Running tales from Team 99 Counties

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 and awareness for the American Heart Association. They've completed 97 counties. This is No. 89. Next: Dickinson

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words.

This phrase has been used for more than 100 years to refer to the notion the complex can be conveyed with just a single still image, and such an image can convey meaning more effectively than an eloquently worded description — even a description of a thousand words.

The notion that a picture is 'worth a thousand words' is difficult to dispute. In fact, it is easy to argue not that many things can convey strong and heartfelt emotion more efficiently than a picture or a single image. Find a picture. Take a look at it. Really look at it. Stop reading — literally find a picture or photograph — and look at it. What do you see? What do you feel? A picture is no doubt worth a thousand words, but just as valuable is the frame in which any picture is viewed.

On April 10, we departed Walford at 7 a.m. and headed west along Highway 30 toward our destination in west-central Iowa — Greene County. Upon our arrival at the intersection of Apple Avenue and 230th Street we stood, stretched and quickly departed along 230th Street toward Scranton. The day started warm enough for shorts yet cool enough to require gloves, and we encountered few distractions as we plodded our course along freshly graveled 230th Street, entering and exiting Scranton before completing our fifth mile. It appeared as if it was going to be just another day for us, just another stamp on our running passport.

Just as we began to settle into the monotony, our view changed. Our path along 230th Street began to wind and weave and we soon found ourselves passing over hills that crossed pastures, wove through dark woods and followed streambeds that were littered with grazing cattle, upturned beehives and large trees with twisted and bare finger-like branches. After climbing a few hills we found ourselves on a bluff high above the Raccoon River. We explored an outdoor church area and soaked in the view, departing only to encounter a rain that seemed as if it was going to soak us. The storm clouds, however, passed without doing too much damage.

After 11 miles of gravel we crossed the Raccoon River on 237th Street via the numerous arches of a stone bridge and were soon in Jefferson, where it seemed as if every passing car had a smiling face and a waving hand as we completed our 14th mile. We exited Jefferson on East Lincolnway Street, and seven miles later we found ourselves in Grand Junction where we saw several 'interesting' things. East of Grand Junction we merged onto Highway 30 and continued our march, stopping only briefly at a rest area to explore a display about the history of the Lincoln Highway before completing our 26.35-mile crossing of Greene County in 3:42:19 — our 89th county.

After completing our marathon across Greene County, many of the day's images stood out in our minds, some more vividly than others. Those images, or pictures, are worth a thousand words. The worth of these images and pictures is due to what has been captured within the frames upon which they hang on the walls of our minds and what has been kept out of these images and pictures as they were placed into frames.

It is all about perspective, as the thousand-word worth of each picture can elicit many types of emotions — good and bad. The trick is in how you frame your picture. A good sturdy frame can keep out the negativity that can often cloud an image that should instead be admired.

Greene County was far from sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it was too hilly, too windy and too rainy. However, if you can frame things so as to blunt the hills, block the wind and shield yourself from the rain, you can always find a beautiful day. Not just a beautiful day, but a day worthy of remembering. What you see and what you feel, in the proper framework, can turn a normal day into something special.

Take the time to look around you. If you do, you will see many images worthy of remembering and admiring.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a well-framed picture is worth thousands of words. However, if you venture out your front door you will find a world full of images that — when viewed from the proper perspective and with your own eyes — are worth millions of words.

Get up. Get active. Stop looking at pictures and step out into and explore and experience the world around you. Inspiration through perspiration. Become active or make a donation to the American Heart Association to help fight heart disease today.

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