Take control of what you can

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 70 counties. This is No. 68. Next: Audubon

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

Many things in life are easier said than done.

This is especially true with regard to advice. It is often easier to give advice to others, often very sound and meaningful advice, than it is to take advice from others. This is even the case when you receive the same sound and meaningful advice that you've given. You know it to be good advice, but following it is easier said than done. One such piece of advice is to only worry about what you can control, and to refrain from lingering on the things you can't control.

This is much easier said than done. Much easier.

On Nov, 15, we departed a cold and clear Cedar Rapids at 7:15 a.m. and headed west on Highway 20. After we crossed Interstate 35, the temperature started to drop, clouds rolled in and snow started to fall. The snow continued to fall as we marched north on Highway 4 and west on Highway 18 to the western edge of Palo Alto County. At 11:30 a.m., we laced up our shoes and started to shuffle through the snow that covered the shoulders of Highway 18.

The temperature was a balmy 15 degrees and a stiff wind out of the south-southeast welcomed us with a slap in the face.

We stomped through the snow and skirted the town of Ruthven before we had even chewed up a single mile. We remained hopeful things would improve, but the snow continued to fall and the wind remained stiff.

Traffic was heavy, forcing us to literally run in at least three inches of snow where we thought the shoulder was. There was no real way of knowing, everything was white and if you lost your focus it felt like you were floating through a winter 'wonderland.”

Just west of Emmetsburg we completed our 10th mile and prepared to cross the West Fork of the Des Moines River, an adventure that certainly got the blood pumping as cars flew past us as a snow plow approached from the east. We crossed with just enough time to slide to the other side of Highway 18 and avoid what would have been a very 'snowy” time.

We followed Highway 18 south into the strength of the wind, floating over the road's northern shoulder and through what we thought were parking lots. We ran where we thought sidewalks should have been, and stumbled down hills and stairs that we didn't know were hidden under the snow. We continued to shuffle through the snow, stopping at the Palo Alto County Courthouse for a photo, freezing all the while. We finished our 14th mile as we passed the Wild Rose Casino and left Emmetsburg. The wind still was cold and the snow deeper. About one mile east of Emmetsburg, we turned south onto 480th Avenue for one mile before turning east onto 380th Street for the better part of five miles, a snow covered gravel road where the wind seemed colder and the snow deeper.

We merged back onto Highway 18 and spent a few minutes regrouping as we stood between a couple of pine trees on a farm just north of Cylinder. We gritted our teeth and battled the wind into Cylinder where we finished our 21st mile. Eastward we went, snow falling all the while. With only three miles to go, the snow really started to fall heavily and the traffic disappeared - it was a blizzard after all. Kicking our way through five inches of snow for the last few miles, we were happy to see the end of our 68th county - 26.62 miles from where we had started and 4:00:28 after we had departed.

We finished with all the fingers and toes we had started with, an added bonus.

Palo Alto County gave us a great deal to worry about, mostly things that we couldn't control - the poor footing, the temperature, the wind and the snow. Although each of these things were with us for the duration of our run, we couldn't linger on their presence too long for fear they would consume us. Instead, we spent our time worrying about what we could control - our attitude, our drive and our focus - the only resources we had to battle the blizzard that swirled around us. By placing an emphasis on what we could control, we stoked a fire with more than enough wood to see us through a rather cold day.

Moral of the story? Allocate resources to the things you can control.

If you say your health is important, and don't allocate resources to support your 'health is important” strategy, you've only got good intentions. You need to allocate resources to transform your intentions into actions. As we've discussed, one of the most valuable resources each of has is time. Allocate your time where you need to in order to meet your goals. It is easier to focus on the uncontrollable than it is to focus on what you can control. It is easier to talk about exercising than it is to take the time to exercise. It is easier to talk about how your family and friends are a priority than it is to make them a priority.

Don't worry about what you can't control, and make sure that you control what you can in a manner that gets you to where you want to go. Allocate your resources to meet your goals. Don't take the easy road. Run in the snow.

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