Don’t let bumps (or hills) end your run

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 76 counties. This is No. 74. Next: Henry

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

The next time the road of life gets a little too bumpy, turn to Cinderella for clarity.

Not the Cinderella who befriends mice and birds an is transformed after her fairy godmother appears and sings 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.” Turn instead to the glam metal and hard rock band from Philadelphia - the Cinderella that has been touring and performing hits around the globe for years. Many may argue the encouragement to never stop dreaming Cinderella offers her animal friends when singing 'A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” provides all the clarity that one might need in difficult times.

However, those folks clearly haven't heard 'Don't Know What You've Got (Till It's Gone)” as performed by the guitar-wielding Cinderella.

On March 7, we set out from Walford at 7 a.m. and rolled westward to the western border of Jasper County, starting our journey on NE University Avenue/Highway 163 about one mile west of where we had ended our run across Polk County.

We retraced our route across Polk County for that single mile, running an east/west border between the counties, before entering Jasper County and all its beauty. After about five miles we ducked off Highway 163, passed through Prairie City, and returned to Highway 163 for another mile before exiting onto County Road F62 to continue our eastward march. Things remained flat and a nice breeze and the 45-degree temperature kept us nice and cool as we completed our 13th mile.

Then things changed. The comfort of the previous 13 miles was left behind as we started to climb a hill, crossed Highway 14 and summited a few more hills before entering Reasnor. As we left Reasnor during our 18th mile, we realized what we had thought were hills were not. In fact, our 'hills” were nothing compared to what appeared on the horizon. We climbed our first 'mountain” just east of Reasnor and continued to climb mountain after mountain for mile after mile. We took a break in a church parking lot after completing our 22nd mile, only to look to the east and see a mountainous hill that continued upward until it touched the sky.

We battled that hill, curves and all. We fought hard, and were even knocked down on an occasion or two. Our efforts finally brought us into Sully. We completed our 28th mile and continued eastward, climbing more hills into Lynnville. We finally got some downhill, but before too long we were starting up our last incline of the day - ending our 33-mile trek across Jasper County 4:47:11 after we had started.

In running, just as in life, you don't really know what you've got until it is gone. A pleasant run can turn ugly in a hurry - only a few miles separate enjoyment and pain. In life, things can turn just as quickly. The family and friends you lean on, who are there day after day, can disappear in mere seconds. Sickness and death come without warning, and what was there today can literally be gone tomorrow.

You don't know what you've got until it's gone and, in the words of Cinderella, 'It ain't easy to get back, takes so long.”

So, what should we do? Give up? That clearly isn't the answer. The answer came to me from a friend, who noted the only thing anyone can really do is to treat life as the gift that it truly is. We all know no one lives forever and life will eventually come to an end for each of us.

However, this should not cause sadness. Instead, it should provide motivation. Life is a gift, so make the most of it - right now. Take care of those around you and show them you care. You don't have to wait until you or your loved ones are gone to know what you've got. What you've got is the gift of life, so make the most of it.

Make the most of every day, every hour, every minute and every second - until it's gone.

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

l To make a donation or buy a T-shirt, email Dennis Lee at telcoden@yahoo.com