I am Resolved...

So starts a favorite hymn. So ends 2007. Well, not exactly. I've got nothing against resolutions, in fact I just left Alicia's blog after voting on her poll concerning the same topic, however, resolutions seem destined to be broken, and there are some things that I want to change in 2008 and some goals I want to accomplish for which failure is not an option.

I'm going to end 2007 with a "personal" blog, sharing with you my "resolutions" for 2008.

1) Patience with my Children. Colossian 3:21 (NIV)21Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

2) Show my Wife I love her on a daily basis. Colossians 3:19 (NIV)19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

3) Improve my personal relationship with God. This is a broad spectrum, but trust me when I say that it's a big project. As I've learned from exercise experiences, small sustainable changes lead to real change. Changing all of me overnight is not typically how God works to refine us, and doing it on my own is impossible.

4) Improved physical fitness. This includes reducing my body fat content, improving general fitness scores, and changing my eating habits and those of my family.

5) Financial Peace. No not to the extremes Dave Ramsey advocates, although I find no fault in his philosophy. I will be working to further reduce my family's indebtedness, improve our saving's contributions, secure financial security for my family, with or without me, and of course, continue to leave the credit card companies disappointed because we don't use their products as frequently as they'd like us to and preferrably, not at all.

That pretty much sums it up. I'm wrapping up 2007 by gorging myself on every piece of junk food I can find. Today is pizza with the boys at Chuck E Cheese's. Jina and I decided last night to write off the balance of 2007 and attack 2008 with fresh resolve, so I'm looking forward to one more night of revelry. Perhaps a box of Twinkies. I can't even remember the last time I had a Twinkie.

Happy New Year, and I pray that you too are. "...resolved, no longer to linger, charmed by the worlds delights. Things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sights."

The Links

Army PFT Score sheet

PUSH-UPS (2 minutes)Push-ups measure the endurance of the chest, shoulder, and triceps muscles. Click here for Push-up Standards.
SIT-UPS (2 minutes)This event measures the endurance of the abdominal and hip-flexor muscles. Click here for Sit-up Standards.
TWO-MILE RUNThis event tests cardiorespiratory (aerobic) endurance and the endurance of the leg muscles. Click here for 2-mile Run Standards

KDF Training Schedule-Novice

http://www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com/training/pdfs/2008_miniMarathon_Novice_Training_Schedule.pdf

Save Me....

From myself, I'm eating every piece of junk food I can find.

Survived

Ok,

I did survive Christmas. My oldest twin decided to detour our shopping/food preparations by taking a side trip to the ER on Christmas Eve. We tried the Immediate Care Center and they wouldn't touch him. He's ok now, antibiotics knocked out the early stages of strep. Scary thing was he never acted very sick. Jina caught sight of swollen lymph nodes and decided it was time to head to the doc. So, that made Christmas a bit hectic, but no major problems.

A couple running tid bits. If you plan on running the KDF mini or full marathon, training starts next month. I'll post a link to a training schedule. Second, don't forget about my January 2nd fitness test. I'll post the Army scoring system tomorrow. Lastly, my wife got me the "Stick" for Christmas. It is a handle with rollers on it (see your local running store) which allows you to work knots, soreness, and trigger points from your muscles. I've used it post workout and then this morning pre workout to warm up tired achy muscles. It's not scientific proof, but the first mile on the treadmill seemed to be looser and less painful than usual. I'll keep you posted on how it's working out, but just from two uses, I'd recommend it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From our family to all of you who take the time to read.

Merry Christmas and may God Bless your holiday and the year to come!

Luke 2 (King James Version)(Some passages just don't sound as good in any other translation)
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

All is calm, all is bright....

Pretty much sums up my running route this morning. The trip through Port Road to Utica was quiet. No flat bed semis with steel rolls, parking lots void of cars and workers, and the normal Saturday road traffic in and out of Utica was light.

This was my first run of over 1 hour in some time. Four miles out and back for a total of 8 miles. I wasn't blazing fast, but for some reason I didn't care this morning. From the minute I left my house I didn't care about my pace, well maybe a little, I knew what I didn't want to fall under, or is that over. Besides that general goal, I was just running. I wasn't agonizing over a work decision or issue, worrying about how my travel was affecting my family, thinking and rethinking my mom's health condition, or pushing myself to hit some magic mark on the watch dial. I was just running.

Some where around the 51/2 mile mark I became cognisant of the country song that was telling "If your running through hell, keep on going, don't slow down....you might get out before the devil even knows you're there." I thought about how true that was, how life like a run can sometimes best be survived by maintaining momentum, and making it through to another day. I whispered a simple "Thank You" prayer and kept going.

In the final mile I put together the general thought for this blog, and a plan for a night with the family. Beyond that, I spent 8 miles; 1 hour and 11 minutes thinking about absolutely nothing. It was great. Well there was also that brief moment when I asked myself if I was going to do the KDF Mini or Full Marathon.

Out the door to finish Christmas shopping. Merry Christmas!

A little Christmas Music

This link was forwarded to me today and I thought it was neat, figured I'd share. I can't handle rounds singing "Row Row Row Your Boat", these guys are insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8



Merry Christmas!

Fitness Challenge 2008

Sometime back I wrote about trying my luck with the Army's physical fitness test.

During a lunch conversation, one of my account managers and I were discussing fitness. He wasn't happy with his current weight level and missed his preretirement Army physique. So we hatched a plan.

Regardless of if you're in shape or out, you might want to join us. I'm doing it to benchmark and then measure my progress in 2008. No competition, just challenging ourselves. Here it is.

On January 2 we will test ourselves using the Army PFT guidelines.

Test #1 Push Ups - Number completed in 2 minutes, resting is allowed in the up position.
Test #2 Sit Ups - Number completed in 2 minutes, full sit ups, not crunches.
Test #3 2 mile run - timed two mile run
20 minutes allowed between each exercise.

We will then retest on March 1st to see if or how much we've improved. The nice thing is that this is a simple way to have a goal and to measure overall fitness. Another great thing is that it doesn't require special equipment.

I plan on testing myself throughout the year to see how I'm doing on overall fitness. Currently my cardio is pretty good, but my upper body strength is not as good as I'd like it to be, not to mention my core strength (gut).

Think about it....I'll try to get the scoring scale up in the next couple of days.

Well the weather outside is frightful...

This morning's temp was, according to the Weather Channel, 33 degrees at the airport in Louisville. Here on the sunny side of Louisville, it was a bit colder. Toss in about two inches of sleet, and by the time I left the house, a rainy drizzle.

Where was I headed? The Reindeer Romp 4K! The roads were bad enough that, after testing out the capabilities of my Trail Blazer's multiple drive options in the Kmart parking lot, I placed the selector in 4 wheel drive (the ice was a bit much for the AWD setting) and headed to Cherokee Park in Louisville. I arrived uneventfully, but alone. Shortages of babysitters this time of the morning will likely keep my wife from running any of the winter races with me, and my usual "true blue" running partners had better sense. It was raining harder and the remaining ice made for piles of slush and 2" deep puddles. My feet were soaked just going to the registration table.

I had decided to have fun at this race, so I started mid-pack wearing a red and white technical shirt and a Santa Clause hat. I couldn't wait for the photos they usually take. At the start I eased out and just before the first downhill, I began to work my way to the front of the log jam I was in, quietly, but audibly singing, "Well the weather outside is frightful, but the snow...."

1/2 mile mark, feet are soaked, oh well, it'll be over soon, besides feet are too numb to notice.
1 mile , feet are warming up, I'm in the flat part of the course holding a respectable pace that I hope will conserve enough energy for the big hill.

Despite a recent lack of training, I handle the hill ok and recover fast enough to pick up the pace a bit on the downhill. One hill left to go. A fellow runner drifts a little and apologizes, I tell him "No problem, I'm sitting right here anyway." He's caught me on the downhill and with longer legs, I expect him to begin to pull away. He chimes in that his feet are numb, I tell him my right hand is frozen. Then the up hill and in two steps I'm pulling away. I begin to have the "slow up a bit thought" and tell myself "Christ's hill was a tougher climb!" It works. Besides I'm not running this to be competitive.

As we hit the last 70 yards, the fires are fueled. So much for not being competitive. Two potential targets to pick off, the first falls easily. They've narrowed the road with cones as I approach #2. I have to pass close by, he hears my foot falls, he digs deep for his final kick, I go to a full sprint. Amidst shouted warnings of slick spots in the finish chute, I ease in the final 2 yards and allow him to take the spot.

I finish 64th out of 349, 19:27:47 (7:49 pace). Not my best, but given my lack of preparation and the conditions I'll take it. My opponent, finished 2nd in his age group (20-24), the same time placed me 11th in mine (35-39). Snot nosed brat...;>) Oh yeah, where was the photographer, don't tell me he wasn't here!!!!

