Cal.E. is still in protective custody, but she may use her phone once per day. She is still mad at her dad, so she contacted me, but she can only text. This is how our conversation went.
d.: How are you today, Cal.E?
C.: I have found inner peace, my friend. Being put in here was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. I have “found myself.” How are you, d.c.?
d.: I am excited. onlinebookclub.org is putting a review of my book, “Precision” on their website until December 14. I am anxious to read it.
C.: tell me what it says when you finish reading it, d.c. I must get back to my cell now. I will try to text you tomorrow
,.
And now, Chapter twelve of "Beyond the thirteenth Mile: The Iron Man Chronicles."
CHAPTER 12:
FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE
Marathon mile one: I will walk until about mile five. Then I will try to run. If I can do that, maybe I can finish in around 14 hours. That would be a respectable time.
Walking with this group is a good way to distract me from the pain I am feeling in my feet and weary legs, although I do NOT feel like doing what they are doing. Singing is just not my thing. Besides, I need to save my breath to finish this run course. My asthma may act up. I need for my lungs to be as rested as possible to keep that from happening. I also want to avoid having an asthma attack, since I cannot carry my inhaler with me. I should probably take a pull off of my asthma inhaler at the aid station when it is offered, even if I am NOT having an asthma attack. Inhaling oxygen will also help my legs to recover more quickly.
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IN the meantime, my distraction will be thinking about something pleasant, like when I proposed marriage to Nicole. Even though I am a writer, the apostle Paul said what was in my heart much better than I ever could have....
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''And now these three remain, faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love."
I Corinthians 13:13
This is the last verse of the passage I chose to read to Nicole on the night I proposed to her. It is, to me, the most beautiful passage in the whole Bible. The apostle Paul said what was in my heart better than any cleverly worded poem that I ever could have written.
We had talked about the possibility of marriage for a month or two, but no plans had ever been finalized. It was time, Nicole informed me, to make a decision. I thought of ways to propose...
I heard about one triathlete who, upon crossing the finish line of an IronMan distance triathlon, went directly to his intended and presented her with an engagement ring. News reporters, picking up on the gist of the situation, recorded the whole event for the world to see. Another brand new Ironman carried a sign across the finish line asking his girlfriend to marry him. Unfortunately, the object of the young man's affection had decided to take an ill-timed break from the festivities. A little help from the crowd, who chanted the potential bride-to-be’s name until she appeared, helped to remedy the situation. It resulted in the originally desired effect-a yes answer to the question on the cardboard sign.
Such shenanigans, while original, I knew were not quite my style. A quiet dinner, maybe a card with a handwritten note, would be more in line with my demeanor. Still, I had to give that young bicycle cop (as well as the card carrier) their due, because the two of them had taken their two passions in life and intertwined them.
Many people that I train with may not believe this, but racing is not my top priority in life. No, I only started training to accomplish two things-first, to get into shape, and secondly to get closer to Luke and show him a different perspective on his ideals. I think that both of my objectives were accomplished, (as I write this, I have lost over 40 pounds; and Luke later disclosed that his father led him to make a profession of faith).
The desire to compete, to improve, and to challenge me to do things that I would have never dreamed of trying, even as an energetic teenager, still grew stronger every day. That desire, however, and the satisfaction that goes along with the accomplishments it provides, could never replace my desire to have someone in my life that I knew I could trust with my well-being.
I had never met anyone before that, not only did I feel I could let my guard down; I never felt the need to raise it in the first place. This was extremely unusual for me. I had had some female friends with whom I felt comfortable confiding about my relationships, but I had never had a confidant and a girlfriend before-Nicole was both. Even now, she will patiently wait for me to finish a race or a training ride, and, because she is so familiar with my abilities, will know when something has gone wrong. During both of the races that I didn't finish, she convinced volunteers to look for me, because she knew it was taking me too long to finish the leg of the race-course that I was on.
If someone is that in tune with another in something as inconsequential (in the overall scheme of life) as a race, then how much more is she inclined to be in tune with you in other aspects of your life?
To finish this part of my story, Nicole said yes, and we set about to find a date for our nuptials.
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