Multiple OLS Flare Up!

Two flare ups of OLS (Old Lion Syndrome) to tell you about. The first one occurred because I went to the gym during the middle of the morning on the day after Christmas. I was finishing up as a crowd of people were coming in and getting started. So as I sat there on the benches wrapping up my work out, I suddenly became aware that I felt a need to keep up with the fresh crowd that had just come in. To continue working out just to prove that I could keep up. Dumb I know, but as I heard a sports talk show personality say today, "Tell a guy he can't do something, and you can sure bet he either will do or will try to do it."

The second was actually caused by being at the gym with my wife. After nine years of marriage, as I prepared to use the leg press equipment, I caught her looking at me as I was adding plates to the rack.

Now for those of you thinking that that is sweet and romantic, let me assure you, she wasn't checking me out, she was seeing how much weight I was pressing. In her varsity sport's days, leg press was one of her strengths in the weight room, and still can press what I think is a pretty good weight, so despite later admitting that she was checking to make sure I was doing the same kind of weight other guys were doing, I think she was making sure I would work out with at least the weight she uses.

After a warm up set that I knew didn't impress her much, I jumped up another 40 lbs. After a 4 mile tempo, for some reason I keep running tempo runs on the same day and before my leg work in the weight room (I guess at some point I'll start planning a little, for now, I just do what feels good on that any given day.), so the weight required some effort, but wasn't overly streneous. Still she was watching. Soooo, with a full flare up of OLS setting in, I throw on an extra 130 pounds and crank out 10 reps.

In the end, I didn't impress her much. Remember, we've been married nine years. Alas, I did find a replacement workout for the squats I don't particularly like. I found I could work out much heavier than I thought, and that sitting can be difficult the morning after lifting heavy on an exercise designed to target your hamstrings and GLUTES!

Holiday Damage...a weighty issue

Well I got a new scale for Christmas and I didn't like what it said this morning. I figured it was as inaccurate as our old one and headed to the gym.

Well, the new scale worked just fine, it matched up with the medical office style scale used at the gym.

Two days off from working out, one night of homemade pizza, and one day of binging on every sweet in sight equals 4 pounds.

I was expecting a couple pounds, but not four, so I did a little research. You can trust me or look the subject up for yourself, but here's what I found.

American Adults gain 1.05 pound during the holidays. Not bad, right? Wrong. Why? Because most will not lose that extra 1 pound and will tack on another half to full pound throughout the rest of the year, every year of their adult life. So even if you only gained that holiday pound, you're looking at a 15 pound gain from age 20 to age 35. Tack on an extra half pound each year and you're up by 22 pounds over that slim youth you were shortly after high school.

Good news. Exercise can take it off and the more active you are the less likely you are to gain the most during the holiday. Remember, the average is 1.05 pounds, so some had to gain more than that and some less. Shoot for the less.

Bad news. If you're already overweight or obese, you'll be on the upper end of the weight gain. Maybe as much as five additional pounds.

The only cure for holiday pounds seems to be to move and keep moving.

Tomorrow, or maybe tonight, an OLS episode at the gym this morning...stay tuned!

K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S., the acronym for, "Keep It Simple Stupid", can be applied to lots of things in life, and with some exceptions, is perhaps the best way to go about things.

If your exercise regimen is too complex, it can become a hassle, a burden that you want to put down. That's the beauty of running. A pair of shorts, a pair of shoes, and you're ready to go. Even though I've moved to treadmill use in recent months, running still constitutes the majority of my workout and my lifting routine consists only of the tried and true basics. Easy to cram into an hour each morning.

Yesterday was our church's Christmas service, or was it. No cantata, fancy candlelight service, nope, just your standard Sunday morning service with the sermon being taken from Luke 2. (The Birth of Christ - Remember Linus in Charlie Brown's Christmas, telling us the real meaning of Christmas).

Why no fancy service? As our pastor explained, many challenges have faced our congregation this year; illness, death, financial and employment concerns. Why throw another thing onto members (and some key leadership people) and clutter up Christmas?

The message that Chris delivered was equally simple, no he isn't a "Simpleton", it pointed out the simplicity of that first Christmas, uncluttered by all the things we've hung on it throughout the centuries. Within 4 hours, that message would echo in my heart and save my Christmas.