Overall winner ran a sub 14 minute 4K, but I'm impressed with the folks in the rear. The last place finisher spent over 43 minutes on the course. That's dedication. I was already half way home.

A month to get ready for the 5K...I'll be ready...

Poll Surprise

When I posted the Polls about Christmas songs I was, due to space contraints, limited in what choices I could put up. No surprises in the secular category, although I voted for "Silver Bells", which I really like, I may actually consider "Christmas Bells (Snoopy and the Red Baron)" as my favorite, but it's a bit more obscure.

The hymns surprised me. I voted for "Silent Night", I thought for sure that would carry the day, but "Joy to the World" ran away with the votes. Best part about it, no real losers in that category. As I type this I realized I'd have to put "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" right up there with "Silent Night" as well. Then there's "Go Tell it on the Mountain", especially the version by Mahalia Jackson. Tons of great tunes, no wonder I've been known to sing them in July.

Anyway, I'm wrapping up my travel for the year, I hope. Now maybe I can focus on running, I spent the last 24 hours with a nasty stomach bug (Thanks Jina for the early Christmas Present, keep it to yourself next time);>) so not much running despite great weather. Mainly I'm ready to focus on my family, friends, and Christmas. That's the great thing about Christmas and New Years. Maybe it's only me, but it helps me refocus on my Christ, on my family, and despite what is going on at work, I'm able to look back on another year of God's blessings and forward to a year of promise. 2008 is a blank slate waiting for me to make my mark.

Ok, I'm stoked about Christmas now!

He Ran and He Rants

OK, I worked out/ran tonight. Treadmill + Hotel Pool/Hot Tub area = Outrageous Humidity. 2 miles took me 20 minutes, I couldn't breath. I'm going to take advantage of the 80 degree weather here in Columbia, SC and hit the streets in the morning.

So anyway, I'm warming up the keyboard to continue my work day and thought I'd post something. Since I'm not running much, if you're willing to read on, I'll offer you a bit of rant and opinion. In deference to my Southern Baptist family's tradition of sitting in the back pew, I will title it as "The View from the Back Pew". (Author's note: Those who've pastored me in the past 10 years know that my wife and I don't sit in the back row now. At one time we sat in the second pew, right hand side, in deference to her family's hallowed spot. More recently we're prone to sit anywhere, mainly to confuse the Spirit and keep from feeling too many convictions during messages. Our church's sound system carries the message clearly to the last pew (row) and so the only way to avoid being convicted by the Spirit is to present a moving target......Please tell me you guys realize I'm just joking about the dodging the Spirit part and are smiling right now....please!)

The View From the Back Pew

In the Life section of the USA Today I found an article tonight about children's Bible story books. The article went on to outline two opposing positions on whether they should be literal or symbolic (i.e. Veggie Tales). Here's the link if you are inclined to read: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-12-10-kids-bible-stories_N.htm

Did I miss something in the first 25 years of being a Christian? Seems like in the past two years there is a new wave of debate over Christian views and positions. Now I know that there have been differences of opinion for centuries over just about every issue and topic imaginable. Paul addresses a ton of them in his letters, which make up a large part of the New Testament, but now it has trickled all the way down to "How children's Bible story books should be written?"

Let me offer what appears to have been a tried and true method for decades. Use Old Testament and New Testament Bible stories to teach children the foundation of Christian beliefs. I've got nothing against Veggie Tales (lest a good friend despise me), but the story of David and Goliath is exciting without the fight being waged by food products.(Author's note: I do like some of the catchy tunes, they're almost impossible to get out of your head) On the other hand, I truly believe you can teach a child about a loving God without having him/her quote the scripture passages by book and verse (let that develop as they mature in faith) and memorizing the Greek manuscript.

Perhaps in the age of communication we think we have to either be part of it, or compete against it, and create exciting new ways to reach kids or rush headlong into asking them for professions of faith, before they even have a grasp of who God and Jesus are, in fear that we'll miss the opportunity. (Author's note: I think this leads to a lot of the "seeds in rocky soil" that Jesus talks about in his parable)

How about we keep it simple, tell the Bible stories as though we are telling a story about our childhood. Keep it easy to relate to and understand, but honest in its representation of who God is and what he wants both from and for His children? How about we write Sunday School lessons which build a foundation of Biblical knowledge through simple truths and the "classic stories"? If you've taught a youth or children's class you've seen lessons, come to think of it I've even seen adult lessons, which struggled to pull some relevant message from an obscure passage, so the author could continue working through a book of the Bible or on a specific theme.

Anyway, if you've read this far I hope you've grown weary of my rant. I've grown weary of typing it, and sit here questioning whether I should have written it to begin with. This is the same weariness I'm starting to feel over all these conservative vs. liberal Christian viewpoint arguments. I wonder how the non-believers who are subjected to the continual arguments feel about Christians and our faith?

Time to start running. It clears my head and gives me another topic upon which I don't have any business commenting.

Life is short...

Yes, two posts on one day, this one will be short.

Yesterday our Sunday School Lesson was on worry and anxiety. It included the following passage.

Matthew 6:25-27 NIV
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? (bold mine)

This was driven home to us today. A young lady whom Jina and I played co-ed softball with was killed in a car accident late this morning. She was not much older than our nieces and nephews and left behind a mother and four year old daughter. Keep them in your prayers, but also let this be a sober reminder. When you have the time hold your children close, call your parents, love your spouse or help a friend, do it. If you don't have the time, make it.

I did not know her well enough to feel the pains of grief, but it does hit very close to home, and as such, I was jarred into remembering what a fragile thing my life and the lives around me are.

May God bless your time with your family and friends this season and in the years to come.

James

Four Letter Word...

LIFE.

Consuming a lot of time right now. I haven't trained any at all since last week. Jet Lag, short nights, work, home improvements to my house and my parents, and don't forget Christmas shopping have all conspired against me.

I travel again tomorrow, so as usual, I may get into a normal trainging pattern for 2 or 3 days, then I've got to play electrician for the weekend.

Don't know if I'm going to run the Polar Bear Grand Prix opening 4K. I might just to see what happens with little running recently.

Oh well, now somewhere in all that I want to put together a Powerpoint of photos from our SICR year to share with others and try to get a few more people off the sidelines and training to walk/run the KDF Mini.

Merry Christmas all, and remember we usually make our own stress, so just don't do it this year. Enjoy the Holidays.

Something From Years Gone By...2000-2001?

A CHRISTMAS TREE
by: James Wells

Ah yes, the Christmas tree, some plastic, some real, some pine, some fir. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones, crooked, straight, bare spots, perfect shape, you name it everyone has their wants and wishes, needs and desires, likes and dislikes. But take a moment and let’s take another look at an old friend.

Does your Christmas tree reflect your life? I hope so. Let’s begin at the bottom. Stands come in several shapes and styles, and can be made from several different materials. No matter the shape or construction it must be sturdy and support the weight of the tree and all the lights and ornaments. Likewise we need a sturdy foundation in our lives. We must have a solid platform to hold us upright and allow us to bear not only our own burdens, but also those that get placed on us over the years.

If you opt for a live tree, then you must also keep it watered. Therefore our stands must be capable of holding water to nourish the tree day after day, helping to keep it fresh. Is the foundation that supports your life capable of doing just that? Replenishing you, feeding you. Does it help to sustain you when everything else seeks to leave you withered and fragile?
Moving up the tree we get to the good stuff. Bright lights, shiny ornaments, small treasures collected throughout the years. So you’re asking, “How is this like my life?” Each of our lives has bright moments, our own set of twinkling lights that help to make us who we are and help us to stand out. Sure, every now and then a bulb burns out. In a similar fashion, trouble may cause a small dark spot in our lives or perhaps tragedy darkens an entire “string” of your life. But, more often than not, we find that a brand new bright spot helps to bring back the light and we rejoice in the knowledge that those shining moments we thought were lost, are in fact as radiant as ever.

Each of us can remember making an ornament as a child. We can remember the pride we felt to see it on the tree. Parents, you no doubt have hung those ornaments upon the tree while reflecting back upon years gone by. “Here is the one that he made in the first grade..I still remember her painting this one...” Each one is treasured, each one covers and decorates the tree. Our memories cover and decorate our lives. Each one is a treasured memento of years gone by. No matter how worn, how battered, we cling to them because of the joy they bring. Yes, often they fade, dim, or become broken, yet, we cherish them as if they were new.

