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Congratulations all:

Susan Haarman        07:23:27

Stephanie Treffert    7:57:50

Jeff Peak                     07:53:30

Relay Teams

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – GOLD         07:31:44

Swim: George Haarman      01:27:08

Bike:   MJ Supan                   03:53:20

Run:    Emily McGlynn        02:07:04

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – WHITE       06:10:14

Swim: Kristen Buecker        00:43:41

Bike:   Jonathan Potter         02:47:31

Run:    Katie Maslanka        02:33:38

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – VELA          06:20:24

Swim: Theresa Vela             00:40:39, 03:25:54

Run:    Lisa Vela                   02:06:40

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – CIA              07:41:32

Swim: Caitlin Reilly                        01:04:01

Bike:   Anna Villanueva      03:53:34

Run:    D. Adrian Manriquez          02:40:07

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – GREEN       6:30:41

Swim: Cassie Brownell       52:54

Bike:   Ray Carrico               3:15:03

Run:    Jessica Mueller         2:18:14

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – PURPLE     7:16:46

Swim: Gisele Calderon       30:37

Bike:   Bill Harris                  3:10:25

Run:    Katherine Doss         3:30:38

TEAM ENDURING HOPE — RED (times unavailable)

Swim: Jimmy Park

Bike:  Betsy Rafferty

Run:   Rose Spring

TEAM ENDURING HOPE – BLACK and GOLD (times unavailable)

Swim:  Brian Hong     —

Bike:    Matt DeBoer     3:24:37, 1:55

So as the race is a week away, I’ll have this song on repeat as I remember that Easter reminds us that you can put Hope in a grave, but it will never stay there.

Hello Hurricane

I’ve been watching the skies
They’ve been turning blood red
There is not a doubt in my mind
There’s a storm up ahead

(Chorus)

Hello Hurricane
You’re not enough
Hello Hurricane
You can’t silence my love
I’ve got doors and windows boarded up
All your dead end fury is not enough
You can’t silence my love

Everything I have I count as loss
Everything I have is stripped away
But before It started building
I counted up these costs
Ain’t nothing left for you to take away

(Chorus)

Hello Hurricane
You’re not enough
Hello Hurricane
You can’t silence my love
I’ve got doors and windows boarded up
All your dead end fury is not enough
You can’t silence my love

Im a fighter fighting for control
Im a fighter fighting for my soul
Everything inside of me surrenders
You can’t silence my love
You can’t silence my love

(Chorus)

Hello Hurricane
You’re not enough
Hello Hurricane
You can’t silence my love
I’ve got doors and windows boarded up
All your dead end fury is not enough
You can’t silence my love