I had to wrap up my Christmas shopping yesterday for my wife. No I didn't procrastinate, the opportunity to get it done over the past month just hadn't existed. I went out with only a vague idea of what I might get since I'd already gotten her what I hope will be a "huge" surprise. Also on my list was the task of finding something that the kids could give to her, from them.

I bounced from store to store, finding nothing but dwindling inventories and picked over specials, battling traffic, but finding everyone I met to be pleasant and polite. Anyway, as I left Target, I began to panic. This was my third store and seemed to be my last chance of finding that perfect gift (I know what you're thinking..."She has me, what more could she ask for.) while staying somewhat within my unofficial/rarely observed budget. (She's worth a lot more than I can afford, but no one tell her I said that.)

As panic swept over me, I stressed, I worried, and then Chris's sermon popped into my head. By allowing myself to become stressed, I was stripping all the joy from the act of giving. I remembered and consciously acknowledged that Christmas isn't about my mad last minute dash, but rather its about the birth of a Savior....that plain...that simple....and in that moment, Christmas was special again, not because of me or mine, but because of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)
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.

Politically Correct Holiday

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, and with sincere respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all, or their choice to
actively oppose such religious or secular traditions. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than another country, nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere, nor to deny the many crimes and other offences
that have been committed by America against African Americans, Native Americans
Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, and against the peoples of Vietnam,
The Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and many others.
Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability,
religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.

That's great, but from my family to your's:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and may GOD BLESS THE YEAR AHEAD!

Christmas Wish

It's been hectic lately and not much time for blogging.

But as a public service announcement, please view and remember to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes it is best that we be content with the blessings we have.

Still a Runner?

That's the question that has been running through my head for several days.

I haven't hit the road for 3 weeks and was only doing so for my long runs for weeks before.

I'm not afraid of the weather, it's just easier to transition from the treadmill to the weights, and I've really begun to have fun with my weight training. I'm not lifting a ton of weight or reps, but I'm seeing results and that always makes it fun.

With all the turmoil recently, racing hasn't crossed my mind.

At some point I'll have to decide whether or not I get serious about running again, whether or not to train for a marathon or see how good I do at the half distance by running the Mini.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

A great gift for a kid and a parent...

Your kids need you, not just stuff!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/12/11/wdiv.mom.surprises.son.wdiv

Will get back in the blogging saddle soon! But for now, this trumps what I had to say.

For those with small kids...

...or those like me who turn into big kids this time of year.
http://www.writetosanta.ca/

If you write to the address the kids will get a letter back.
At least ours have in the past and it appears the Canadian postal workers are doing it again this year.

Merry Christmas

Bits and Pieces

A sign on my desk that I looked at again today for the first time in a long time contains at least a few truths.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Pay off your credit cards every month.
5. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
6. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God, He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship is a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy chldhood. The second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare. Then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
32. Believe in Miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger
35. Growing Old beats the alternative--dying Young.
36. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
37. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
38. Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
41. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
42. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
43. The best is yet to come.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
46. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
47. If you don't ask, you don't get.
48. Yield.
49. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

A reason for Thanksgiving..The Power of Prayer

Below is the contents of an email that I sent to my friends and fellow employees.

The thanks expressed are also applicable and owed to those of you who visit here, to my friends in ministry and to the members of our church who offered up prayers on our behalf.

To all,

I wanted to give you a quick update this
morning.

My mother-in-law has shown signs of recovery. She is
no longer relying on a ventilator for her breathing and has shown some motor
skills and cognitive ability. Far from out of the woods, but she is still
with us and her kids have been spared a second “no real choice”
decision.

My second purpose for writing this is to thank each of
you for your prayers and support. I believe all of us knew on Saturday
that there was little that could be done for her medically. In fact both
options presented to the family left little or no reason for hope. What we
witnessed was the grace and power of God and I firmly believe that it was
because of your prayers that God saw fit to leave her with her family a while
longer.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, our gathering will
be, as we were last year, short a parent due to illness, but again this year we
are thankful for the blessings God has poured out on us, for the healing he has
provided, and undoubtedly for your friendships that sustain us through such
trying times.

Again, Thank You All!

Wishing you
a Happy Thanksgiving….

James, Jina, Jared, Jaden, and Jordan

Blogging????

It is with a heavy heart that I type this blog tonight.

Tragedy has struck our family and my mother-in-law is clinging to her life tonight.