Here we are, at the top. What do you top off your tree with? Star, Angel, or Santa Claus. No matter which you choose, I hope your life is crowned in similar fashion. Whether it be like a star, a beacon of hope, a light used by others to find there way through the darkest nights they face. Maybe, like the angels, it brings Gods glory to others, offering them inspiration and comfort in times of need. Or, perhaps, in the same spirit as Santa Claus, your life is a reflection of unselfish and unrestrained giving.

So then, as we gather around our trees this Christmas, let us, let God use us as his Christmas trees. Let his love be your stand, let his word nourish you, let him be in control of the bright times, because only he can replace the burned out bulbs. Neither he nor you will forget the memories you share, and in the end you will find that he tops it all off by making your life an inspiration and guide to others.

What is your base?

Ok, so a few days ago I blogged about obesity, but no I don't think everyone should look like a runway model or a professional athlete. Healthy is something we can all achieve, however, as askew as our eating habits are our popular descriptions/standards for a fit body.

I won't get into the whole anorexia topic, but unless you've lived in a cave the past ten years, you've seen or heard the stories of young women driven to extreme lengths to obtain the fashion magazine ideal size and shape. While not driven to these extremes, I can't help but wonder how many other women are affected by the same propoganda, and although this discussion will revolve around women, men are not exempt from setting unrealistic goals.

Hawaii's beaches allow for the ultimate in people watching, with multiple nationalities and ethnicities represented. During my visits I've noticed the different body traits of the different nationalities, and yes, I am typically looking at the women. Yes, my wife knows. We discussed this topic when she accompanied me, noting that the women provided greater opportunity for noticing the differences in body structure. What have I learned?

Without committing to making mistakes in labeling people at this point in my observation/learning process, let me describe some of the differences I've seen. Even among asian women you see distinct differences. One nationality tends to be very slender, while another's height to weight ratio seems very balanced, while yet a third trends toward short, compact, atheletic frames. Among Caucasian women, body types run the entire gamut, but on average it appears that European women are typically of a slighter build than their American and Australian counterparts. Those of polynesian desent appear to be predominantly athletic built, but disproportionately distributed. The older sister on the Disney cartoon, Lilo and Stitch, is a fair representation.

What does this have to do with the stuff I usually blog about? When setting fitness goals, don't set goals you can not attain. If you're a 5'2" athletic framed woman, you are not going to look like Halle Berry. If you are a small framed 6'2" man, you're not going to turn into the "Governator". Build your goals around what is ideal for your body type.

Among those body styles I described observing, I've seen fit and healthy examples of each, and as an old bumper sticker said so eloquentley, "I know I'm some body, 'cause God don't make no Junk!" Be healthy, then be content with who you are.

My Hawaiin 5K

1. I awoke this morning to a 5am wake up call.
2. Debated whether or not to run the local 5K race being held.
3. Dressed,grabbed the 20oz Diet Pepsi bottle I've filled with water, hit the lobby ATM for cash, and head out with my GPS and MP3 Player.
4. Raining. Oh well, it's just a light rain. Yep, 5 minutes later, no rain.
5. Running towards the east side of Waikiki, through the main shopping street, lined with shops for Prada, Bulovia, Rolex, Christian Dior, etc.
6. Checking the time, I don't see the barricade laying flat on the sidewalk, yep, tripped and fell. Only one observer, laugh it off and keep going.
7. Arrive at park where race is to be held, 2.5 miles from my hotel.
8. Arrive at the gas station that was, I thought, the spot for race day registration, 3 miles and it's not the right station.
9. Back track, tack on another mile and I've found the right station. No one is there. Back to the park, I'll see if someone can help me there, maybe I should just do Diamond Head, no, wet rock on a single track mule path doesn't sound to smart.
10. Find the starting line, race doesn't start at 7:30, it starts at 7:00, I'm there 45 seconds ahead of start. Oh well, so much for that.
11. What the heck, I'll run it outlaw (unregistered and no timing chip), clock it with my GPS and compare later against the results, but man I wanted a t-shirt.
12. Start at the back of the pack, picking off slower runners and moving up. Average pace shows 7:46, acceptable considering I had logged 5 miles when the gun went off. I'll hold this pace and save up for the second half of the race.
13. At mile 1 I've falling to an 8:00 minute pace and the thought of running the race and then another 2.5 miles back sobers me and I pull out.
14. Slow run back, starts to rain, starts to rain harder, rain replaces sweat in my running shorts, shirt, and shoes.
15. Shoes are now so water logged I can hear the squishing over the sound of the wind and traffic.
16. Left turn for the last 2 tenths to the hotel, ouch, gusting head wind and horizontal rain. 8 miles!!!
17. Back to room, attempt to use central air on balcony to dry out my only pair of non-dress shoes, I don't catch my flight until 10 pm, not to mention I need dry shoes to go eat breakfast.
18. Hot shower, call home, type up my post, pack up, clouds thinning (maybe I will get to the beach this trip), man I'm hungry.
19. No Race T, No race time, but the memory of a run that lasted longer than it should have, which I'll probably hold on to longer than the T-Shirt.
20. Now where am I going to eat? It has to be a buffet.....

Aloha

If you notice my miles are up this week, it's hard not to run here. Yep, after 37 years, I've now made three trips to Hawaii in 6 months. Up until today, lack of daylight hours and work have combined to keep me from seeing much beyond the streets of Waikiki and my hotel room. Today my local manager ran me across the mountains to Oahu's North Shore and the windward (West) side of the island.

This morning there were runners everywhere. A lot of locals and tourists today. One local group had 30 people on their training run. At another time I shared the sidewalk with a group of 7 or 8 other runners running together. Wow, if it weren't for all the runners I saw in New York and Hawaii, our national obesity rate might be pushing 40%...LOL.

I am sitting here at 8 pm HST trying to decide whether to run up Diamond Head Crater or spend $30 to sign up and run a 5k in the morning. Fun part, I've got to run 2+ miles from my hotel to the starting line, and then 2 miles back. I'll keep you posted.

Banzai Pipeline

Me at Banzai Pipeline

More big surf on the Windward Side

Just Posted

Below the rant on Vick's million dollar dogs is a post I had started earlier and just finished, thought you might want to read.

Blogger posted it based on when I started writing it, not finished date, so it actually posted older than the Vick rant.

Thanks,
James

40,000 Christmas Dinners

At our local Kroger grocery stores you can, for $25 dollars, provide one of the Salvation Army Angel Tree families with Christmas dinner.

For the $1 million Michael Vick put up to take care of or destroy 54 pit bulls, involved in his case, you could make Christmas special for 40,000 human families. If you call a family 3 people, that's a positive impact on 120,000 people.

Sorry, I love animals, but since I've had to put down animals of my own, when it was the correct thing to do, I just can not put 54 dogs ahead of humans. Heck, around here Habitat for humanity could have built at least 10 homes.

Just doesn't add up to me, but I guess it made sense to somebody.

Honey, You're Fat!

No doubt, you've been placed in that awkward situation when you've been asked to comment on some one's appearance. Most of us have learned to answer diplomatically, and if you're a husband, wisely, lest we experience unwelcome wrath, scorn, or pouting.

No one is safe from the topic. We've developed or altered the meaning of terms like "big boned", "healthy", "stocky", and "full figured" to provide us more gentle, but plausibly truthful responses.

Perhaps it is time we stopped worrying about feelings and started to worry about the health of our friends and loved ones. We'd warn them about numerous other health hazards, even physically become involved to prevent harm, yet, in staggering numbers we are watching our loved ones move towards an early death due to eating habits or lethargy.

Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 (http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/bmi.htm), and according to the U.S. Surgeon General, 300,000 deaths per year may be attributed to obesity. Obese individuals are 50 to 100% more likely to suffer a premature death than those whose weight is in the healthy range, however, you don't have to be obese to face problems, even being 10 to 20 pounds overweight increases the risk of death in adults aged 30 to 64.

In 2005 cancer replaced cardiac arrest as the number one killer of individuals under 85. Surely this is a sign that we have turned the corner and are eating healthier and exercising more. Then again, maybe not. One third of the deaths are attributable to nutrition, obesity, and inactivity. Take a look at the top killers in America; cardiac related, cancer, infection, and adult-onset diabetes are the top four. As you can see, three of the four can be heavily influenced by weight, nutrition, and inactivity.

While we are looking at the health issues surrounding obesity, let's look at the list, of related illnesses, our Center for Disease Control (CDC) has compiled.

• Hypertension
• High Cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Gall Bladder Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep Apnea/Respiratory Conditions
• Some Cancers.

Now that we've covered all the bad things that can happen to you, how big of an issue is it? Here's some stats from the American Heart Association.

