Highway 6

Highway 6 is a road that runs across Iowa that links Council Bluffs on the western side of the state to Davenport on the eastern side of the state. At one time it was one of the most important roads in all of Iowa. With development of the Interstate system, much of Highway 6 has become a lesser used local road, but it is still there. The most interesting thing about Highway 6 is that construction was completed on June 25, 1910. Not only was it completed that day, but it was started that day as well. As a matter of fact, the 380-mile road known as Highway 6 in Iowa was built in one hour by 10,000 farmers. How long did it take for the last road construction project close to you? This makes me feel like I wasted my time last Saturday morning?

If someone were to ask, “Would it be possible to build a 380-mile road in an hour,” the resounding answer would be, “No way!” Keep in mind, there was no social media to organize. There wasn’t even the nightly news at that point!

But when you consider that each farmer was only responsible for an average of 200 feet of road, it seems much more doable, doesn’t it? And then look at the fact that farmers have tractors, and we’re talking about a time when most roads were made of dirt, and you can see it happening. An incredible achievement, to be sure, but it is not a stretch to believe it. When people get together, incredible things can happen, especially when those people are focused on the same goal.

It is amazing how much easier it is to do hard things when you have someone else working with you. And that goes for running too. I bet if you ask the most successful runners if they had people who helped them along the way, almost all of them would say yes. Most of the successful 5K Challenge graduates had someone who would babysit, or a spouse who supported them, or a friend who ran with them. Having help is a good thing. I’d even go so far as to say that it can be essential.

The problem is that many people don’t like to ask for help. And another significant portion of the population try to avoid crowds when possible. I fall into that group myself. Okay, actually, I’m in both groups! But you know what? I never regret running with someone else. I never regret going to a crowded place to run in a group. I may not ask for help, and I definitely feel like a fish out of water in crowds, but I could list dozens of people who have helped me on my running journey over the years.

I happen to be blessed with a drive to get out and run on my own, but many people are not wired that way. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to find a helper. There are running groups all over the country. There are runners in nearly every community. And there are many people who don’t know they need to run. They just need someone to talk them into it!

Find a group. Find a partner. Find someone, anyone, who can help you reach your goals.

The story of the farmers in Iowa reminds me of Nehemiah’s quest to restore the wall. Building the wall in Jerusalem was just as daunting as building a 380-mile road. Both seemed impossible to those around them. Nehemiah had to endure listening to the naysayers, and they got pretty loud. I bet there were naysayers in Iowa in 1910 too. And I know I’ve seen running naysayers.

One of the reasons Nehemiah was successful is that he knew he had a community of people who were also determined to succeed. When one farmer knew that there were 10,000 more with the same goal as him, it made the job much easier, and more exciting to boot!

Nehemiah rebuilt the wall 2500 years ago. The Iowa farmers built Highway 6 a hundred years ago, and we’re still talking about both of them. Because they were hard things to accomplish. Chances are your task is much smaller, but it is just as significant to you as a wall or a road was to those who completed them.

So, if you already have a support group, that’s great. If you don’t, what are you waiting for? Maybe you can even create your own by organizing a 5K Challenge class. You’d be amazed how rewarding that can be!