MANSFIELD, Ohio — Rick Cline of Lexington always considered himself a “non-athlete.”
“I was the kid that always got picked last in gym class when they were picking teams,” he said.
But he knew it was important to take care of his health, so he exercised here and there in the comfort of his home.
His youngest son, who works a sedentary job, wanted to be more active, “and for some reason he picked running,” Rick said. “So I told him, ‘If you run, I’ll run.'”
Beginning in December of 2014, the two laced up their running shoes and worked toward the goal of completing the OhioHealth Capital City 5K in Columbus.
Rick said it was exciting to see them both build their endurance. Only occasionally would he ask himself, “What am I doing?” while out on a run, he said with a laugh.
As they progressed as runners, Cline’s wife and daughter-in-law took notice and were inspired to hit the pavement, too. They walked the Christmas in July 5K that summer.
Darlene, Rick’s wife, said she, like Rick, didn’t have much of an athletic background. In 2001, she suffered from a stroke that paralyzed the right side of her body. She fortunately regained her strength and tried to stay healthy by eating right and walking every so often.
As walking become a regular part of her routine, she gradually started picking up her pace.
She said she signed up for a 5K that required participants to be able to complete each mile in 15 minutes or less. “I thought there is no way because I started out doing 18 minutes (per mile),” she said. Much to her surprise, she ran the whole way, clocking each mile in under 12 minutes.
Over the year, the Clines completed a number of races. Rick said he worked his way up to a 15K, which is roughly nine miles.
In September, the couple participated in the Steps of Faith 5K in Westerville. They noticed that many of the runners sported t-shirts with the phrase “Run for God,” which piqued their curiosity.
“When we did that 5K, I ran a little bit and then I’d walk,” Darlene said. “I was walking at one point and somebody came up behind me, they had on a Run for God shirt, and they said, ‘Here’s a hill–take advantage of it.’ They were encouraging me,” she said, with tears welling up in her eyes.
The Clines wanted to know more about “Run for God,” so they asked around and did some research on their own to find that it was a running program with a Christian focus.
They looked to see if the program had been brought the area, ultimately learning that it wasn’t–not yet anyway.
After talking it over with their church leadership at Berean Baptist Church, they commenced the process of starting a local Run for God program at Berean.
The 12-week program offers a guide and training plan aimed at running a 5K.
Participants meet weekly in a group setting for discussion. Rick said the weekly sessions will feature guest speakers who will provide tips on healthy nutrition, stretching exercises, etc.
While the program is geared toward beginners, people of all levels of experience are welcome to participate.
There are two identical sessions to choose from, beginning Sunday, Jan. 17 at 10:45 a.m. and Monday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. in Room 213 at Berean Baptist Church. To register, log on to the Run for God website, click on “find a class or club,” click on “Ohio,” then choose between the Sunday morning or Monday evening session.
The Clines said they’re looking forward to getting started. They appreciate how the program not only encourages participants in their journey to fitness, but also their Christian walk. They said it’s a blend of the two, paralleling faith and endurance.
One of the things they appreciate about running/walking is that is provides them an opportunity to commune with God.
Darlene said that while she’s running or walking she often meditates on the verse (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
“I (run) for the glory of God,” she said.