In the period of 1960-1962, 10.7 percent of men and 15.7 percent of women, aged 20-74 were obese. 1971-1974 the percentages were 12.2 for men and 16.8 for women. 1976-1980, 12.8 and 17.1. From 1988-94, 20.6 for men and 26 percent for women. In 2001 through 2004, 30.2 percent of American men and 34 percent of American women were obese. Not just overweight, but obese.

Now if you think the problems only affect the households of the obese person, and of course the poor guy (James) stuck beside them on a small regional jet, here are some figures for you. According to the CDC, obesity accounts for an estimated $7.1 to $12.8 billion dollars of out of pocket, health care related, expenses every year. Through in what insurance and providers cover and the total is estimated at $51.5 to $78.5 billion dollars per year. Hey, when was the last time your health insurance premiums went down? I thought so.

When lung cancer was linked to smoking, there was a national outcry for changes. We encouraged our friends and family to give up the habit. When MADD convinced America of the impact drunk driving was having on our roadways, we clamored for tougher sentencing and encouraged or demanded our friends and family not to drink and drive. Now that our family meals are more likely to come from a fast food restaurant than from our own ovens. Now that women's clothing manufacturers have altered how they size their clothes. (Men's sizes are standardized by the industry, women's sizes are not. Therefore, a size 10 now is larger than it was in 1960, because marketers discovered women were more apt to buy when they were able to buy a smaller size. Check out http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/mmdress.asp. Did you know Marilyn Monroe wore a size 16? Actually she is listed as anywhere from a 12 to a 16, but almost always the sizing difference is referenced. Google it.)

What are we going to do? I'm not suggesting we ostracize overweight people, but just maybe we should be a little more honest with ourselves, our family, and our friends. The problem has spread to our children, and those figures are even scarier than the adult numbers. For those with children, were you aware that for the first time in American history a generation, theirs, has a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Just maybe it is time for a little bit of honesty. Maybe our loved ones don't want to hear that they are putting on some pounds, maybe we don't want to hear it, but just maybe it is what we need to hear.

A little food for thought!

Normal

Sad to say, I'm headed out on a week long business trip. Despite the destination, I don't want to go. Still, life has been so hectic lately, traveling may seem somewhat normal.

I think the end of the fall weather means that I'm done with most of my yard work. I've got most of what I'm hoping to get accomplished for my dad done at the farm. Just maybe things will settle back in to the usual routine.

A run Saturday with my friends sure helped. A couple nights of sleep have helped alot. Now if I can just get back into my normal routine.

The Polar Bear Grand Prix series starts soon, so hopefully the competitive fire gets stoked and going again. SICR FOLKS, see link at bottom of page.

Time to watch a little football, then grab another good nights rest.

Livin' on Love...

The title of this post is also the title of one of my favorite Alan Jackson songs. In the song he gives two examples, a young couple starting out with nothing and an elderly couple living out, presumably, their final years together. In the chorus he suggests that we are meant to spend our life in companionship with someone, or to wax poetically, "without somebody, nothin' aint worth a dime!"

The second verse of that song came to mind the other night as I left the rehab facility where my mom is currently staying. As my dad and I prepared to leave, he bent over and kissed my mom goodbye. Now while this might seem uneventful, let me explain my family a bit. We were not, and are not expressive of our love for one another in the sense of a lot of hugging and kissing or "I love you's". My parents didn't tend to display affection openly, and we all pretty much demonstrate our love for each other by "doing". In other words, we always knew dad loved us because he worked to provide for us, mom kept us fed and clean, and so forth.

Perhaps it would have remained an inconsequential thought that I kept to myself, except for the conversation with seventy-nine year old lady as I left the building. She was visiting her eighty-nine year old husband. Sprinkle in the number of aged spouses you witness sitting vigilant watch next to the beds at this facility, and one thing has become evident to me. I've got a lot to learn.

When we first meet someone, they can't do anything wrong, we are so maddenly in love, we either don't see or won't see the faults. In these older couples, I see an acceptance of each other's faults. Now that I'm in between these two points on the time line, my love for my wife is deeper than it was 9 years ago. I, presumably, have many years to enjoy her company. Yet I let the little things get in the way. You know, "Why isn't this shirt clean?", "Why can't we eat yet?", "Hurry up, let's go!"

A story, that someone who reads this sight related once, sums it up pretty well. Two elderly ladies were visiting together. One had recently lost her spouse. As they talked, the other began to relate how annoying it was that her husband left his dirty boots sitting in the door way. Her friend replied that she wish she still had to pick up after her husband.

I hope my exercising helps me to live a longer life with Jina, but if I don't learn to enjoy every part of that life now, I fear the burden of regret I will bear in the future.

Whiny Gym Rat

I think it has been a month or more since I logged miles on the road. The cost of our Y membership along with the chance to get in my cardio and lift weights has kept me motivated to hit the treadmills and weight benches every morning. Well there was the one morning on our all but forgotten home treadmill/expensive wall art.

I'm still logging a minimum of 3 miles per week, but weight training has become a bigger component of my training. All of which might do me some good if I could begin to exercise some discipline in my eating.

Tomorrow should find me on the road. The Fairfield Inn's fitness equipment doesn't look to promising, so I'll probably pound some pavement.

It has been interesting and comforting to see a lot of God's blessings during the past couple of weeks. While my mood, and that of my family, has been melancholy following my mom's stroke, the prognosis today added hope that she may be out in time to spend Christmas with us. This capped a week which saw my son go hunting with me for the first time, ok we sat in the woods for 35 minutes after doing some bush hogging for my dad, but he did a great job being quiet and showing patience. Perhaps I should have known all along, but my wife's graciousness, and love for my parents really became apparent this past week. (Thanks Jina).

I've ran and exercised the past couple of weeks, but to be honest my heart hasn't been into it. Who knows, maybe tomorrow. I've got to get back on track. It's time to try to recruit some more suckers...er...I mean folks to train for the KDF Mini Marathon, or another race, but right now I'm having trouble motivating myself.

Alright, enough whining and crying, the more I type, the more I don't like the way I'm sounding. Stop the introspection, head down, push ahead...

Hey it ain't funny anymore...

On my recent business trip a new employee told me that he couldn't get an explanation from the other workers on what I looked like.

He then said, "They should have just said he looks like Scot's (my local manager) older brother."

Yes Scot and I are of the same build, both have similar hair cuts, both have gray hair...but Scot is 13 years my elder. Grrrrrr!

So, armed with this comment, I go to the gym on Wednesday night and the YMCA in Des Moines has treadmills which have a "Performance Program" function. I scrolled through them and discovered that it had the running components of the fitness tests for the different branches of the armed forces and federal law enforcement. Yep you guessed it, OLS, Old Lion Syndrome kicked in.

Figuring the Marine test would be the hardest, I selected it. I later found out that it was only half the distance, 1.5 miles, of the real test, but it gave you the score based on holding that pace for the full 3 miles. Not wanting to limit myself to only one military career choice, I did the cool down and then proceeded with the Army test, then the Air Force.

Well I didn't run my 5k times, but I did run well enough to score an 82 out of 100 points on the Marine and Air Force tests, and 85 points on the Army test for my age group.

I then went back to the hotel, looked up the requirements for the Army test (The Marines require pull-ups instead of push-ups, hard to do in the hotel room) and decided to see where I would score.

40 push ups in 2 minutes (66pts) , 56 sit-ups in 2 minutes (79pts), and my 85 point run, Netted me a score of 230 out of 300. Good for infantry, even good to get into Airborne training, but not at good enough to be a Ranger, and not the preferred level to survive Airborne training.

Anyway, I'm going to try this out again, it was fun to assess my fitness level. Next time I won't try all three branches at once,just the Army. I will do the push-ups and sit-ups first and then run the 2 miles like a race as prescribed in the manual.

Here's some links for you so you can try it if you want to and measure your score. (copy and paste into browser)

http://www.hooah4health.com/4you/apft.htm
http://www.army.com/enlist/APFT.html

Oh yeah, and thanks to OLS, I was hurting bad the next day.

Fair warning! Me on a Soap Box in the Pulpit.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have
not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift
of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a
faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I
gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres.

8Love never fails... 13And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As my fellow church members found out about my mom's stroke, they went out of their way to seek Jina or I out on Sunday morning and express their concern and offer their prayers. We were both shocked by the number of people who knew of her illness and who had been enlisted by others to pray for her and our family.

As you can see by the comments in my last post, some who visit here have also offered up their prayers, as have some of my coworkers. Guess what, they all aren't Southern Baptist. Guess what, they may or may not agree with me on doctrinal issues. But guess what, they all know Jesus Christ, and they know how to love.

In Corinthians chapter 13 Paul instructs that love is the core of everything that Christ taught and preached, that even faith is useless without love. There are many things I can not do, there are many areas in which I may falter, but the one thing that I can do, as a Christian the one thing I must do, is love.