My wife and her siblings have already stared down one tough decision and at least one more may lay ahead.

Even when trying to write seriously on this blog, I've enjoyed the process of writing, and have really enjoyed the times I've been able to poke fun and kid around as I attempted to be humorous and witty. Saying that, the seriousness of the situation we currently face makes such frivolity seem inappropriate, and so I will step away from blogging for awhile.

I will decide tonight whether or not I will continue to run through this time. I want to, but also know that taking care of my kids, supporting my wife, and handling necessary work items will require time and energy, and conserving it might be wise, as we face a marathon, not a sprint.

I will continue to read the blogs that many of you write, and I know that at some point it will feel appropriate to return to this medium.

For those of you who visit and know me personally, feel free to drop me an email and I will, if you so desire, give you more information. To each of you that visit, I will unabashedly request your prayers for my mother-in-law, and her family. We want healing, they need strength, but most of all, we know to whom my mother-in-law belongs and know that ultimately God's will, will be fulfilled. We may not like the outcome, but I pray that we accept it with the same faith she has demonstrated during a life filled with personal tragedy.

Keep running, keep living, and if I don't return before the holidays, enjoy them to their fullest.

In Christ,

James

Integrity

Check out this story!

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=3712372

Evolution and Aerosmith

Throughout our lives, and in nearly every aspect of life, we evolve over time.

Baby to Toddler to Adolescent to Teen to Young Adult to 29 yr old to 29 yr old to 29 yr old to Old Lion.

Sane to Parent to Insane.

Boyfriend to Fiance' to Husband to Lazy Bum

Girlfriend to Fiancee' to Wife to Nag....I mean...Wonderful Radiant Creature and Gift From God!..Man that was close...

Today, while on a plane ride, I did a little thinking about myself as a runner. This was prompted by the fact that I was exhausted and sore from getting up at 4:30 AM to run intervals in advance of a 7:00 AM flight which sandwiched me into a nearly vertical seating position in a space unfit for my 3 year old's comfort. Here's what I came up with.

I was first motivated to run because I had begun to creep upward on the weight scale. Having been thirty or so pounds overweight once before, I decided I wasn't going back there. So at about ten to fifteen pounds overweight I became a runner. Fitness was my motivation.

After a couple of races, I became enthralled with the race atmosphere and the chance to compete, mainly against myself, but also against the mid-pack folks in my age group. For a guy who believes anything worth playing is worth playing to win, I found a new motivation, racing.

The next logical step in this progression was full "consumption". I was consumed by running. Two different magazine subscriptions (one I got as a race SWAG), a GPS, multiple new pairs of shorts and shirts and a Fuel Belt for long runs. I was hooked and I wanted to be fast, or maybe an ultra-distance runner, or both. Every trip to the Internet was a chance to look up something new about running. My motivation was a desire to get faster and stronger. (For those old enough to remember the show, be sure to do the Bionic Man sound effect when you read "faster and stronger")

Today, I'm an addict. I still run for fitness. I still race. I still dream of running faster or farther, but other responsibilities (darn kids, stupid job, nagging...I mean Wonderful Radiant...) make that unlikely. No matter. Now I run because I want to, and perhaps have to. My days seem incomplete without it. No matter how tired or sore, I drag myself out, questioning my on lunacy at times. Still I run, sometimes not knowing, perhaps not caring why. I'm a running junky looking for my next fix.

Who knows where this evolution ends up. Over training, breaking down, being put out to pasture. Last time I checked, they don't put human men up for "Stud", and I'm confident my Wonderful Radiant Creature (I'm learning) would have me "put down" before she let that happen. Perhaps I'll keep running until there are so few in my age group, I win consistently. Perhaps like Forrest Gump, I'll just stop one day and walk back home.

Actually, perhaps Aerosmith got it right, "...life's a journey, not a destination, and I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings...", and running is now part of my journey, or, just maybe, I'm thinking about this way too much, either way, it's Amazing.

Running Yes...Blogging NO

Been kinda hectic so blogging has been tough to commit time to recently.

Hopefully will get something of little to no use to anyone posted soon.

Hope everyone is starting to get in the Holiday Spirit!

James

Good Run!

Don't you just love those days when everything just clicks.

