest of the world. Camp will need people more than ever to keep the community alive. Even if the community is at a distance, it is always alive and well.
With love,
Megan Mathes