Why am I writing this? Because in my opinion, we, as Christians, need to set aside our differences and learn to pray and fellowship together. I left a church, where we were loved, over doctrinal concerns. I don't regret it, God led us to a wonderful new church home, but I can no longer say without a doubt that it was necessary. There is a world full of lost and dying people and we are too busy concerning ourselves over which one of our denominations has it "right" to be effective in reaching them. Are the Methodist fully grounded in the Bible? Are the Episcopalians going to "hell in a hand basket"? Who knows?

As a child we sung a song in youth group that had the verse, "Well it want be Baptist that's sitting on the throne. A Presbyterian or a Methodist that's calling us home. No it won't be a Charasmatic that plays that trumpet tune. Were going to see the Son..." I'm not sure everyone agrees with this, a lot of throne polishing, voice lessons, and trumpet practice seems to take place on this side of the pearly gates.

I think the question to ask is, "Where does a persons heart lie?" Do they trust that Christ can save them? Do they love their fellow man? Maybe the theologians can decipher whether anything beyond this matters? As for me, I'm not sure that I need to know anything more.

When my family is in need, my Christian friends of all denominations offer up their prayers on our behalf, they love us, and they care that we are hurting. With that, I am satisfied that they worship the same Lord that I do. When it comes to scripture, I'm a light weight. I only knew to seek out the quoted passage because of an Alan Jackson song (sorry Scotty), but I think he got it right..."Faith, Hope, and Love are some good things he gave us, and the greatest is Love."

Thanks everyone for your prayers! You remain in mine.

P.S. Remember, I warned you in my post title!

Not a whole lot to say.

Seems like it is easier to maintain my running schedule when I was on the road, than the past 2 weeks at home. At home seems like something is always going on or needs done. On the road I take time to run, because it's about the only thing to do except hang out in my room or hit the bars, niether of which rank very high on my "must do list".

Been a busy couple of days, had to get the RV packed away. No, I don't make that much money, it's a 1975 model. Clean, runs well, ugly on the outside and interior screams 1970's, but the kids love it. How can you argue with that. Also, winterized the boat. Throw in my trip north of Chicago, a very late Friday night at the office, my Mom in the hospital, and it's been a bit chaotic.

Ok, enough about my life, we all live hectic ones. I resumed running tonight. 3 miles on a treadmill at the YMCA in downtown Des Moines. Usual rust to shake off, but other than being on the treadmill, it felt good. Tomorrow morning I'll get in a few more miles and some weights. It feels good to get back into the swing of things.
I can't wait to get an opportunity to run with my SICR friends again. It's been too long since we hooked up for a run.

The leg bone is connected to the...

Anyone remember that song?

I just came in off the road from doing a marathon drive to Rockford, IL and back, left out at 6 am and pulled in the drive about 10 pm. Luckily I only had to drive half way, with one of my managers meeting me half way between Louisville, KY and Duluth, MN, so I'm going to keep this kind of brief.

A couple of months ago I thought I had a groin pull. Turned out it was inflamation of the soft tissue which, if torn, produces a sports hernia. I kept training, the pain remained, but varied in intensity day to day. Last week the pain seemed to move back to the point of origin and felt like a simple (did I just say "simple") groin pull. Last Saturday's long run produced a lot of pain in my hips, specifically the outer muscles. I chalked it up to worn out shoes, knowing I was about 3 weeks over due for a new pair.

Monday morning I ran on the treadmill at the Y and then started circuit training. My last exercise was to be squats, I decided to keep the weight light, 4th rep of my 1st set....POP! Pain streaked across my lower back. Funny thing, as soon as my back muscles "popped", the pain and tension in my hips was gone and later that day I discovered that the same leg movements that typically caused me to grimace from the groin injury, no longer produced pain. It will be interesting to see what pains return as my back heals up. It's feeling much better tonight.

What to take from this? The body is not made up of compartmentalized components, all parts are intertwined and compensating for one part, effects another, etc., etc. Be sure to warm up, stretch at the end of your runs, and rest injuries.

Did You....?

Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you set your clocks back.

We had a close call with a vent pipe that came loose from our furnace when they were roofing our house. When we fired up the furnace for the first time, it was pumping exhaust (CO) into our house. Thankfully the CO detector went off, otherwise there likely wouldn't have been James, Jina, Jared, Jaden, & Jordan the next morning. Perhaps the best $35 I ever spent.

Another piece of equipment runners need to pay attention to are there shoes. According to most estimates, a quality pair of running shoes should last between 300-500 miles, however, water and sweat can help to break them down even faster. Does your 3 mile run leave you with soaking wet socks and shoes? If so, you may find your shoe life on the short end of the range.

I don't keep a detailed log anymore, but have learned to judge the condition of my shoes by my knees. When they started feeling sore after a road run, it was typically time for a new pair. What happens when you're running on treadmills? Well, you will likely extend the life of your shoe, because of the cushioned running surface. But in my case, I sweat more, and this contributed to increased deterioration, but the cushioned treadmill helped hide that fact. My long run on Saturday became a torture session, but not on my knees, the pounding was transferred up into my hips, and I'm still sore.

Here are a few helpful hints, mainly gleaned from other sources, so I won't take credit for them.

1) Visit a reputable running store to be outfitted for your first pair of running shoes. They can select the correct type of shoe (neutral, stability, motion control, etc.) for you, based on your running form and feet.
2) Correct fitting running shoes from a running store are, in my experience, not significantly higher priced than your local mall shoe store. But typically the sales people are runners, not folks just working a job.
3) If cost is a major concern then, after finding a pair of shoes you like, shop online. For some shoes you can save money, for my personal shoe choice, our local shop is competitive with the online sources. But remember, these same local owners typically support the local races with volunteers, timing clocks, prizes, etc.
4) Realize that in some cases increased mileage may require a different shoe. When training for the 1/2 Marathon, my wife's shoes, which were good for 3 mile runs, proved to have too small a toe box to accommodate her foot "spread/swell" when she got into 7 mile or longer training runs.
5) Don't cut corners. You can survive without matching running outfits, technical shirts, and race shorts. Put your money on a quality pair of shoes designed for running. Your specific form and needs.
.................................................

Have you thanked God for something today? Just checking. And while I'm preaching, "GET THOSE BATTERIES IN THE DETECTORS!"

November

Note: At the very bottom of the page is a new section to communicate training and events for SICR. More to come...

Not that every day shouldn't be one of thanksgiving, but seems even more appropriate this month.

What are you thankful for? Do me a favor, take a moment to think about that today, and not just the easy answers, you know, family, job, salvation, etc. Stop and think about it a bit. I'll challenge you to say a prayer of thanksgiving every day this month.

Tonight finds me in Branson, MO. As has become my norm for saving the company a few dollars, I fly into Fayetteville, AR and drive 2.5 hours to Branson. The alternative being to fly into Springfield, MO and driving 45 minutes at approximately triple the airfare. So I take the cheaper flight and longer drive. The drive I enjoy, through the Ozarks, with no cell phone service to interrupt the beauty around me.

Today my pleasant drive was interrupted when I fell victim to a larger (read more powerful) than usual rental car, a small town (maybe 1500 people) police officer, and a speed limit that dropped from 55 to 30 for all of 1/4 of a mile. Yes I've sped before, yes on the interstate I run somewhere between 72 and 77 depending on the 65-70 mph limits in my surrounding states, but this time I wasn't even aware of the speed limit. I saw the sign and the cop all at the same time, and with him clocking me while approaching me head on, well, I was toast.

I broke the law, unknowingly and unintentionally, but I did. It's a hard pill to swallow a $100 ticket, but I can't argue that I was in the wrong. I want to yell that I'm a good guy, I try to drive safely, I respect Officers and work hand in hand with them in several locales, but all my good intentions don't erase the fact that I broke the law.

It's a tougher pill to swallow that without Jesus Christ as a personal Savior, the punishment is eternal seperation from God. Hell, if you want it put bluntly in "hell fire and brimstone" context.

We want to think that good people have a shot at heaven, we want to rationalize our own actions and think that picking up an Angel Tree Ornament (which I encourage you to do) makes up for the sin(s) we commit, but the Bible teaches us different.

Romans 3:23 (New International Version)
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 9:30-32 (New International Version)
30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works...

This might be a hard fact to swallow, because we all know some "good" people who haven't accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, maybe you're reading this and you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.

I'm not sure the words I should type to wrap up this post, as it is a bit askew of what I started out to post, but to those of you who read this and can attest to the fact that Jesus is your personal Savior, share that with those around you. If you've read this post and you don't have a relationship with him, but want to know how or have questions, please feel free to contact me, or either of the guys at the blogs over in the column-EHBC, Scotty, Todd.