You know those days when the kids cooperate. You're 5 minutes early instead of 5 minutes late. Your hair looks like it's supposed to, and so on and so forth. Man I love those days.

Had one of those days this morning. Decided last night that this morning would be "Intervals". Stuck with that notion this morning and after a 1/2 mile of warm up, I pressed the treadmill's speed up button (I'm in Des Moines, IA), stopping at a 6:58 pace. I held that for a 1/4 mile interval, wait a second, I'm not gasping for air, and then actually recovered well after a 1/4 mile at 8:27. Then another interval, and another. Surely this can't last? But it did, and I wrapped up 4 miles at a jog.

Man I love days like that. When the weights work you, but don't destroy you. When the run leaves you both exhausted and "refreshed". Alas, then I had to go to work. Oh well, at least it lasted for awhile.

Don't Blink

As those of you with kids know; they grow up fast. You blink and you miss something. It's not just growing kids, it's every part of life. Are you taking time to "see" the world around you, or simply running from point A to point B.

On my recent trip to Duluth, I walked into the room where the hotel, situated on the shore of Lake Superior, had set up the continental breakfast with a view of the lake. As I walked in I noticed the sun hovering like a giant red ball, just above the lake's surface. This was unexpected, because the forecast was for more rain. I recognized the beauty before me and reached for my phone to snap a picture, but decided there was time; grabbed a bagel, a single serving of peanut butter, and a banana and made my way to a table. As I finished eating my bagel I turned back to the window, only to find that my beautiful sunrise had ascended into a cloudy sky and was gone. Why didn't I take the picture when I had the opportunity? I felt foolish.

Throughout the first chapter of the book of Genesis we are told time and again that when God finish creating this or that, he looked at it and saw it was good. I think I know how he felt. I've finished projects and sat back to admire my work, but more importantly, God, the creator, didn't rush from one task to the next. He took time to enjoy the creation before him.

Do you? Blink, and this life will pass you by.

Take time to enjoy what God created, and to enjoy those he has blessed your life with.

Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

4QTR APFT Results

Ok, I'm a month late, but thought I'd follow on the heels of the election results with my APFT results.

Still struggling in the push up arena, despite having a former Scout/Sniper tell me the secret to scoring well. Wide arm position. It shortens your up and down distance travelled. I missed having Jina holding my feet and encouraging me during the sit up phase. The hotel room coffee table just didn't get in my face enough. My last excuse is on the run. I was really pleased with it, but the worn out old treadmill took way to long to get to the pace I needed to run a 13:30. Oh well, I've improved some over the year, stayed fairly consistent overall, and had fun doing it.

Will see what January 1, 2009 yields.

January
Push Ups = 41 Reps/67 Points
Sit Ups = 57 Reps/84 Points
2mi Run = 13:13/100 PointsTotal score = 251

April
Push Ups = 40 Reps/66 Points
Sit Ups = 64 Reps/87 Points
2mi Run = 14:42/91 Points
Total score = 244

July
Push Ups = 49 Reps/75 Points
Sit Ups = 74 Reps/98 Points
2mi Run = 13:30/100 Points
Total score = 273

November
Push Ups = 44 Reps/70 Points
Sit Ups = 72 Reps/96 Points
2mi Run = 13:42/99 Points
Total = 265

Post Voting Dissonance

In business school my primary focus was marketing, in fact, the university messed up and despite being one strategic planning class short, they awarded me a Marketing Degree instead of the Business Management Degree that I had opted for when my new well paying job, marriage, and the schedule of classes for that final marketing class couldn't be reconciled. When I discovered it after requesting a transcript 10 years later, I was told that it was too old, which I guess meant that I was old, and that as far as the university was concerned, I had a B.S. in Marketing.

I tell you this mainly to have something to type about and also to get to the point of my blog which has its roots in the concept we learned as marketers called Post Purchase Dissonance. Simply put, have you ever bought something, typically a big ticket item, and then couldn't decide if you had done the right thing or not. Post Purchase Dissonance.

After voting early on Saturday, I feel the same way. For the first time in my voting life, I walked out of the polls feeling uneasy and uncertain about my decisions. Well except for the 3 guys I voted for in the county council at large race, but then that one isn't the one grabbing the headlines.

Anyway, as I've wrestled all weekend with my decision and after seeing the various political hacks standing on the street corners this morning with their "Honk if you support...." signs, I'm certain of a few of things.

