Running for sanity

Editor's note: Daren Schumaker of Cedar Rapids and Dennis Lee of Walford are attempting to run across Iowa's 99 counties to raise money for the American Heart Association. They've completed 74 counties. This is No. 73. Next: Jasper

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

There is an edge. At times, it feels as if you are miles away and, at other times, it feels as if your next step will be into the unknown.

In the words of Hunter S. Thompson, 'The edge, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”

This is no doubt the truth. If you doubt the veracity of this statement, it is safe to say you have not yet found, or been pushed over, the edge. When you look at the world that surrounds you, it is easy to pick out examples of individuals who have been pressed to and over, or willingly crossed, the edge. Generally speaking, society paints the lines that distinguish what is considered normal from what is not. However, normal is a relative term and lines are sometimes made to be danced all over and crossed.

On Feb. 8, our latest adventure started at 7 a.m. as we left Cedar Rapids. We once again had Darl Van Rheenen in tow, mostly to ensure good weather, but also for his company and willingness to tag along when most would politely decline. We started north on Interstate 380, merged westward onto Highway 20, jumped northwest on Highways 71 and 7, and west on Highway 3 to Cherokee, the county seat of Cherokee County.

A 'short” five hours after departing, we were ready to lace-up our sneakers and stretch our legs for the 73rd time.

We started where we had ended Plymouth County nearly four years ago, a lonely spot 15 miles west of Cherokee on Highway C38/530th Street. Van Rheenen once again proved his worth, and the temperature climbed above 40 degrees, softening the roadway's shoulder where we ran and melting the several feet of snow that remained in the ditches. The first 14 miles of our eastward march were littered with gentle ups, downs and flats - passing through miles that were unremarkable similar to each other. After running for more than two hours, things changed when we entered Cherokee. We charged up the steepest hill we had seen so far, cruised down the backside, and shot up an even steeper hill to complete our 15th mile.

We turned left onto North 11th Street and took a two-mile running tour of the Mental Health Institute, a very large and impressive structure. As we circled the compound, we wondered what the patients and doctors thought about three grown men running through the grounds in February. We returned to West Main Street and passed the Cherokee County Courthouse and ran under the marquee for the American Theater.

For those we passed, running seemed like a silly idea when you could be watching a movie in a warm theater with a bucket of freshly buttered popcorn. As we left Cherokee, we became nervous for what was ahead, a giant hill that started shortly after our 18th mile and lasted until we were halfway through our 20th mile. We literally ran by ski slopes and, at the top of the hill, we were dripping with sweat, probably because we were now closer to the sun.

We merged onto Highway 3 for the last six miles of our run, climbing a few hills along the way and encountering three snowmobilers. They were bundled up like it was winter and we were dressed like we were on spring's doorstep. We pushed onward, crossing 26.2 miles of Cherokee County in 3:47:55.

We are sure that, by now, many of you think what we are doing is downright crazy. Who in their right minds would want to run at least 26.2 miles across each of Iowa's 99 counties? That, my friend, is a very good question. We found the edge and crossed it years ago. However, the fact of the matter is we aren't crazy for running. Instead, we aren't crazy because we run. For us, exercise and running helps take the edge off our otherwise stressful lives. It maintains our mental health just as much as our physical health.

Exercise can empower and is good for your ego. It makes you feel good about yourself. Take a risk. Cross the line or paint your own. Push yourself over the edge. Don't care what others think. Walk up to the edge and jump.

Normal is a relative term. Don't let others tell you what is normal.

Instead, make your normal and make it amazing. If you don't, life will be a chain of one unremarkable similar mile after unremarkable similar mile.

Find your own crazy and embrace it.

Inspiration through perspiration. Become active or make a donation to Team 99 Counties or the American Heart Association to help fight heart disease today.