Back in May, when Coulee Region Christian School Principal Dan Odenbach promised his students he’d run 100 miles of competitive races this summer in return for them praying for him (he also solicited donations for the school), he knew that staying in shape was going to be tough.

“I’m not a competitive runner, so this is not easy for me — it’s something different and not natural. When I miss a few days of training it’s hard to come back to it,” admitted Odenbach. Still, he has been keeping up his end of the bargain.

He started with a 13-mile half marathon in the Twin Cities on June 1. He’s done multiple 10K (6-mile) runs and half marathons since and was up to about 75 miles last week. On July 4, he became ill but still ran in the Chileda 10K the next morning while under the weather. He ran in the Kornfest 10K recently and, once again, because of a virus he wasn’t feeling 100 percent.

In fact, there have been a lot of aches and pains associated with the training. Still, Odenbach feels a promise is a promise.

“I’m not even sure how many kids even know I’m doing this, but even so it’s been worthwhile. I believe I’m modeling the kind of character and integrity I’d like to see in the students,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing for kids to see an adult making a commitment to fitness.”

While all his students might not be aware of what he’s doing this summer, his West Salem neighbors apparently are. “Quite a few of them have seen ‘the crazy principal’ out running. They’ll ask, ‘How far today?’”

Odenbach found that the toughest challenge of all is setting aside the time to train. His training runs have been anywhere from six to 17 miles as he heads off toward Holmen or Mindoro.

“But a 15- or 16-mile run means two to three hours. As the principal of a growing school, as the father of three or just as someone who would like a little time for himself, there were many times when it would be easier just to not do,” Odenbach said. “There were plenty of times I’d rather of taken the kids to the pool or just got more work done.”

Of course, there have been personal benefits, too. “I’ve dropped 10 pounds, two inches from around my waist, and my blood pressure is down,” Odenbach said.

He had hoped to finish his summer mileage with a full marathon, but the marathon schedules in the Midwest did not permit that. He does plan on running in the Twin Cities Marathon in October, though (if there is still room to enter). All in all, he’ll have racked up more than 175 miles by then.

And in the process, he’s learned something about the rewards of fortitude. “When you’re out running in the country alongside a cornfield and you look to the top of the next hill, it’s kind of easy to quit and just walk your way up.

“It would definitely feel good, but if you keep at it and make it to the top of that hill, that’s an even better feeling — and after the top, there always seems to be a little downhill afterward,” he said.