First, I'm proud to be an American and proud to say I exercised my right to vote. It took me three and a half hours of waiting, but it was worth it. Too many people don't have the right to choose their leaders and far too many have died to ensure that I do for me not to exercise this right and privileged.

Second, no matter how this turns out, it was great to see the diversity of people who were gathered to vote. All ages, genders, races, positions and life stages were represented in the 400 odd folks who sat waiting patiently with me on Saturday morning. A lot of joking, small talk, and friendly conversation took place in that crowded hall way, we were all pilgrims on a very slow journey.

Last, as I saw the hacks on the corner this morning, my mind kept going back to a song and a thought that had been running through my mind since I dropped my ballot in the lock box.

'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Stuck in the Middle with You by the Stealers Wheel

Getting out to vote 2008

No, it isn't a typo. I'm getting out to vote, not "the vote" this morning. At least I'm getting ready to leave and try to early vote, since I will be out of town on Tuesday.

For some this election has been easy. They've wanted change and they've gotten a candidate who claims to be for change. Other's will easily choose based on a candidate's position on one issue or another that is paramount for them.

As I sit here at the computer, having spent the morning trying to glean one last bit of wisdom from various sources, I'm not sure. At this late hour I'm still undecided. My human wisdom has failed me and I can not deduce the lesser of two evils.

Do I choose based on my opinion on the 2nd Amendment and abortion or do I choose a candidate based on economic packages and health care reform. Based on what I can find, I'm stuck choosing one or the other, neither supports my views on all, and I haven't even thrown in the war.

So anyway, off I go, I will pray for God's will and pull a straight ticket lever....just kidding...I will choose my local and state candidates, then my presidential candidate, remembering that ultimately God controls this country and this world, and he can use any man or woman, democrat or republican, conservative or liberal, Christian or atheist or Jew or etc., to accomplish his will.

Afterward, sometime today I will run a long run, and in that time I will wrestle with my decision, but in the end, no matter who wins, I'll cling to this...

Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Monday, Monday.

"Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever monday comes, but whenever monday comes
You can find me cryin all of the time"

Mamas and the Pappas

Ok, so this is the week you step up your game! You get off the sidelines and get on with living life! Yes, it's Monday, but you've gotta start somewhere. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself, quit saying "I Can't!", and get in the game.

Oh, and in case you're still clinging to excuses, or just down and bummed. Here's a little motivation lifted from the Faith First Blog...ok, actually, I'll just redirect you there, and don't you dare not watch the video...NOW! DROP AND GIVE ME 20!

http://faithfirstfitness.com/blog/

Race Report - Girl Scout's Summit Fall Fest 5K

Well I ran a 5K this morning. My primary motivation was that it was being held at the Summit Towne Center, and we do business there, so I went to run and to see how well our staff did prepping the property.

After a warm up run around the property, I felt a little tight, but pretty good. Starting out, I decided to position myself in the back half of the lead pack and find a pace I was comfortable with.

It's late, so I'll cut to the chase. I ran a 20:56, a 6:46 pace. Finished 21st overall and 1st in my age group. I'm happy with my time. A 1:26 off my flat course PR, but better than my most often repeated 5K time of 21:30.

The 1st place in age sound impressive until you check the stats and see that no other runner in my age bracket crossed the line before the 28 minute mark.

Rushed from the race to the soccer field to watch the twins play the second half of their last soccer game. (Ok, 3 yr olds don't really play the game, but they get to be like their big brother).

Pizza for lunch and then Jared played his last game of the fall season. I was proud. He got one shot on goal that deflected off of the goalie's head and then made a nice pass to earn an assist when his team mate scored.

Wrapped up the night with tickets to the Monster Jam monster truck event. We had a blast. I broke out the 35mm SLR and lenses and snapped 72 pics. Hope they come out. On my short list of things to buy with a few tax refund dollars is a digital SLR that we'll work with my lenses.

Oh well, it's late. Time to wind down and grab some ZZZZZZs.

Why do you exercise?

As promised, I'd like your feedback on this one, and if you get a chance, ask a friend to chime in as well.

Why do you workout? or Why not? What is your motivation, your reason, your excuse, etc.

Perhaps you'll inspire someone else or find motivation yourself. I don't have any restrictions on who can post, so those of you who don't want yourself found out, just comment anonymously.

