Amigos Marathon Team

We did it!

2010-09-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Its finally over! We just wanted to let everyone know that it was a great morning...perfect weather...and everyone ran and completed the race! Thank you for all of your prayers, phone calls, and facebook messages...and, thank you to everyone who donated to build a clinic in El Chonco! We'll have some great pictures and video up later, but for now we're spending some time in the hotel hot tub and then going out for some hot wings and pizza - the greasier, the better!

We're here!

2010-09-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

We made it to Tupelo! We picked up our race packets, studied the map of tomorrow's run (flat & beautiful landscape), and now we're relaxing at our hotel. Some of us are more anxious than others (see Sabrina in bottom video - she already has her clothes set out!) Soon, we'll be eating lots of pasta at Olive Garden and then an early bed time. We'll have lots to report on tomorrow - if we're still alive. Keep us in your prayers and enjoy the pictures & video below!

A special thanks to Joey McGinn in Birmingham - he took care of us last night!

Mississippi Here We Come!

2010-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

We're all packed up and ready to go! We'll be heading out of Buford this afternoon, making an overnight stop in Birmingham to stay with friends, and then arriving in Tupelo tomorrow afternoon. The marathon starts at 5AM on Sunday.

We need your prayers for strength and health. Everyone seems to have extra aches and pains this week and to top it off, Jeremy's battling a bad chest cold and busted toe, and Megan has a mysterious illness thats zapping her energy (we're praying its NOT Dengue Fever!). Both still plan on running, though!

We're a bundle of nerves and excitement, and we all feel so blessed to be doing this together. Please keep us in your prayers, and consider supporting our cause - building a health clinic in the rural community of El Chonco. Its easy to give, just click on the donate button to the right.

Check in for more updates over the weekend!

Thanks!
Your Amigos

Generous Friends & New Runners!

2010-08-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

We're done with our long runs! Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be tapering our training so our bodies can rest and prepare for September 5th. We have some exciting news to share...

Fleet Feet in Lawrenceville: We thought they were donating running shirts, but it turns out they packed up backpacks full of goodies for each of us! New running socks, energy packs, shirts, hats, and more! We are so thankful and if you're considering getting new shoes, Fleet Feet is the place to go. Several of us went to buy our running shoes there because they can tell you how your foot is made and what kind of shoe is best. Fleet Feet is located on the Lawrenceville Square - visit their website.

We're also excited to share that we have 2 more runners joining us! Mary Mastrogiovanni from our Buford, GA office decided she couldn't miss out on the fun. And, one of our favorite visitors to Nicaragua and groom-to-be, Eli Stancel is also joining us.

Only a few runs left in Nicaragua and we'll all be headed back to Georgia! We can't wait to see our friends and family...and eat some delicious food!

2 long runs to go!!!

2010-07-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Sabrina here., checking in for the team!

We have only 2 more long runs to go. We all remeber when 8 miles was the long run; now we just get up and thank the marathon manual it is only 8 for a day!!! Oh how we have altered our perspective!!! Today was another 16 mile run and we were all praying passionately for rain. Unfortunately, the rain never came, but the sunrise was magnificent. So, yes, it was a good run.

I am always amazed by the beauty we see here,like the views of San Cristobal, and the silly things we must dodge in the road.....cows, bikes, tractors, cows, snakes. My reaction time for dodge ball will be great in the future!! I am also amazed that such an eclectic group of people can run with so much dedication for a common goal. If nothing else, this training has taught me alot about the tenacity of spirit when we know we are fighting for something worthwhile.

10 Weeks In and Going Strong!

2010-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

The idea was born in March 2010, when Jeremy Sutton somehow convinced 8 other full-time missionaries to prepare our minds and bodies to train for a marathon. We thought he was crazy. Most of us are not runners. Yes, we climb volcanos and can shovel material selecto all day long, but some of us had never run more than 2 miles at a time. Yet, somehow he convinced us to train in the hottest place on earth 4 days a week, wake up at 5:00AM on Saturday mornings to do our long runs together (our only morning to sleep in!), make sure we are eating the perfect amount of carbs, fruits, and veggies, and drink so much water that the Amigos well might go dry! Don't get us wrong - we still think that Jeremy is crazy - but his enthusiasm and encouragement spurred us all on to try it out.

We are now in our 10th week of marathon training here in Nicaragua! So far as a group, we've logged over 1600 miles training at the base of San Cristobal Volcano in Chinandega. We decided to run for a cause together, hoping that when we reach the most difficult parts of the marathon, we'll be able to focus on the fact that we're not just running for ourselves, but that the rural community of El Chonco will soon have a health clinic that will improve the lives of over 1200 people.

We hope you can help us reach our goal and spread the word, and please keep our minds and bodies in your prayers. You can follow the remaining 7 weeks of training on this blog. If anyone wants to meet us in Tupelo to cheer us on, we'd love to have you join us!