For today (Friday) I'm thankful for each of you who have taken the time to read my rants and ramblings and who have encouraged me to keep writing something. Thanks

It's 5 o'clock Somewhere

Actually it's 5 o'clock here, but I'm waiting in the office for Jina to call so that we can coordinate meeting up to take the kids trick or treating at the businesses in downtown Jeffersonville.



We'll be escorting Elmo, Cookie Monster, and a traditional ghost. I guess we could have cut a bunch of holes in the costume to make him the holey ghost. I know that was bad. Hopefully this isn't....



Matthew 7:12-14 (New International Version)

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate
and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

While in Roanoke, I made it a priority to get in at least one run (a two miler on Sunday) so that I could add it to my "Places I've Run" list. As I left out of my hotel and merged onto a busy main thoroughfare, I quickly realized I wished I had more time to explore the side roads or the trails that run through the mountains surrounding the valley. (Check out Brian's blog http://baldpastorguy.blogspot.com/ to see what the mountains have to offer). But time was not on my side and Scotty had pushed me hard at the gym the day before. Ok, he didn't force me, but I knew he was waiting to see whether or not I had faltered in my conditioning without his guidance. Trust me, I know it. ;>)

Something tells me that while the air was clean, and the traffic light, I didn't get to experience everything Roanoke had to offer me as a runner. I stayed on the safe path, the paved road, the route that everyone else took. It left me wanting something more, knowing I had missed out on the best that was before me, wishing I had more time.

It can be scary to venture off the main roads, whether in life or when running. We equate safety with numbers, and going along with the crowd helps us feel secure. You know the feeling, "if everyone else is doing it, surely it's safe." But if we stay on the main roads we miss out on many of the joys life has to offer. Anyone ever get excited about the Walgreens they saw while out on a run? What will it be like if the only thing we ever experience in life are the things that everyone else experienced?

Walking with Christ isn't always the easiest route to take through this world, either in the 1st century or this one, but there are three things I know to be true. You never walk alone, you see a lot of interesting things along the way, and at the end you'll be glad you ventured off the main road.

Thanks to Scotty and Nancy for their friendship and hospitality. Scotty, whether intentional or not, thanks for sending us back home on the route you did, we would've never seen such beauty on the interstate. Brian, I can understand why you spend your time on the mountain trails instead of the city streets.

Home

We got back home late tonight. Right now I'm running on Diet Coke, refined simple carbs, and sugar.

We had a great weekend.

More later. For now the laptop's battery is running out, and so is mine.

The 5 minute Blog

Shout out to the girl next to me at the Gym today, mid 20's, prime candidate for all weight related illnesses, her run speed was my cool down walk speed, but she kept at it. I hope she sticks with it, but for today's effort, my hat's off to her, and in the words of that great tv show, "Hee Haw", "SALUTE!"

Headed to Roanoke in about 30 minutes. A new place to run, if the weather holds. A chance to run with a good friend (or at least a trip to the gym), and a chance to catch up. For the record, Pinocchio had a cricket for a conscience, I had Scotty for several years. You remember when Pinocchio turns into the donkey. Scotty helped me from being too big of "the Biblical name for a donkey". Except for once or twice on the church league basketball court.

Great song set for pushing a circuit training session hard.
Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses - Toby Keith- "Because Justice is the one thing you should always find..."
Won't Back Down - Tom Petty- Fear NO Weights
Right Now - Van Halen - "Right now there's no tomorrow, right now it's everything..."
Why Can't This be Love - Van Halen - No, that's not what I was asking the girls at the gym! Just a good beat.
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison - Great song to walk with a little pride and swagger after defeating the dreaded weights.

A verse to ponder: (bold emphasis is mine)
Deuteronomy 12:7
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Have a good weekend. Hope to have something to say Sunday night!

James

Amazing...Simply Amazing...

Poor guy, his heart was in the right place. Now where'd he leave the lyrics.

Writer's Block

It has been a bit of a crazy week. I've been in a bit of a "fog" when it comes to running. I've been getting to the gym, and had a good workout today, but nothing has sparked any training notes that I think might be useful.

On the Faith front, we went camping Saturday, and missed Sunday morning worship at church. Instead, we had a family worship time while sitting in the camper waiting for the morning to warm up. It was a good time. We prayed, Jared made up a song on the spot for a solo (wasn't too bad, maybe a little off theologically, but hey he's only 6, and I've heard or read worse from trained theologians), we read a scripture passage and reviewed it, sang a song as a family, closed with prayer and then proceeded with celebrating the day together.

On the home front, my wife has taken offense to my "Old Lion" syndrome. She won't admit to it, but it's obvious. First she informed me that my new vehicle was still a family mover, and didn't help me at the gym. I fixed her and put the kiddo's car seat in the back when it's not needed. So she decides the best thing to do is to take the Trailblazer from me. Knowing that her scheme will not work while she is still in possession of the mini van, she proceeds with a plan to have her van rear ended and put out of commission. This forces me back into the old Bronco and squashes any chance of impressing the young lionesses. The jokes on her though. At the time of morning I'm going to the gym there's not any young lionesses around. If the mini van is done for, maybe a Mustang will do the trick....shhhhh! Don't tell her. Would it be unethical to take a sledge hammer to the rest of the van just to be sure? Just kidding.

AAARRRRGGGHHH!

One of those days. Need I say more.

Beginning tomorrow, I'll try to get back in the habit of posting my mileage daily. I tried a new work out this morning that was short on time, but high on intensity. I'll let you know about it after a few more trial runs. (No pun intended)

Hope yours is going better! Time for lunch and hopefully clear my head. Of course lunch will also include looking at a truck one of my folks wrecked, so maybe I want clear my head.

Note to James: You woke up this morning, you're breathing and walking. Hey dummy, you're ahead of the curve. How about a little gratitude.!

Performance

In my last couple of posts I've been practicing a new writing style. Instead of writing so that one topic builds upon the next, I'm working in reverse and expanding upon topics which were mentioned but not elaborated on in the previous poll.

Oh and by the way, I've got this really nice bridge in Brooklyn that I hold title to, and I'm looking to sell.

Actually, I reread my posts and go, "That was ok, but are you sure they know where your coming from on that point?".

In my last post I discussed the impact introspection can have on limiting your performance, and I'm sure some of you were saying, I'm not interested in performance, I just like running and exercising. So I wanted to explain what I intended in using the word "performance".

As I see it, performance is not just a product of competition, it is, or should be self induced and self motivated. Performance isn't just about running a fast pace, lifting a lot of weight, or winning something. Performance is the effort exerted to accomplish something. With that in mind, and keeping fitness as our topic, some performance measures might be weight loss or maintenance, improved cardio, improved strength, improved times, increased distances, or perhaps you are content with where you're at. If you are content with your current level of fitness, then your performance is measured not by improving but by maintaining your current levels.

What I'm trying to say, and seem to be struggling with this morning, is that anytime you read something or hear something about improving performance, don't discount it just because your fitness goals are based on non-competitive criteria and purposes. Instead, ask yourself, "How can this information help me to meet my goals." You may find something that breaks you out of an exercise "rut", allows you to cut down on your exercise time requirements, or just maybe you'll decide to ratchet your performance goals up a notch just to see what you're made of.

Introspection

Ok, to expand on yesterday's comment about introspection.

In well trained atheletes, introspection can be a good thing. Whether it be a swing, a shot, a sore muscle, a mental miscue, good or bad these individuals can quite frequently analyze what is going on with their body or mind, evaluate, and adjust. But you've no doubt seen some of the best in there sport struggle because they started "pressing", "over-thinking", or if you like, they just "CHOKE".

For the average athelete, introspection can be a slippery slope that prevents us from reaching our potential. How so?

First, we all need to be concious of our body and aware enough to know when pain is a signal to slow down or stop to avoid serious injury. With that said, too much awareness can be a serious detriment to performance or endurance.

When running, introspection can limit one's resolve and explode minor hurdles into major obstacles. If we turn our focus inward we start to find things wrong. We begin to evaluate our aches and pains, we begin to create alternate training goals, rather than push through to our pre-training objectives.

For most of us, focusing on external stimuli is much more effective. Ever got into a good set of songs on the MP3 player and had the miles just fly by? How about running with a partner, engaged in conversation, do the runs seem as harsh as a solo run? If we can keep our minds out of the way, our bodies can accomplish some really impressive feats.

Don't let your mind become your biggest hurdle. As my dad used to always tell me, "Can't never did do nothing!"

The Cost of Looking Sexy at the Gym...

Don't worry, I'm not going to bust into "Too Sexy", and in fact you'll have to read or skip to the bottom of today's post to see what I'm talking about in my title....