To kick this off, here's mine, after much deliberation and thought.

I workout for 3 reasons and the order of importance varies on any given day. 1) My health. Heart related diseases have claimed 3 of 4 grandparents and afflicted my mom (stroke) and my dad (heart attacks and bypass surgery)and 2 of my dad's brothers. Genetics aren't on my side. 2) Vanity. I like the way I look being fit. 3) Challenge. I like pushing and testing myself.

So there you have, an honest look at why I work out and run. Are you willing to share why you do or don't? Don't worry, I won't write any posts based on the responses. I'm just curious what motivates others and thought it might be fun to share our reasons.

Something to Post..When Nothing to Post

Ok, I've not put anything up for several days, because not much of anything new happening and I hadn't been on line, except to get some directions, since Thursday of last week.

I'm in a rut with my workouts, and it isn't a bad thing, I've been turning in consistent workouts with 30 to 35 minutes of running (3.5 to 4 miles each time) and then hitting the weights.

Work is going to be hectic for several days while I work to put our budget numbers into the new company's format and proof my regional operating budget. Arrrgggghhhh! Now to decide, up super early to workout and work, or stay late each day.....??? Don't they know I've got fitness training and they're getting in the way!!!

Got my #'s back from the Doc today and was happy to see my cholesterol #'s and a healthy triglycerides level. Yes the eating habits (which need to improve some) and exercise are staving off genetics and hopefully adding a little longer run time before curtain call on this play we call life.

Enough wasting your time. Check out Scotty's blog (see side bar) for a great post. He writes seldom, but writes well. This balances out my meaningless babble and keeps blogdom balanced.
Also check out the Faith First Fitness Blog (again, see side bar) if you're looking for a simple word or excel workout log.

Lastly, my next post will be one that I want interaction on, so be prepared to comment. Don't worry, it won't be about politics.

Clean Bill of Health?

Had a physical today.

Got a thumbs up on the heart rate, blood pressure, and sounds eminating from within.

"Almost Hernia" was no longer an issue. I knew that already since I've been able to move laterally for some time now.

The rest is up to the lab.

Seems the exercise is working, but will have to wait on the blood work to be sure the cholesterol is where we want it to be.

Maybe, just maybe, the running and lifting and saying no to a lot of foods I like is worth it.

Well it depends on who we elect president....

Just kidding. See my poll in the side bar.

Take Care

James

When Politicians are Allowed to Play Economist

As Stocks Tumble; Seems Appropriate to Remember

Matthew 6:19-34 (New International Version)

Treasures in Heaven

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Do Not Worry

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?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jock or Geek...Both!

Info from today's USA Today with credit to Nanci Hellmich

According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society
in Phoenix.

When researchers at the Medical College of Georgia studied and compared 49 normal-weight kids, age 8-11, both active and sedentary to their sedentary overweight peers they found...

Overweight kids scored lower on cognitive tests than normal-weight
kids.

Sedentary kids, whether over weight or normal weight, scored lower than
active kids.

So get those kids off the couch and away from the X-box and get them moving and playing.

As we worry about Wall Street and Wallets, Don't Forget!

A little inspiration for the day or the gym

Isaiah 40:30-31 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Also a quote from a Clint Eastwood movie character that might come in handy as a mantra when fatigue and pain set in.

"Endeavor to Persevere."

Can you name the movie?

Post #2 for the Day

A couple of shout outs!

Congrats to Daniel and Alicia (See blog link under "People I know..." in my side column) on the birth of Jake. Check out the proud big brother, Sam. Glad all went well and everyone is home and healthy.

If you've run a marathon, you know they doubts that creep up during taper week. Keep my friend and sometimes running partner Tammy in your thoughts this week. She heads to Chicago to run her first marathon this weekend.

Fatigue

My recent workouts have been more about conditioning that anything else. No specific race training, and in fact, very little running specific training.

I've done nearly every run for the past month on a treadmill, since it is easier to transition from there straight to the weights at the gym. In the last couple of weeks I've notice a lot of leg fatigue and discomfort. Perhaps iron deficiency???? So I've tried to eat a little red meat and get more consistent with remembering to take my multi-vitamin daily.

