COMMUNITY: Team 99 counties takes on Ringgold

Editor's note: Daren Schumaker and Dennis Lee are crossing Iowa's 99 counties, raising money for the American Heart Association. The two have completed 43 counties.

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

We never thought it would arrive.

We thought it had been postponed. When would the waiting end? When would spring finally arrive? Tired of snow and tired of waiting, we headed south to look for the spring that had not yet arrived.

We didn't have to travel as far south as you might think before we encountered the spring-like weather that we had been looking for.

On March 31, Team 99 Counties found spring in Ringgold County.

The temperature was slowly climbing toward 60 degrees, the sun was shining and the wind was at our backs. We started off just north of Clearfield and followed the highway into and out of Diagonal before rolling south on Highway 169 for about one mile and turning east onto 150th Street.

The temperature made us bold. The wind at our back encouraged us. We knew at the start we were moving too quickly. We knew we were running too fast. Despite that knowledge, we ignored our bodies and kept pushing harder and harder. Before we knew it, we had crossed Ringgold County in 3:39:33 via a hilly 26.53-mile route.

We survived, but did so recklessly.

Simply stated, we ran too fast. After spending months nursing injuries, we should have eased into things. We should have just been happy that we were out there. We should have given ourselves time to prepare. Instead, we let the weather get the best of us and risked injury by running too fast.

The moral of the story, if there is one, is to not rush things. After a winter where you might not have taken care of yourself or exercised like you should have, the spring can be a dangerous time. When you decide to get active you may end up doing too much too soon.

When the spring arrives, remember that many beautiful days are ahead of you. Take things easy. Gradually get back into the swing of things. Don't start too fast like we did. Life isn't a track meet, it's a marathon. Consistency is the key.

Inspiration through perspiration. Become active or make a donation to the AHA to help fight heart disease.

l To make a donation or follow the team, check out more to these stories at Team 99 Counties on Facebook or at www.team99counties.com