TRAINING GOALS

This has been a week of introspection, and to be honest, too much of that is a waste of time. Sometimes it is best to just put your head down and plow ahead. I know it goes against popular culture, but I'm not convinced that staying in touch with your feelings is a good thing. I'll address that in tomorrow post, and yes it will be about running/training. For now, let's stick with Goals.

My favorite story to tell people who say they could never run as much as I do (which isn't really that much), concerns my introduction to running. A friend/mentor/pastor introduced me to running. To this day I'm not sure if it was a)An attempt to end our friendship, or b) a way to get me to spend quite time reflecting on the wisdom he imparted each Sunday morning. Regardless, my first runs were 1 milers that accomplished at the blazing speed of 16 minute miles. I vividly remember collapsing on the hood of my car the day I ran a 14 minute mile.

My story, and others I've heard relayed, should be a reminder to us all to set attainable goals. Here are my guidelines for goals:

1)Must be attainable and sustainable
2)Must Require work above you current level to obtain.
3)Must have a defined time frame.
4)Must be a building block for another goal or objective.
5)Must be "Reloaded" periodically. NO Jan. 1 year long goals. Reaccess monthly.

This week has seen me reorganize some of my goals. As related to fitness and running, here are my targets.

1)Reduce Body Fat % from 14.4% to 10.0% by end of November 07
2)Shift running training focus from endurance to intensity in preparation for Polar Bear Grand Prix series (Dec,Jan,Feb Races). All training runs under 5 miles at 8 min pace max.
3)Increase intensity of weight training.
4)Reduce Carbonated/Caffeinated drink consumption to no more than one serving per day.

My goal of "training for a marathon" became stagnant. The dates were too far in the future, the fact that I had accomplished that distance once, and the reality of my time constraints made the goal unsustainable.

So my encouragement to you is to reaccess where you are at. If you are not happy with your progress, or perhaps desire to push yourself a bit, reaccess and reset your goals. If you would like, comment on this post and let us know any new goals you set.

One last important note. Do not measure your goals against other people's goals. I'm learning to be more impressed by the people I see struggling to change their life each day at the Gym, than I am the elite marathoners who run those races at sub 6 minute pace.

...a while back I blogged about my "Old Lion Syndrome"(if you haven't read it, please do before drawing any conclusions about what I'm talking about). In it I relayed an incident in which I had driven my '88 Bronco to the gym and my only other options for impressing the young female sports car driver that parked next to me was my Chevy Cobalt or my wife's mini-van. Well now I can be sexy at the gym, at least my ride can be. My Cobalt was exchanged for a Trailblazer. I hit the gas pump this morning to fill it up for the first time. OUCH! $50 to fill it up. To be honest I don't think I could afford to be on the prowl again. ;>)

Labels

Back in the day, when I was working in grocery stores, there were still products on the shelf that were packaged in black and white generic boxes or bags. Now, if you're under 30 years old, you probably don't remember them, but trust me, back then Kroger's store brand was sold in a plain yellow and black "Cost Cutter" package. Well somewhere along the way, some marketing guy or gal got smart and decided that if they spruced up the store brand label, to look a little more upscale, they could move more product.

You see, Americans judge things by their marketing and packaging. We love pretty labels. That is until we start getting labeled ourselves. But are labels really a bad thing? Who we are, how we market and present ourselves, don't they give us our identity? They not only identify us to other's, but they also help us define who we are.

For two weeks now I've been long overdue for a hair cut. Heaven forbid, my hair had gotten long enough to part, and long enough to show that I now have more gray hairs than brown ones. Tonight I got a hair cut, yep, my standard cut, skin on the sides and only slightly more on top. Now my hair cut is not going to win any awards for a local stylist, but it fits who I am and more importantly who I want to be. I'm sure that as Samson's hair grew out, he remembered who he was. For me, getting it cut is much the same.

This topic, Labels is one I would like to expand on, but my mind is racing with a myriad of ideas and directions to take this. Bottom line, I've spent the last several days trying to resolve the question of who am I. Here's my list, in no particular order.

Father, Husband, Friend, Son, Brother (tack on "in-law" where appropriate), a boss, a subordinate, a runner, a Christian, a sinner, a professional, and a redneck.

You see, the blessing mentioned in another post forced me to take a look at who I am, who I want to be, what I'm willing to change and what I will not allow to change. I haven't sorted it all out, but a few things are clear. I love my family, so all Family related labels stick. I've lost contact with many friends since taking my current job, traveling makes it hard to keep up with what is going on with everyone and staying connected, but they are my friends and I'll keep trying. A job is a job, and in my profession, no matter what I do, I'll be giving and taking orders, so that's a label that isn't going away anytime soon. As a Christian, I recognize that I'm a sinner, so despite the fact that other's may see the labels as conflicting, I know these are both labels that I will carry to my grave. A professional and a redneck, or perhaps a professional redneck, or a redneck professional. I don't mind this label. My parents were depression era share croppers, my father would have preferred to have been a farmer, but placed putting food on the table over this less than certain career path. So, while I was raised in the suburbs, I can fit in with small town America, and hope to soon. And while my career in management requires me to "dress the part", both literally and figuratively, know when you talk to me that I've got no problem with old jeans, a sleeveless T, a tin of snuff, and a cold beer after a long day of putting up hay. "These are my people, this is where I come from..."

Now to the part of this post that has to do with running. I haven't ran since last Friday. I've since discovered I needed the break. Physically and mentally. Running and training had become a task, instead of something I enjoyed. I'm ready to get back in the saddle. Wednesday morning will find me at the "Y", cold or no cold. I'm a runner. It doesn't control me, but it is a part of who I am. It's a label I've put on. Perhaps someday I want be, but for now, I want to do this, it's part of who I am.

I hope this post made some sense. I hope that if you read it, you can connect with it on some level. Then again, it may have been mindless ramblings at the end of the day. Either way, I'm ready to go again. I'll see you on the roads soon.

James

Choices

I'm wrapping up a great weekend with the family, and it's late. I made a decision on Friday night. I laid out all my clothes for a long run on Saturday, filled up my camel back with Gatorade and then managed to get into bed at 11 pm.

As I laid down, I realized I had to make a choice. You can not train for a marathon, even if your only goal is to finish, on 5-6 hrs of sleep a night. Ok, you probably can, but forget about being effective at work, not to mention the lack of energy to devote to your family.

When I started this blog, I indicated to some that part of my goal was to document my training so that anyone wanting to train to complete a marathon would know what the time requirement was like. My time ran out. I could no longer justify the time I was spending training, more so the resulting impact it was having on my personal life.

I enjoyed a weekend of no training, camping at my parents farm with the kids and eating stuff that maybe wasn't the healthiest stuff. I'll resume my exercise in the morning, and return to trying to eat the right stuff, maybe even learn to sleep a little more. But that has never been my strong suit, I always try to stretch every day.

The Tecumseh Trail Marathon is still in my sights, but I need to evaluate how I'm going to train for it. Right now, part of me is saying, "I've done a marathon, no one can take that away, I don't need another one. Half marathons and 5Ks are fine from here on out." For now, I'll play it by ear. Quite honestly, I need to examine a few things in my life, shuffle the deck and figure out what cards I'm going to play. There's too much riding on the game to make a bad play.

Thanks for listening and caring, I'll keep you up to date as I sort it all out.

What are your plans?

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This verse was written on a wall section that we installed at the Habitat House project. It stuck with me throughout the week. Well sort of. Bible verses are like good songs to me, I hear them, I like them, they strike a chord with me, and then I can't remember where they are written or, in the case of songs, who sings them.

As this week has gone by, I finally got an opportunity to use http://www.biblegateway.com/ to look up the verse, and I learned something I didn't know. When I read the entire chapter, I discovered that the message was for the Israelites in captivity in Babylon. The message was a promise that God would make sure they prospered and was followed by a much different message for those who remained in Israel.

I'm sure that the captives thought they had gotten the raw end of the deal. They probably prayed that God would set them free and return them to their land. Quite possibly they were jealous of those who got to remain in their homeland.

Why is this important? Well for me, I was one of those captives, hoping and praying for what I wanted God to give me. God answered my prayers this week; by not answering them. What I received was something completely different, and when it came, this verse seemed to sum it all up. I'm not sure how this is all going to turn out, but I've decided he has a plan for me, not my plan, but his plan.

As I thought about sharing this with you I thought about all the "what ifs" we hear about. I'm sure someone was annoyed because they were late for an appointment at the World Trade Center on 9/11. I'm sure someone became upset that they were caught at a red light and didn't make it to the Minneapolis bridge at their normal time. In my life, this just might be that point in time when what I thought was a curse turns out to be a blessing I never could have imagined.

