Category: Motivation

Did It Break Me?

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August 7, 2025

Running has been a bit of a struggle for me this summer. My longest run was seven miles. I most frequently run only three to four miles. A five-mile run (which I did this morning) is a long run for me these days.

My last big race, the Walt Disney World Marathon, (in January of this year) came as the last leg of the Dopey Challenge, a series of four races, each a bit longer than the one previous, over four days. (A 5k, followed by a 10k, followed by a half-marathon, followed by the full marathon – 48.6 miles in total.)

That marathon, the 27th of my “career,” was the last marathon I’ll ever run.

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YOU CAN DO MORE!

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Last January, I completed the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, 48.6 miles of races over four days ending with the WDW Marathon. It was awesome!

After the race, I continued running, but I also couldn’t ignore discomfort that became very real pain in my left Achilles tendon. (I had surgery on my right Achilles in 2020.) I visited my doctor who shut me down from running and began a rehab program to heal the pain (a small tear) in my Achilles. I stopped running in mid-to-late March. I didn’t run at all in April. And, until today, May 24, I hadn’t run in May.

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Life After 26.2

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As I got clobbered on the hills of Pittsburgh on the second half of the marathon in May 2023, I swore that that was my last marathon.  I was miserable.  I struggled.  There is a certain hell that one goes through in the upper miles of a marathon.  In that race, my 24th marathon, I’d had it. 

I quit marathoning more than a thousand times over the final miles on the unforgiving hills of Pittsburgh.

Only… 

I didn’t quit.

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DOPEY!!!

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Well, I did it.

I did the Dopey Challenge. 48.6 total miles of running.

On Thursday, January 9, I ran the Walt Disney World 5k

On Friday, January 10, I ran the Walt Disney World 10K

On Saturday, January 11, I ran the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon

and, on Sunday, January 2, I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon.

Four races, each longer than the next, over four days.

I have been wanted to run this series of races for over a decade.

And I did them. All pretty well, too.

Running the half-marathon and the full on consecutive days is Goofy.

Running all four of the races is Dopey.

But it was awesome and great and wonderful.

NYC Marathon Sermon 2024

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Each year, at the start of the TCS Marathon, I serve as one of the chaplains who run the Non-Denominational Christian Service for the runners in the Start Village.

The following is the sermon I delivered this year before the big race:

Marathon Sermon 2024

I am going to begin this year’s message with a passage from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 9:

“You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!”

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Just Be You

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I used to run a lot of 5K races.  I never won any, but I enjoyed running as fast as I could for just over the three miles that those races cover.  I’d race against other runners, but in actuality, I would really be racing against myself.  

A few weeks ago, I ran my first true 5K race in six years. 

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Uncomfortable

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I don’t want to do this. I am dreading doing this.

The NYC Marathon is 8 weeks away and my training has not gone well. I did 12.3 miles earlier today. That might sound nice, but I should be up to 15 or more miles by now.

I’m struggling with the long runs. I just don’t have the endurance.

I’m also running out of time. 8 weeks isn’t a lot of time.

My body is sore and tired. My legs are heavy.

I do not want to do this.

But, I’m going out for a run. I need to get a few more miles under my belt.

If I’m going to comple the NYC Marathon, I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

I wish there was another way…

28,433 (When Is Enough… Enough?)

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I Love running.

I run, a lot.

I have been running for decades.

I have completed 25 marathons. This fall I’ll be running the New York City Marathon (for the 11th time) and then, in January, I’ll do the Dopey Challenge at Disney World.

Tomorrow, I turn 56-years-old.

I still play baseball as a pitcher. I exercise every single day, usually twice a day. This (of course) includes a lot of running.

I run, a lot.

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My Book: 365.2 – Featured on the WOFC Podcast

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Here is the Podcast link: https://ksje.podbean.com/e/write-on-four-corners-with-delsheree-gladden-interview-with-paul-semendinger-1719863217/

Click on the image below for link to purchase the book:

From the Write On Four Corners Podcast:

“Dr. Paul Semendinger returns to the show this week to discuss his newest book, “365.2: Going the Distance: A Runner’s Journey,” which details his effort to run every day for an entire year. He talks about the challenges he faced on his quest to achieve his goal and how he motivated himself to keep moving forward. “

Life…Is Good!

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It’s been a busy few weeks.

It’s been a busy few months.

It’s always busy.

And that’s a good thing.

Life is good!

And I’m saving the best news until the end of this article…

***

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