10,000 mile lap journal entry on the 2014 Miles 2 give nYC2NYC tour…
October 10, 2014
(Absolutely exhausted. Somewhere on the Pacific Coast Highway in California)
The mirror of internal and external environment…
7,500+ miles of team running to give & inspire in the name of sarcoma cancer. I would like to share with you some of our experiences in these miles of emotional heaviness, mental exhaustion, and undetermined outcomes of where the head will lay to recover every night after long days of logistics. All of these words I give to you, I respectfully acknowledge each of your own courageous struggles with cancer & life’s adversities.
If you are new to following our journey here, we kindly thank you for clicking “LIKE” on the ‘Miles 2 Give’ Facebook page to show your support on this 10,000 mile journey for sarcoma cancer families. We truly hope that the stories shared by families worldwide on our Facebook gives you immense perspective, and hopefully an interest in awakening your own worldly thoughts of giving & inspiring.
Each day we honor a Warrior out here on this 10,000 mile counter clockwise lap around the USA. There is overflowing daily eruption of unforeseen responsibilities to simply maintain peace of mind, schedule a moving target, and rolling with unknowns with each unpredictable mile. We are team of two on the road, with many guest runners, team runners and about a dozen part time volunteers behind the scenes. Our volunteers have full time jobs, families, and their own individual struggles daily as we all do. I am humbled by the selfless efforts of my volunteer team to be a part of an unpredictable high emotion of a moving target, carried by a 1994 Chevy Winnebago Brave. That Chevy Winnebago you ask? Bought from a couple from Arkansas in Mesa, Arizona. Immediately called, “Life Elevated.” There was no money set aside for investing into something I believe in. Just our first $10,000 sponsorship check six weeks after committing my life to this project.
Life Elevated is showing it’s miles as well as us. It’s the same RV we took across the USA last year from California to Maryland, 3,187 miles. Now, with 4,400+ miles already on this tour, the amount of squeaky noises gets a little louder each day. On average, Life Elevated is cranked up at least 60 times daily. The side door is opened at least 100 times daily. So much in fact, an actual METAL handle broke off. Let me repeat that, a METAL handle broke off from the amount of foot traffic we have coming in and out. There are leaks when it rains. There is carpet that desperately needs to be replaced. There is wood rotting. But overall, Life Elevated is serving a major purpose in awareness & unity. It is home to over 3,000+ signatures from survivors, caregivers, and guests we meet along the way. Each day, we see another person cry & tell their story when they come inside. It’s a beautiful thing to watch your vision come to life, in the honor of inspiring other people’s lives.
In those collective miles we have honored over 450 Warriors worldwide, visited over five dozen hospitals & research laboratories, stayed the night at over 200 cancer families homes, visited dozens of gravesites, sat one on one with dozens of respected Scientists, and even had guests stay with us on Life Elevated. My arms have held over 100 people in the past year that are no longer physically on this Earth. My voicemail is filled with people’s last messages to me before there time has come to an end in this life. There are countless signatures from Warriors that have signed Life Elevated that are no longer here. I even have messages by my bedside written by Warriors that are no longer here. Then, there are the miles we give on the road daily…
Each day, the magnet of people coming up to the RV to tell their story has become all too common. At 5mph, we don’t miss anything. The amount of cigarette butts on the side of the road. The amount of dead animals. The amount of trash in streams. In every mile we run, there is over 3,000 pieces of debris/trash the size of a quarter or smaller. EVERY MILE. We see the amount of farm land there is, and how some animals do not have adequate space to roam. We see the amount of exhaust that comes from vehicles. It truly makes you understand the importance of buying LOCAL produce & product. You truly get a sense of the core of the world when you travel at 5mph on the side of the road. Of course, there is plenty of beautiful country side as you drive through towns. I’m simply giving you the experiences of 5mph of running on the side of the road. Driving, you see the beauty of the land all around you. Running, you get to see the truth of it all-beauty, and pollution.
The main two elements I see on the side of the road?
5 hour energy drinks & construction gloves.
Yep.
And, that’s just it right there. We are so disconnected to the true existence & core of ourselves that we don’t know how over caffeinated and over worked we truly are. Why?
In the past two years of running to give & inspire, I can tell you & I know you have heard it, life is too short to do something that doesn’t serve your health FIRST.
Each day out here, I have moments where I wonder if the sound of the dogs in the distance will find their way to me on the side of the road. Then you mentally go over the “brace yourself for a dog fight” scenario. A scenario that finds you sometimes jumping on trees, on top of fences, or standing your ground shouting for the owner. The thing is, the calculations of NOT being bit by a dog, twisting your ankle, being hit by a car, getting poison ivy, stepping on a nail, or getting lost is the entire science of keeping this journey going. If any of that happens, the tour is temporarily stopped. Hence, the high alert to stay alive out here.
Above all, it’s a beautiful responsibility to be a part of. Meeting wonderful Warriors & their families. Making life long connections with determined fathers & mothers that have lost a child. Meeting incredible Doctors that hold visions led by decades of passionate research. Meeting dedicated nurses that seem to always have a bright smile, even after a sixteen hour shift. And, meeting the occasional youngster who is looking for a spark of direction in their life. It’s a beautiful journey of humanity, and connecting us all with each other. Not just through cancer, but through something very simple-the ultimate antidote that has always been a proven healing energy, LOVE, INTENTION & DEEP PRESENCE.
I want each of you to know, you are special. You each have a special quality that the rest of us do not have. You are a peaceful spiritual being that breathes for love, change, and family. You are capable of anything. Your fears are only temporary. Your anxiety is only temporary. How do we keep going out here in the presence of high physical, and mental stress?
Like this…
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Now, gently exhale through your mouth…
Repeat that 3X total.
Now, how do you feel? Good, because in the breath is your life. NOW is your life. Give yourself that chance to be everything you can for yourself, and for your family by honoring that breath.
I promise you, you will have more miles to give than you ever imagined. You will have more peace to bring to situations. You will have more clarity in moments of difficult decisions.
Just breathe with us out here. You are special. You are beautiful. You can do anything you want. Just believe. Just breathe.
Inside “Life Elevated” RV after completing the 230 day tour around the USA.
Say yes to a healthy planet, by saying no to poisonous ingredients within your internal environment. When we poison ourself, we trash the inside of our car, and our homes fill with unnecessary weight. Then, most likely, the only place to offload is by polluting our planet. The health of our internal and external environment must be our daily primary focus. We have nothing in life, unless we have our health. Want to know the truth of where you are? Slow down. Have a genuine look. Invest in the healthiest version of yourself. Make healthy choices for us all here on Earth. Our future ancestors thank you for your bravery.
-Landon
