Prairie Steps

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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Redirect To New Website

Thank you for viewing this page. I am now redirecting to www.prairiesteps.com. Please click on the link and come join the adventure!

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See more posts about the following trails:

lehigh portland trails (3)
Prairie Spirit Trail (14)
Southwind rail-trail (1)
Southwind trail (1)

About Prairie Steps:

Someone may ask "Why in the world is your brand called 'Prairie Steps?' What does that even mean?" Well, here is the backstory...

While living in Oklahoma, studying to be a Baptist minister, I somehow found myself running ultra marathons (distances of 30, 50, and even 100 miles). It seemed like such a crazy thing for a guy like me to be doing, and even though I had no particular talent and was never a competitive runner, I felt the need to share my running/hiking adventures that, for me, usually became metaphors of Biblical principles about enduring, fighting, and pressing on in "the faith." I started a blog called "Life is an Ultramarathon" (which landed me about 6 followers. Woohoo!).

A few years later, I moved back to Kansas and began working as a youth minister and assistant to the pastor in the small town of Iola. In only a few months after moving there, I was out running one morning and slipped a patch of ice, shattering my tibia/fibula bones in my left leg. The doctor assured me my ultra running days were over. After about a year, I was certain he was right! I was determined, however, to at least get back to long distance hiking.

I began hiking on the Prairie Spirit Trail (part of the Kansas rail-trails system) regularly with a walking stick, usually in great pain. Those hikes became a wonderful time of reflection, self-examination, and prayer. Eventually, I wanted to share the experience with the teens I ministered to, and so I organized some devotional hikes with them in the summer and called the hikes "Prairie Steps."

Of course, there is no "prairie" on the trail; not really. There are a few fields here and there of prairie grasses, but nothing like the prairies that once covered much of the Great Plains. Still, it seemed fitting to me that I should keep the name. I changed the name of my blog from "Life is an Ultramarathon" to "Prairies Steps" and the brand was born.

To my surprise, by the grace of God I was able to return to running ultra distances again (still slow and non-competitive). I continue to run and hike on that trail as well as other more challenging, technical trails that I can find around the area. In addition, I create artwork that reflects the nature of my trail hikes/runs, and I share my work with others.

Keep following and join the adventure. Great things are happening.

1984-My first race

1984-My first race

Turkey Trot 5k

2006-Second race (22 yrs later)

2006-Second race (22 yrs later)

Bluff Creek 12k trail run

2006-First ultra marathon (in fact, first race over half marathon)

2006-First ultra marathon (in fact, first race over half marathon)

Mother Road 100 (part 1)

2007-Next "finished" ultra (after a disappointing DNF 40 miler)

2007-Next "finished" ultra (after a disappointing DNF 40 miler)

Heartland 50

2013-First race after shattering my tibia/fibula

2013-First race after shattering my tibia/fibula

Prairie Spirit Trail 50

2014

Fall Prairie Spirit Trail 50

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