🎙️ SHOW NOTES
Episode 279 — Running By Faith : The Newborn Giraffe
Welcome back to the Upward Running Podcast—where faith fuels your fitness journey. Host Coach Dean Thompson and Upward Running Director Mitchell Hollis return with stories of rucking in the Florida heat, lessons from the dog days of summer, and a powerful fictitious story called Running by Faith: The Story of Marcus.
This week’s conversation also covers an inspiring community post on rescue (Psalm 18), the Row 12 Ministries fundraiser 10K, reflections on suffering and perseverance, Dean’s Thoughts on the newborn giraffe, and even how AI is being used to detect doping in sports. From tragic news in the running world to joyful reminders of God’s Word, this episode connects running, life, and faith in powerful ways.
In This Episode:
- Mitchell’s 7.6-mile rucking adventure in 94° heat
- The origin of the phrase “dog days of summer”
- Community highlight: Katherine’s chicken rescue story and Psalm 18
- Run of the Week: Hawkins 10K for Row 12 Ministries
- Trivia: first woman to break 2 minutes in the 800m (Hildegard Falck, 1971)
- Story spotlight: Running by Faith — Marcus’s journey
- Scriptures on suffering, perseverance, and grace (James 1, Romans 5, 2 Corinthians 12)
- Dean’s Thoughts: The Newborn Giraffe—why hard starts make us stronger
- News: Company in China bases employee bonuses on running mileage
- Feature: AI detecting doping in sports—promise and pitfalls
Highlights:
- Rucking is like compound interest in pain—it builds discomfort fast
- Scripture always ages well; its applications grow as life changes
- Rescue parallels: God pulls us from deep waters because He delights in us (Psalm 18)
- Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope (Romans 5)
- Dean’s giraffe analogy: sometimes God knocks us down to make us stronger
- Physical discipline (running) can shape spiritual discipline
- AI may transform both doping detection and future performance breakthroughs
From Coach Dean:
- Don’t despise suffering—it produces strength and endurance in faith and running
- See everyday life through the lens of scripture parallels
- Take risks, let yourself (and your kids) fail forward—it’s how growth happens
- God’s grace is sufficient; our weakness is where His power shines
“Don’t be surprised when life knocks you down—it may be God preparing you to stand stronger.” – Coach Dean
Join Couch to Marathon
We’re launching multiple starting points for the 54-week Couch to Marathon program—including September and January. Go from your very first mile to a marathon finish line with coaching, community support, and faith-based encouragement.
Upward Running members get access to all training plans, devotionals, and the full RunClub App community.
Community & App
- Join conversations and challenges inside the Upward Running App
- Membership: $9.97/month or $98/year for training, courses, Dean’s Thoughts, and Run Club Social
- Coming soon: Garmin & Apple Watch sync, guided workouts, expanded training plans
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend, leave us a review, or tag us on social. Your stories inspire us!
Links & Resources
- Row 12 Ministries
- White Oak Pastures (Will Harris)
- UpwardRunning.com — membership, training plans, and app info
Scripture & Motivation
- “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1
- “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
- Motivational thought: “Running teaches us that we are capable of more than we ever imagined.” – Patty Sue Palmer