Perhaps Garth Brooks had it right when he sang, "Sometimes I thank God, for unanswered prayers. Remember when you're talking to the man upstairs, just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care, 'cause some of God's greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers."

Some Days are Diamonds...Some Days are Stones...

Today made me wonder if I wanted to run again. I attempted a long run of between 15 and 18 miles.

I made it 13.5, that included running and walking. With emphasis on walking.

Jina and I joined others from my company to work on a Habitat for Humanity House. If you get a chance, volunteer, you'll be amazed. That meant no long run on Saturday morning, fatique scratched a Sunday morning attempt, so Sunday afternoon it was. Let's keep this simple.

Started out good, then GI issues from eating before running, dehydration, leg cramps, shoulder cramps, irritated sinus, and a bruised psychy. I think lack of rest finally caught up with me.

So I'm going to call it a day and save my thoughts for another day.

Yesterday was a diamond, today....a big fat boulder..., but hey, I woke up this morning, both legs worked, the ticker was ticking and the lungs drew a breath. That puts me ahead of the curve.

To my dedicated fans, sorry I didn't match the past two months. I only got up 11 posts this month.

"Poser"

Do you regcognize the term used for my title. It is slang for someone who is pretending to be something, someone who is not the genuine article, someone who "talks the talk", but doesn't "walk the walk".

I felt like a poser this morning. My Bible had collected dust for at least three weeks. While packing Sunday night, I grabbed it and tossed it in my bag. On the flight to Chicago, I slept, really slept. The flight attendant had to wake me up after everyone else had deplaned, I never felt the landing. For the flight to Fayetteville, AR, I pulled the Bible from my carry on and searched for something to read. My NIV study Bible's intro for the book of Judges aroused my curiosity, so I started reading. I read for the entire flight.

As the flight attendant made her last round prior to landing, she paused and said, "I wish I was that dedicated.", referring to me reading the Bible. I wanted to crawl under my seat, "POSER" should have flashed in Times Square Neon across my forehead. She told me her personal Bible was large, cumbersom and hard to carry along with all her other gear, so I recommended she check out Border's for something smaller and easier to carry. We talked briefly and when she confessed to being behind in her reading, I confessed mine as well, but I'm not sure she believed me.

Once while visiting the Lifeway store in Nashville, another patron struck up a conversation with me and then asked if I was a pastor. When I answered, "No", he proceeded to tell me that I looked like one and sounded like one. I took it as a compliment, at least I think it was, but felt embarrased and assured him nothing could be further from the truth.

Both circumstances made me feel uneasy, as though I was pretending. While I projected one image to both of these individuals, I wasn't fooling God, he is aware of my shortcomings. Don't get me wrong, as a Christian it is important to project ourselves in a positve manner to the world, but more importantly it is our life long relationship with God that matters most. The Pharisees knew the letter of the law, but as Jesus pointed out, they missed the intent. So rather than just go through the motions once in a while, I know that I've got to sustain my relationship with God and with Christ. Going through the motions makes me a "POSER".

1 John 2:3-5 (New International Version)
3We know that we
have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him,"
but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if
anyone obeys his word, God's love[a]
is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

Matthew 7:20-23 (New International Version)
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Small Blessing, Lessons Learned, and I'm Gonna Run

Small Blessings...

1)Weekend car repair projects that go faster than expected.
2)Car repairs that are not as bad as you thought.
3)Free time spent hanging out with the family, instead of making car repairs.
4)A 32 year old motor home that is finally road and camping worthy.
5)Seeing your kid do well in a game.

Lessons Learned...
1)Neighbors with experience working on cars need simply to walk over look at the offending vehicle to make a vehicle, that had refused to start for 2 weeks, start right up.
2)You feel kind of lost when a project is completed (1975 motor home) and you have to wait 2 weeks to use it (Camping Somewhere).
3)Runners are like motorcyclist. There are those who have gone down and those who will. (I'm now in the first category.)
4)Board games with your wife and 6 year old can top any college football games on TV.
5)Building endurance by doing Squats immediately after a 4 mile treadmill run sounds good, makes you feel invincible at the gym, and hurts like heck for days after. What was I thinking?

I'm Gonna Run...
NOTE TO ALL: Deciding to run a new route in the dark at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning is not the brightest idea. You are likely to discover that the busy road you thought had an emergency lane, doesn't. Also, you may discover that running along the edge of the asphalt in the dark works well, until the edge of the asphalt has given way. If you're lucky you'll walk away with only a bruised ego and a few seconds of lost time searching for the water bottle that was catapulted from it's strapping.
The above message was a public service announcement, brought to you by the National Association of Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

I have found a fall marathon that will correspond with my schedule. I'll be running in the inaugural "Run for NO Reason Marathon". As of this posting, the route has yet to be determined, but the race organizer has assured me he will let me know as soon as he has figured it out. The race will be run on either October 27 or the following weekend. The field of runners is an impressive list, consisting of Me, Myself, and I.

Yep, I decided my goal was to run a marathon, so that is what I'm going to do. Once I determine my route, which may be from my home to roughly New Washington, IN, I'll post it. If anyone wants join me for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 26.2 miles or anything in between, I'd be glad to have the company anywhere along the chosen route. I'll post more details as I figure them out. You may like the entry fee? My wife did. It is free.

Good News/Bad News

Good News, my son gets a fall break, and we're going to head to Roanoke, VA to visit friends and hear a good sermon...there you go Scotty, the pressure is on.

Bad News, we thought fall break was the last week of October, wrong it is the 3rd weekend. This is also the weekend of the Louisville Marathon. Scratch the Marathon.

I have been told that travel to run a race is out of the question, so I'm left with the trail Marathon in December. Not what I planned, but it'll have to do.

Home

Well I'm back home, and working from home today, so I'm taking a moment to update my Blog page. I've added NY, NY to the places I've run, put up my Tuesday and Wednesday mileage and changed my sons age from 5 to 6 on my profile (HAPPY BIRTHDAY J-ROD) and thought I'd write a couple of lines.

New York is an interesting place, and if you get the chance, I encourage you to visit. I spent most of my time for the conference in Times Square (Broadway), but did manage to scrounge the time to see the following; Staten Island Ferry, Statue of Liberty (from the ferry), Ground Zero, Wall Street, The Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, a Yankee's game at Yankee Stadium, and Central Park in the dark, running at 5 am and in the daylight on my last day.

Had I seen the park in the daylight prior to running, I wouldn't have survived. Luckily, in the dark you didn't see the hills 'til you got to them.

Ground Zero was blocked out by construction fencing, but being in the area gave new perspective to that day. The streets in this oldest part of NYC are narrow, the photos and video from that day don't give the proper perspective. Reminders are everywhere, names of falling PD and FD members adorn stations and vehicles.

Within a few blocks of the site are several old denominations standing among the skyscrapers. Next to one, St. Peters Cathedral, stands the steel beam Cross you see in the photos. It stands there waiting for it's permanent home among other symbols of that day.

Don't believe what you've seen in the movies, New York is very clean, considering the number of people. The people I dealt with were very nice, one gentleman offered his assistance when our group seemed to be figuring out the Subway map. (We actually had an experienced member of the group, but had chosen the spot for a conversation while waiting for the bus.)

Despite being down on the depth, or should I say heighth, chart, the Empire State Building is impressive. Even more so considering when it was constructed. When downtown, or uptown, or midtown, its height is masked by the heighth of other buildings and it's proximity to them. When viewing the skyline or from its observation deck, it is apparent it is still king of the city.

While impressive, I can't help but remember seeing the skyscrapers of Denver, with the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop. Man's greatest accomplishments are nothing compared to the works and wonders of God.

"Come along and listen to...

...the lullabye of Broadway." Come on sing it with me. "The Hip Horay and..." Ok, how about, "I want to be a part of it, New York, New York..."

One guess where I'm writing this from. I'm about as lost here as Oliver Davis (whoops, it was Oliver and Lisa Douglas) was in Green Acres, but it is definitely interesting.

Unfortunately this conference is cutting into my running. Doesn't look like I'll get in my long run tomorrow. I'm hoping that running on Sunday, usually an off day, will make up for it. I'm starting to get nervous. Travel and injury have me behind where I would like to be for my long runs, and I'm down to only a month or so before the Louisville Marathon. Losing this weekend is not a good thing.

The bright spot is I'll get to log some miles in Central Park, and run with a co-worker and friend whom I've been trying to meet up with and run with for a year now. Unfortunately, he is usually headed the opposite direction, visiting his account cities.

I hope to be able to post my experiences as I go, but I don't know how much I'll get to a computer after tonight.