I said Hello Hurricane

~~~Susan Haarman, Athletic Coordinator & Triathlete~~~

Because the weather is so nice, now half of Cal Berkeley’s campus has decided they want to enjoy the sun in the outdoor pools. So my normal workouts are clogged with 3 times the normal people, none of whom seems to understand how to swim laps in considerate ways.

One day was particularly frustrating. I’d been having a bad workout and three guys kept tearing down the length of the pool at top speed, swimming over me, knocking me around and generally making it rather impossible to get a workout in. What was particularly infuriating was the fact that the guys would tear down at top speed, knocking people out of the way, but then take 5 minute breaks after swimming one length.

As I held onto the far end of the pool, catching my breath after being elbowed in the face, I looked over and saw Mr. Grey Cap. Because of the regular hours I kept while I swam and the fact that I was swimming in November, December and January when there was steam coming off of the outdoor pool, I became familiar with other folks who were regulars. Although names were rarely exchanged you recognized folks by their faces and suits.

There was Ms. Green Suit, who did a backstroke workout on Friday; Yellow and Black Jammers, who always did a 1200 at blistering pace but never seemed bothered by my slower pace when we shared a lane; and Mr. Gray Cap, who was always there Tuesdays and Fridays swimming a slow steady pace, come rain or shine.

Mr. Gray Cap and I made eye contact and I made some comment about “Where were these folks in December?”

He just sighed and said, “Just ignore them. They’re just living from wall to wall…..”

The comment stuck with me. Sometimes I feel like I’m just living wall to wall, especially in my spiritual life, with no goal in sight but the short term. Short blasts of energy to get me there that ultimately leave me exhausted and might have taken someone else out in the process. Worst of all, there’s not much room for God and no real sense of something bigger than myself. I pray when I need something, but that’s about it.

Living Wall to Wall is a terrible, inefficient way to swim and its a worse way to live. Steady, disciplined and sometimes even boringly slow swimming leads to great workouts and that satisfied peaceful sort of tired instead of exhaustion.  I keep reminding myself of the God who wants to spend time with me all the time, not just when its exciting or beautiful out. The God who is just as excited to spend time with me on raining Thursdays in November in my life along with the sunny spring afternoons.

Prayer and Life are about more than just the next goal, next job, next milestone, next wall. They are also about the big vision and the little moments, and every slow, steady lap in between.

I got to thinking that an alternative Spring Break in New Orleans is deceiving.  First, what’s so alternative about working hard and having fun with all your friends and others your age? Second, the weather (with some exception) is fantastic!  You can sit out on your porch or deck and bask in the sun obtain all your needed  Vitamin D. Last, New Orleans is a real touristy town with sites to see, entertainment to be a part of, and “locals” to experience.

Yes.  These Alternative Spring Break trips run the risk of not being alternative at all… that is, when we forget why we have come.

Most of the high school and college students who come are here because someone else they knew had a good experience and felt useful to someone other than themselves. Group after group, people come to be changed.  New Orleans does that.  Working alongside others does that.  Sharing a meal with others does that.

This race could also be deceiving… set in the beautiful contours of New Orleans in the early spring, this 70.3 IronMan is the fastest course and serves as an IronMan qualifier.  Yet, swimmers still must successfully swim 1.2 miles in Lake Pontchartrain in the company of hundreds around them.  Bicyclists must bike 56 miles in and around New Orleans East with limited people and natural beauty to keep them distracted and/or encouraged.  Runners must still run 13.1 miles as the fanciful City Park and Esplanade Ridge offer an enchanting backdrop to their pace.

Yet, all these athletes have their reasons for participating.  Some are racing because they have volunteered many times over the past 54 months to assist in the rebuilding.  Some are racing because this is home and they wanted a personal challenge.  And some are racing because someone simply asked if they would.

However we got to rebuilding this city or participating in this race, neither experience is a joke or something to be taken lightly.

I am continually impressed by the commitment people make to others during this incredibly trying time in the Nation’s history.  We are in the middle of a huge waiting game.  Waiting to rebuild.  Waiting for funds.  Waiting to get this race over with.  Waiting to pass my comprehensive exams or to graduate. Waiting for my hurting body to feel better.  Waiting for my family to come together again.  Waiting…

Some are even waiting for God, too.  Or perhaps… we must wait with God.

Allow God to be present with you as you train, as you re-build, as you endure.  Be with God in that space, and together, wait in hope for the coming of the kin-dom.  And may God’s presence bring much anticipated peace… the peace that is beyond all understanding, as we all continue to challenge ourselves to do our part diligently, respectfully, and harmoniously.

Jocelyn A. Sideco, Spiritual Coach and Executive Director of Contemplatives in Action

On a recent sunny Sunday I had a three hour workout and I passed the same group picnicking twice in a two hours period. While wearing a unitard.

When the father of the group protectively grabbed at his children the second time I passed them, I began to wonder at the normalcy of my behavior.

But then what is normal? Is it silly for me to be out on a sunny Sunday training, enjoying my day, keeping my promises, forming my character and talking to Jesus?

And what about the recovery? Isn’t it foolish to rebuild a city that’s below sea level?

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are” – 1 corinthians 1:26-28

After thinking of all the clever stories I could share with y’all about the symbolism of Mardi Gras, instead I want to tell you about Shirley.

Contemplatives in Action tries to be open regularly between the hours of 9am-7pm Monday-Friday.  Some people think this “presence” is excessive, because it is highly unlikely that walk-ins come to us … afterall, we barely advertise our ministry and we have no signage outside our home.

But I am convinced that by being present we are available to others in their most sincere need.  One day this past November proved this theory right.

Our friend, Lynn, came to the door with her son, JJ. For all we knew, their family returned to Chicago after their volunteer experience a few years ago.  We see volunteers return for a weekend/week regularly, so I didn’t think much of it.

Lynn proceeded to tell me that her family had moved to New Orleans about  year and a half ago, and today they finally had a moment to stop by.  She continues to get our newsletter updates and has tried repeatedly to make her way to us since moving here. She was so glad to see me answer the door! After all this time, she wanted to introduce me to her relative, Shirley.

Turns out, Shirley lives in our neighborhood.  After Hurricane Katrina, she evacuated to Chicago and stayed with Lynn’s family.  Shirley finally returned to her home in New Orleans just last year.  She has subsequently hit hard times — her son has a severe learning disorder and has an abusive girlfriend.  Shirley needs medical care, but her part-time job at a local fast food restaurant doesn’t offer a plan.  Their house may be taken away if they can’t catch up with the property taxes, and they are without heat and electricity.

I got to know Shirley one afternoon while helping her collect a bag of food at the nearby church pantry, gave her my contact information, and waited to hear back from her as to what she may need help with.

I had not heard or seen Shirley until I ran into her at the grocery store last night.  She had brought a stroller to help carry pet food back to her home.

I learned that it usually takes her 1.5 hours to walk to work, and the parade routes during Mardi Gras are smack-dab in the middle of her walk.  It took her a good 10 minutes just to cut through the people assembled on the corner of Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas!

She was glad to receive blankets and towels from us while her friend takes care of the electrical work on her house.  She was also glad for the ride halfway to work because that gave her more time to spend with her family.

Shirley has a great smile and her eyes glow with curiosity and hope.  Although she is persistent in her efforts to rebuild her life,  she’s tired and quite honestly, needs more than a pack of Slim Jim’s to tide her over until her next half-bag of charity groceries.

She is working hard, always on her feet, to support her family.  She is alone taking care of herself and others, yet her generosity and diligence are excessive!

I do this ministry for people like Shirley… that perhaps every now and again, she may get a ride from the grocery store or get a new towel to give to her neighbor, or maybe even decide to feed herself because everyone else has been taken care of already.

My favorite memory of Mardi Gras this year: driving around with Shirley trying to cross over the police-barricaded street corners to get her to work on time.

Here’s to Team Enduring Hope!  Keep it up team!  Keep on sharing the stories of why racing for New Orleans is not just important, but it’s a matter of life and death.

Jocelyn A. Sideco, Spiritual Coach and Executive Director of Contemplatives in Action

Then what kind of life would we live? What would it mean for the world?

~~Susan Haarman, Triathlete & Athletic Coordinator~~