Watch Big Bear’s Ryan Hall run the Boston Marathon live Monday at 6:30am PST, Charter Channel 305, KNBC 4.4 with a digital (DTV) receiver, or online at www.universalsports.com.

The California Recreation and Park Society awarded our community’s Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall campaign its Champion of the Community Award, which is given to organizations for outstanding public service in the support of “Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs.” Recipients are chosen based upon their significant effort to influence and improve the quality of their community through parks, recreation and community service. At the local presentation ceremony (pictured) we were told that hundreds state-wide compete annually for this distinction and that it is a big deal in the Park and Rec world. Cool. It was a great experience to help out made even better with this nice recognition.

As I get older, it becomes increasingly clear to me that our attitude is the single biggest influence on our lives. So many times I have witnessed people torpedoing themselves because they adopt a destructive attitude and give up their power by blaming others. Far fewer times I have seen people rise to the top because they choose to accept responsibility and adopt a positive attitude.

Ryan Hall’s latest personal blog entry reminds me WHY he is a champion. Yes, he is probably gifted with physical attributes that makes him well-suited for running, but that alone cannot make him, or anyone, a successful athlete. Success relies on attitude. After his 10th place Beijing Olympic Marathon finish, Ryan doesn’t complain or blame, yet he is still honest about his feelings. He is grateful for what was, chooses to see the good, yet still presses on. He has the ATTITUDE of a Champion.

Read the words of a Champion – Ryan’s post-Olympic Marathon blog: http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2008/08/ryan-hall-post-olympic-blog-entry/

A Ryan Hall interview on the Great Wall of China the day after the 2008 Olympic Marathon:

What a thrill last night to watch our own Ryan Hall run the Olympic Marathon in Beijing. Seeing him line up in China with the fastest marathoners in the world gave me chills. Ryan was considered a medal contender and the build-up, especially here in his hometown of Big Bear, was huge. While Ryan’s 10th place finish means he won’t be returning home with any extra hardware, his performance still is exceptional and points to an increasingly bright future. Remember, Ryan is only 25, his first Olympics was only his 4th marathon, and yet he already ranks among the running world’s elite.

It sure is nice when things go perfectly, and admittedly it would have been incredible last night if Ryan Hall had medalled in the Beijing Marathon. But in my experience, a perfect performance can be hard to come by, and the times that things go perfectly are in fact rare. And that is why they are so special. If perfect was commonplace, no one would care. Perfect, again? Ho, hum.

The thing about Ryan that resonated most with me from the very beginning was they way he dealt with challenges, setbacks and disappointment. It’s easy when things go well. It’s when things are tough that we really discover who we are and what we are made of. To me, it’s not Ryan’s accomplishments that are most impressive (even though they are pretty impressive), it’s what he endured on the way to those accomplishments that are most inspiring. I am curious to see what Ryan does with this latest gift of 10th place.

Last week at Big Bear High School‘s Back To School Night, I was in my daughter’s AP US History classroom with her teacher, Mr. Hahn. He had a quote up on the wall that seems especially appropriate:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to go on that counts.”

Amen. Keep Running, Ryan.

If you are planning on watching Ryan Hall run the Olympic Marathon in person, or are just curious where the course goes, the Beijing Olympic Marathon Course Map below shows the route that begins at Tian’anmen Square and ends in the National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest.”

Screen version: Beijing Olympic Marathon Course Map (JPG)
Printable version: Beijing Olympic Marathon Course Map (PDF)

If you won’t find yourself in China on August 24th at 7:30am, you can watch it on the West Coast on Saturday, August 23rd at 6:30pm (PST) on NBC. The marathon broadcast will be live on the East Coast (coverage begins at 7:30pm EST) and delayed a couple hours in the West. Beijing is 15 hours ahead of the West Coast, which means Ryan will actually be running at 4:30pm local Big Bear Lake time.

Local Big Bear fans have a few different ways to catch Ryan’s Olympic Marathon debut: Residents with Charter cable can watch the delayed KNBC feed as mentioned above on Channel 4 (104.2 in HD or 784 on Digital Service) beginning at 6:30pm PST. Satellite subscribers can pick up the live East Coast WNBC feed beginning at 4:30pm PST (Channel 241 on Dish or 82 on DirecTV). There will be a gathering at the Convention Center in Big Bear City that will watch the delayed feed at 6:30pm with doors opening at 2pm. Sandy’s Sports Restaurant will show the live East Coast feed at 4:30pm. Radio station KBHR will also be broadcasting reports live from Beijing via Mayor Rick Herrick.

Last night on television I watched the amazing Opening Ceremonies in Beijing. It was quite a show, but what really moved me was what I saw before hand. An hour before the Opening Ceremonies began, NBC aired a show called, “The Road to Beijing,” where they highlighted key Olympic athletes. I had heard our local hero Ryan Hall was going to be included, and I kept watching and waiting. And as I watched and waited, I noticed the caliber of the athletes kept getting more significant, and that NBC was staging athletes in a specific order to keep you watching. Finally at the end they showed the segment on Ryan, followed by the final piece on Kobe Bryant. Ryan, then Kobe. Our Ryan next to Kobe. I liked that.

