Make your imagination run wild

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. 72. Next: Cherokee

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

Before each of us was burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood - employment, mortgage payments and a family - we spent our days doing whatever we wanted. The possibilities were limited by only our imaginations.

We could spend the morning pretending to be a pirate searching for sunken treasure, the afternoon playing as a zookeeper caring for exotic animals and the evening believing we were a firefighter, doctor or police officer. Most adults wish they could go back in time to when they were children, and most children dream about being adults. We know that this isn't possible, but what if you were able to continue to imagine like a child into adulthood? That would be quite the sight.

On Jan. 24, we eased out of Cedar Rapids at 7 a.m. and coasted westward along Highway 20 to Calhoun County. We arrived in Lytton at 10:20 a.m. and, shortly thereafter, we turned to the east and began kicking rocks to commence our 72nd journey. Our trek began with a few inclines that hardly warranted our attention, followed by a gentle curve to the right and another to the left. We couldn't have imagined a better day as we pounded the pavement on Old Highway 20. The sun appeared, the temperature climbed to nearly 50 degrees, and soon our hats and gloves were off and in our pockets.

Even as a child, I'm not sure either of us could have imagined a more beautiful day for running, especially in January.

Just as we started to sweat, a cool west wind brought us comfort. As we completed our 11th mile we turned south onto Highway 4 before resuming our eastward journey into Rockwell City. We passed South Central Calhoun Middle School where, if you have the imagination for it, you can view a face in a boulder/rock formation creatively built by a former student. We ran Tonawanda Street to First Street, shot north, and circled back to the Calhoun County Courthouse before heading north for a loop around the Calhoun County Fairgrounds.

Shortly after completing our 15th mile, we passed North Central Correctional Facility. The high fences topped with razor wire made life within those walls quite difficult to imagine. The terrain became so flat that it wasn't too difficult for us to imagine water would have a difficult time figuring out which way to flow. The topography and clear blue sky allowed us to see for miles. Literally.

As we were chewing up our 18th mile we noted a few trees on the horizon and jokingly wondered how far away they were - we guessed no more than a couple of miles. Before long we became aware of just how far we could see as we spent more than an hour running more than eight miles to those trees, passing them just after devouring our 26th mile. Victory was at hand, we could see the finish.

We crossed 26.3 miles of Calhoun County in 3:46:26, enjoying the exact same view for at least the last eight miles of our run.

Sometimes you have to see things before you can believe them. This mantra is common among adults. We need proof. If we see something, we still don't believe it until we know we can get there. In reality, this is quite depressing. What happened to our imaginations? It seems as if many of us have forgotten that before we can see things, and likewise believe them, we have to imagine them.

No one can make their dreams come true without first having a dream.

Imagine the impossible, place the impossible on the horizon, see it with your own two eyes and believe it. You may not get there today, tomorrow or next year. In fact, you may never get there. However, you will no doubt enjoy some adventures along the way. Don't let your sight be limited by your own imagination. Whether your sight is limited by the prison walls around you or the limits you've placed on yourself, keep walking (or running) toward the horizon. The world is out there waiting for you, and the world is a big place. If you want to see it, take the steps you may at first find difficult to imagine. Don't worry, your feet will land on solid ground.

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