Crossing life’s bridges, 1 step at a time

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. The two have completed 66 counties. This is No. 64. Next: Jefferson

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

Drip. Drip. Drip. It starts slowly enough. No matter how strong the storm, rain still only falls one drop at a time.

Those drops gather in puddles, puddles that often find their way to creeks, creeks that empty into rivers, and rivers that eventually find their way to the ocean. Most of us haven't discussed this topic since the third grade, imparting this knowledge only to satisfy a teacher so we could go play with our friends at recess.

Although most of us learn most life lessons as adults, the fact of the matter is we learned a few very important lessons as an innocent third-grader. It is time we remember what we learned, and more importantly, live it.

On Sept. 21, we departed Cedar Rapids at 7 a.m. and set our bearings for north central Iowa, in fact almost as central and north as you can get in Iowa - Hancock County. We arrived just after 10 a.m., laced up our running shoes and were soon rolling eastward on Highway 18. We enjoyed a cool breeze that generally pushed us eastward, although it often shifted to bring even cooler temperatures out of the north. Any day that you can breathe the fresh Iowa air is a good day.

Simply stated, north central Iowa is flat. We ran aimlessly into an endless horizon that was painted with a blue sky and beautiful clouds that looked as if Bob Ross had spent hours deciding where each of those clouds would 'live.” We chewed up eight miles with little effort, our only enemy being an army of grasshoppers that continued to jump onto and remain on our legs, causing us to jump and shake like we were dancing. Poorly dancing at best.

We took a detour off Highway 18 and burned up a mile in the home of the National Hobo Convention - good old Britt. We passed by the old theater, which has been converted into the Hobo Museum, and posed for a few pictures in front of a mural that depicted downtown - hobos and all.

Soon our vacation had ended and we were back on Highway 18, heading east on flat terrain as far as our eyes could see. We passed through Duncan and Duncan Heights, aptly named for its location on the top of a small hill, and crossed the mighty Iowa River, although it appeared far from mighty and took only eight strides to cross.

We took a second detour off Highway 18 and spent a little more than one mile seeing the sights in Garner, visiting the Hancock County Courthouse before completing our 21st mile as we resumed our eastward march on Highway 18. Things remained flat, allowing us to see more than a mile into our futures. We saw the end well before we arrived, running 26.53 miles across Hancock County in 3:40:53.

Things often start slow, but with time they can grow unmanageable. As set forth above, third grade provides us with a perfect example. One drop of rain is manageable. With enough manpower, a small creek can be dammed and small rivers can be crossed. In Hancock County, we easily crossed the Iowa River in eight manageable strides. However, if we were to attempt such a feat 100-plus miles down river, we would find ourselves well short of the eastern shore in water deep enough to easily drown two simple runners.

Moral of the story. Life moves fast. Don't let the rain drops of life carry you out to sea. No matter how far downstream you find yourself, the gap can be bridged one drop at a time.

If you're not where you want to be in life or with regard to your fitness, do something about it. The sooner, the better. It is much easier to cross the Iowa River in Hancock County than the Iowa River in Iowa City. Don't give up hope. Engineer a way to bridge your own gap. You'll be happy that you started the journey to reach the far bank.

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