The Road to Beijing segment on Ryan was great to watch. Its one thing to see the familiar sites around Big Bear on a daily basis. Its another to see them through the eyes of a network camera. It reminds you just how beautiful it is here in Big Bear. I must admit seeing our Move a Million Miles work on national television was also a huge thrill. I’ve never seen my artwork on television, and I got a kick out of the scenes of Ryan in front of the Coldwell Banker thermometer banner and all the kids with red Run Ryan Run hats. It feels good when your hard work gets noticed. Especially on network TV.

After the Road to Beijing segment, the NBC lead-up to the actual Opening Ceremonies began, and again there was our Ryan, running beside our Lake, showcased among the top athletes in the world, while millions of people watched. I really liked that. I wonder how many others Big Bear residents understand the value of such publicity for our Valley. With the Opening Ceremonies over, I finally went to bed, I’m sure, smiling ear to ear. This morning I was greeted with a very kind e-mail from Ryan’s mother, Susie Hall, thanking us for our efforts on the Move a Million Miles campaign. I wrote her back and said you’re welcome, but really, thank you for Ryan and for helping create this incredible experience and opportunity we all get to share in.

It’s not everyday a small town gets to embrace their own Olympic athlete. We’ve been told that Big Bear’s unprecedented Million Mile Campaign is historic and that no athlete has ever received that level of support. Ryan has said he thinks this Campaign will help give him an advantage in Beijing. I can’t wait to see what happens when he runs the marathon on August 23rd.

Months ago when planning, we all thought it would be a fitting gesture – a send-off event to celebrate Ryan and the Big Bear Community that supported him. We had no clue how many people would show up, and when it started raining, I feared folks would stay home. But in true Big Bear fashion (we seem to have a way with the weather up here and can even summon snow to put out fires), the skies cleared and gave way to a remarkable event.

Thousands showed up on August 5th to wish Ryan Hall good luck. Hundreds of children ran around the Middle School track, the same track where Ryan first discovered running, to celebrate their participation in the Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall Campaign. Major media covered the event and the emotion. Many tears were shed, including some from Ryan. “I’m glad I am wearing my Oakleys so you can’t see me crying,” he said. As Ryan ran around the track, arm after arm reached out to him in support.

And to top it all off, we actually surpassed our goal of a million miles, and did so a few weeks early. Back in December when we began work on the Move A Million Miles Campaign, we really didn’t know if we would make it. A million was a big number, and we didn’t have very much time to pursue it. How do we motivate thousands of people to move and log a million miles? But through the hard work and support of a dedicated community, we did it. We presented Ryan a banner with 1,203,556 miles on it. Right here in little ‘ol Big Bear.

The Lighthouse Project has partnered with the Big Bear Valley Trails Coalition for the Bike Ride for Ryan on Saturday, May 24. Join us for a “Day of Biking” with the Lighthouse Project’s “Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall” Campaign, a community spirit initiative that encourages an active lifestyle by supporting Big Bear running hero Ryan Hall’s quest for 2008 Olympic Marathon gold this summer in Beijing, China. Our goal on this day is to simply get as many people as possible to ride their bikes as many miles as they can in support of Ryan.

Check-in is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, with all rides completed by 3:00pm. Optional Guided Rides begin at 10:30am, as does the City of Big Bear Lake’s official ribbon cutting for its new bike routes. The rides stage and begin at the Snow Summit overflow parking lot on Brownie Lane. There is no cost or registration fee for this free event. We want your miles, not your money. Riders who have checked-in prior to their ride and logged their mileage when finished riding will receive a free special Ryan Hall ASICS tee shirt and complimentary Gatoraide. Bike riders of all types and skill levels are encouraged to attend, with several ride options available.

Here’s a printable PDF version of one of the bike maps I did for the Ride:
Bike Ride for Ryan Map – Eagle Point Loop, Big Bear Lake, CA (PDF)
I hope to see you there!

After an especially good road ride in Palm Springs, I was in a bike shop rattling off a bunch of statistics about our local Big Bear running hero, Ryan Hall. (He’s an exceptional athlete who will be representing the USA in the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, China, and the fastest American-born marathoner EVER.) The shop owner commented that I sounded like either a groupie or a stalker. His comment made us laugh, and I responded that I was neither – just a dedicated volunteer helping with the Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall campaign. Won’t you, too, help us by getting up, getting out, and moving? You’ll feel much better for it. You might even become a groupie.

Big Bear’s Lighthouse Project has launched a community spirit initiative, “Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall,” which challenges the community surrounding Big Bear Lake, California to get up and out, and “move a million miles” between now and Big-Bear-native Ryan Hall’s August 24 marathon race date in Beijing, China during the 2008 Summer Olympic games. I’ve been helping out with the campaign, and even had a chance to meet and run with Ryan and his wife Sara. Support the campaign and report your miles here.