I've grown sloppy in my eating habits and it is showing up on the scales. I'm up about 7 lbs, and while I wish I could contribute it all to my increased weight training, I can't. So today I'm back to watching what I eat, cutting back (I hope) to no more than one diet soda per day and trying a supplement to get me through the food cravings. So far, so good.

As mentioned above, I've been feeling pretty lousy on my runs. I was planning to run a 5K at the Southern Baptist Seminary this past weekend, but then the coach of one of the softball teams I have been playing with called me to inform me that the tournament I had agreed to play in was this past weekend, not the weekend I had originally been told. So scratch the race and it was probably a good thing. My legs felt fatigued and achy all day on Saturday. That same feeling you get all over with the flu had taken up residence in my legs. The same on Sunday.

I decided to ignore the alarm this morning and to get another 1 1/2 hours of sleep/rest this morning, opting to workout on my lunch break. My legs still didn't feel great with the treadmill set at only a 8:34 pace, but my lifting felt good and I felt it was one of my most productive workouts yet.

Tomorrow I'll take my run out on the street before heading to the airport. Hopefully the legs feel better. I'm beginning to wonder if the treadmill has had some ill effects. Anyway, that's it from this end. I've got to get in shape for a 5K at a client's facility on the 25th. Dog and Pony show, but at least I get to race and perhaps I can get some fire back in my belly.

For now, I'm plodding along and trying to keep forward momentum......

Base Miles - part two

I left you with a question in my last post. I hope you took the time to think about it, and more importantly, that you were honest in your answer.

In our training and running we've all had days when it was the last thing we wanted to do. We didn't go to bed early enough the night before, we were sore from yesterday's workout, life reared its ugly head, the kids had soccer practice, etc., etc. Whatever the reason, we've all been there.

As I pointed out in my last post, maintaining a base can be the perfect cure. It gives you a purpose, "I've got to make sure I get in X miles!", it helps us maintain our conditioning when we either can not or are not in training for a specific event, and it gives us the launching pad from which to initiate a training regimen.

Life is much the same. It might be to broad a statement, but I'd be willing to bet that we have all had days when we didn't want to face the world, get out of bed, and/or deal with the challenges the day had in store. We've all been kicked when we were already down, dealt an unfair blow, and burdened with a load that we were sure was the largest in the history of the world and impossible for us to carry.

When those times come, it is our life's "base miles" upon which we are forced to lean. This "base" must allow us to maintain, sustain, and retrain.

To provide maintenance, our "base" must be solid and constant. It can not waiver or falter. It can not be weakened or altered by time. To provide sustenance, it must meet our needs, it has to be something upon which we can rely entirely. Finally, to retrain, it must provide the basis for continued strengthening and growth. When the pains and injuries pass, this "base" must provide a launching pad for the training that will help us overcome the next challenge.

Now, back to my earlier questions. After typing the question a few days ago, I pondered what might be some possible responses. While there may be more, there were three, apart from the one I want to present, that stood out to me; Physical Strength/Appearance, Intellect, and Religion.

If you are reading this blog, you likely have at least some passing interest in athletic conditioning. You may even have reached a very high level of fitness or degree of personal appearance and it is on these accomplishments upon which you rest, knowing full well that you can conquer life's challenges by either physically overcoming them, outlasting them, or by burying them beneath strenuous workouts and long runs. If this was your answer, let me ask you "What would you do if that physical ability and appearance were stripped away?" Would life still be worth living? With what would you justify your existence and purpose?

Psalm 31:10 (New International Version)
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

Another possible answer to my question is "Intellect". Perhaps you are proud of the knowledge you've attained, you might even have this as your fall back "base" in the event that your physical attributes fail, but do you really have all the answers? Can you explain away everything that happens with a scientific principal or assign it to fate or luck? Perhaps to date you've been able to, but when that question comes, the one that exceeds your wisdom and defies your logic, what then? If you can not wrap life up into a nice neat package of cause and effect, point and counterpoint, what then?

Proverbs 3:5 (New International Version)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

The third answer in my list is "Religion". Whoa! Wait a second James. Didn't the heading of this blog say you were a Christian? How are you going to attack religion?. Simple. I am a Christian because of who I place my hope, my salvation, and my faith in, not because I follow a specific doctrine, set of rules, or complete the necessary religious rituals. With that out of the way, let me, since it is my blog, continue.

