Van 2

VAN 2 - A Lesson in Team Building
This week I was supposed to talk all about the gift of encouragement. Please allow me to sidetrack. I promise to get back to that next week (unless something else comes up - ha ha).

Last Thursday I flew to Portland, OR to participate in a race called Hood to Coast. For those of you that don't know what Hood to Coast is - it is a 197 mile relay race that starts at Mt. Hood and ends at the beach in Oregon. It is a truly amazing experience.

And when I say an amazing experience, I don't say it because of the actual race. That is fun, challenging and a truly incredible accomplishment. I use the word amazing to describe the team building and friendship making that goes on before, during and after the race.

A team is made up of 12 runners. Each team uses 2 vans - 6 in each van (for those of you reading this before you drink your coffee this morning, I figured I would do the math for you). Van 1 runs the first 6 legs, van 2 runs legs 7 - 12.

I was in Van 2. The only person I knew was my boss, Barry. I was introduced to the other 4 runners the night before the race at a BBQ. They seemed nice. Boy, nice doesn't even begin to describe these individuals.

The next day we head out and our individual personalities start kicking in. We had the encourager (me), the daddy (Jay), the blogger (Kelly), the boss (Barry), the early adopter (Scott) and the saver (Bill). Each of us bonding in an environment where teams are either built up or broken down. We were lucky to have a team that lifted each of us up. We knew we would all get along, but none of us expected the kind of friendship we built as we physically, emotionally and mentally challenged ourselves in a race dubbed "The mother of all relays."

By the end of the race we had each used our God given gifts to motivate and encourage each other to accomplish the most rigorous physical test most of us have ever gone through. Without each other we would not have made those late night legs. Without each other our friends and family would not have shared the experience through the blog that was created. Without each other we would have had to run the leg our bodies wouldn't allow us to run. Without each other we would have never made it to the next stop in time. Without each other we would have never taken the time to rehydrate and stretch. And, without each other we wouldn't have laughed hysterically while watching YouTube videos of crazy news stories.

No matter what "race" you are running today, we all need team members to lift us up when we are down. To cheer for us from the sidelines. To give us courage as we take on challenges that we have never taken on before. And, most importantly, to allow us to continue running even when we are in pain (either physical or emotional).

Who do you have in your van?