Correspondence Between Two Distinct (well, kinda) Lands

On November 25th, Sir Henry Livingston wrote to Martinology the following request: "Excuse me, kind sirs, I am penning this letter from Antarctica, the land of endless winter, where the flakes of snow never cease. My ancestors, the pilgrims, arrived on your lands with tales of deep yellow and red autumn leaves, fields of pumpkins, and corn stalks dotting the landscape, wild turkeys skipping across roads and fields during this season of yours. Would you be kind enough to post glimpses of the delightful descriptions that my ancestors left behind to us of your so-called Thanksgiving holiday! Thank you, so very much!"

On November 25th, Martinology wrote to Sir Henry Livingston the following sentence: "Here you go buddy, we're over here dreaming of a white Thanksgiving. How's the skiing in Antarctica? Not bad over here. Some friends gave us a broken snow-blower yesterday that we can keep if we get it running. Last night we slid into a ditch, wrecker pulled us out, and now the car is parked just fine in our garage. Baby Elijah is going great, touched snow yesterday for the first time and cried. He cried, ok? HE CRIED! And I'm cr...(sniff) WHY do we have to get snow blizzards in NOVEMBER! WHY?! Well, enjoy the pictures of our front and back yards. Have a Merry Thanksgiving."

The Faces of A Moment

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELIJAH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! - 10.28.08

Game plan:
Heidi = Food A+
Christian = Game A+
Melanie = Decoration A+
....mission accomplished!







I was there in an instant, the softest bear I've ever taken down. No bear is going to mess around with my boy. Ok, ok....Elijah took him down himself. (Great gift from grandma and grandpa Towar!)



Simply called, "The Fishing Game," it was a hit as they threw their line over the side of the "boat" and caught bags filled with goodies! (Goodies provided by Melanie!)





First one to get a good handle on the cake!







Toys, toys, and more toys, very little clothing, his kind of birthday party!

Special Visit from Tennessee

Christian's parents had an opportunity to spent a weekend with us in Cadillac, MI!


Great smile! This made my mom's day when she herself took this picture and made she we all knew she did!


Elijah with Lelo!


Sabbath afternoon outdoors! (Longest day of the week for Elijah! It shows!)





Cool walk in the Martin Park with our Fall Boy.


A rest on Abuela's shoulder.... nothing quite like it.

Wait 'til you hear my Fish Story....

The following pictures are approved by the FAMA as being genuine and authentic. Notation #3456835

One Long Victory Lap

With my final meal at the Pasta Bowl on Saturday night, I went to bed with the alarm set for 4:45 a.m. The long awaited Chicago Marathon would begin with the rising of sun.



Surrounded by flashes and personal questions, I had a press conference with my fan club of 6. I consumed my last Power Gel before the gun and quickly joined 33,033 other runners.





Pace. Pace. Pace. I ran with the 9 minute mile pace I trained with and despite temperatures rising into the 80s, the race did not suffer the same heat-related problems it did a year ago.







After turning onto Columbus Dr. for the final stretch and seeing the FINISH banner, my watch read 3:56:01. My goal of under-4 was very attainable! With legs drained and toes numb (literally), I hit the wall at 25 miles, but my brain was determined to finish.



45,000 registered - 33,033 started - 31,401 finished and I was officially 6061 overall with a finish time of 3:58:21!



Very few things in life beat ice bags on sore legs and a cool mist sprayed through huge fans from fire trucks.



A finishers medal for a marathon now hangs on my medal tree (more on that later). All these things only point forward to the imperishable reward that will be given to those who will love His appearing on the last day!

Thanks for your prayers! They were answered. Now I'm just searching for my next victim.... another 26.2 mile route.

Stay Tuned For More Details!

Motivation for the 31st Bank of America Chicago Marathon

October is when it all happens and it's also a time to remember. I'm dedicating this run to four.

One to Elijah. He was born in October a year ago. On October 28th he'll be one year old. From his nods, waves, to closed-eye grins, he is a great joy. I love him so much and I'm so thankful to God for my beloved boy.

One to Heidi. She survived some challenging times in October a year ago. On October 26th, a drunk driver hit her from the back and she ended up in the hospital. The very next day she began contractions and was strong and brave to make it through hours of pain. She was courageous as it was decided that it would be best if she had a C-section. She did and did incredibly well. I love Heidi so much. She is a most excellent mother and wife.

One to my mom. On October of 2003, God saved her life and she survived ovarian cancer. She was strong and brave to face uncertainty and various treatments. It was very difficult, but yet she kept her eyes on Jesus and always trusted in Him. It is a miracle that she is alive. I love her very much and she is a most excellent mom.

One to God. On October 14th, 2003, He saved my life from a terrible car accident. I was removed with jaws of life and was unconscious for 5 hours. We had impacted together intersecting at 60 miles per hour. 5 months later I was just as good if not better than the day before the accident. The car was left a bundle of twisted metal. I love God so much. He is so mercifully and always eager to manifest His love to me.

Motivation? Yes. I love all four very much and this run is for them.

Enter Marathon

The zone has been entered. The head has been shaved. The games have begun.



Schedule of Games ~ Half-marathon race: 13.1 miles in Lansing, MI - 9.28.08 Marathon race: 26.2 miles in Chicago, IL - 10.12.08







In both the picture above and the one below, Christian Martin, # 580, can be spotted. Hint: Shaved head with shades, white top with blue stripes.





Three words are the key to a successful run: pace, pace, pace - I began on a 8 mile pace and completed averaging a 7:35 pace.



The following pictures are classic. I strongly ran past James McNelly, #936, at an approximate distance of 20 yards from the finish line. The only thing between me and the finish line was cool air.



At approximately 2.3 feet from the finish line, I felt a wave of warm air as the guy plunged forward out of nowhere....what a guy. Later came to find out that my initial 8 minute pace at the beginning allowed him to advance quite a bit, only to have me catch him and actually pass him at the 13.098 mile marker, but see him run across a spilt second ahead.







Moral of the story: Never underestimate the heavier runner at 2.3 feet from the finish line.



A moment of reflection.



Posing with Fan Club.







Final stats: Christian Martin - Chip time: 1:39:26 Overall: I was #136 of 1,216 finishers. Finish in age group: I was #20 of 76





Overall it was a great run. There were dirt trails, paved trails, along a river, through the woods, parks, downtown, under a highway, over a bridge - always something different, never expected. I felt good about my initial pace that allowed me to pass runners once I got to mile 7, where I picked it up a notch. It was mentally stimulating to zig-zag past runners, to feel my steady heartbeat and calm breathing next to some loud gasps for air. In other words, I had good pace control. All finishers won a "finisher's medal," a great addition to my 5Ks and 1 10K!

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." - Paul

Next stop: Chicago