Religious practices have been a source of comfort and strength since the beginning of time, but do they provide maintenance, sustenance, and finally the basis for growth? Let me offer my opinion. Are they maintainable? Remember, I stated that to provide maintenance your "base" had to be solid and constant. So, if your "base" is based upon a specific religion, ask yourself, "Have my religion's rituals changed over time?" "Does my religion have a core belief upon which everything else is based, or is it subject to interpretation?" Pick at it a little bit, figure out for yourself, "Is my religion constant and unchanging?"

Sustenance. Quick question here. "Does my religion ("base")sustain me, or is it incumbent upon me to sustain it?" If you can't participate in the necessary rituals and ceremonies, are you still guaranteed a spot in the afterlife? When you are down and out, what aspect of your practices and ceremonies give you comfort? Will they or do they work in every circumstance? What if you are unable to perform them or utter them?

Retrain. Does your "base" provide an opportunity to grow and to become stronger? In what ways do you improve as you progress in your knowledge? Does that growth benefit others, or simply yourself, and as you improve, what purpose does this growth serve?

Mark 7:6-8 (New International Version)
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

Now that we've covered these three possible answers, let me tell you what my answer is. The "base" of my life is Jesus Christ. Why? Because when the stuff hits the fan, he can and does, maintain me, sustain me, and retrains me.

Maintains
His love and the knowledge that he sacrificed his life for me means that when I face struggles and challenges I have a firm foundation upon which to rest. His love has never changed. It has remained constant throughout the ages. His message has never changed. To find salvation through Christ today is the same as when he walked the earth. Believe in him. Believe that he is the Son of God, and that he came and, despite being faultless, was crucified and died as atonement for the sins of the world. The message and the gift have not changed in 2000 years. This is summed up well in the song that states, "God's love never changes, His love never fails. When the world is shaken, I can put my faith in knowing that His love will never fail."

Psalm 100:5 (New International Version)
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Sustains
The knowledge that Christ loves me and died for me gives me the strength and confidence to face each new challenge. When my intellect and my physical strength falter and fail, it is and will be this love that sustains me. There are too many things in this life that I don't and never will be able to make sense of, but knowing that God has a purpose and plan for each of us makes living on my worst days tolerable and on my best days exciting.

Psalm 3:5 (New International Version)
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

Retrains
With Christ as my life's "base" I'm always ready to tackle the next challenge. Better yet, He serves as my coach and motivator. He serves not only as the launching pad for the best you can be, but also the way and the means by which to accomplish great things. He is always pushing, prodding, and even at times giving me a good swift kick in the rear to motivate me to improve. Believing in Christ means that you are never content with where you're at and who you are. By this I mean that you will be constantly drawn to be like Him, to be a more compassionate person, a better parent, a more devoted spouse, a more caring friend, and on and on. I won't lie to you. There will be hills to run, pain to endure, and times you'll question whether or not you can go on, but when you finish the particular event He was preparing you for, it's all worth it and you'll know that you are better and stronger than before.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (New International Version)
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

So think about it some more. What or who is your base? The choice is yours, but please, choose wisely!

Base Miles

Ok you've started running, perhaps you've gotten a race or two under your belt, or you've reached your weight or conditioning goal and don't know whether you can start running less or need to run more. Perhaps you're not running at all, fine, apply the same principles to whatever exercise regimen you're following.

Just as a house needs a strong foundation, so does your running and conditioning. My first runs consisted of a one mile loop through my neighborhood and I blistered the asphalt with scorching 16 minute miles. Then came the pinnacle of my early days of running. An all out effort that deposited me, spread eagle and gasping on the hood of my car. I'd just turned in a 14 minute mile. That was the beginning, and I'm happy to say that, with the exception of a couple of recent weeks, I now maintain a base of 15 to 20 miles per week. Much improved from those early runs. But what is the purpose of those base miles?

From your base, you can tune up for a local 5K, or initiate a 16 week marathon training regimen. Not interested in racing, then think of your base as a great way to stay away from agony. I'm a runner for life now, not because I always love it, but because I remember the time I took of a complete month and had to restart. Trust me, keep your miles up and avoid the physical and mental agony of resuming running.

Your base also serves as a bottom marker, a baseline that you refuse to fall below. Let's call it your minimum goal mileage. Pushing yourself to complete the miles necessary to maintain this minimum number of miles, can help to remind you of why you run and what you enjoy about running. Base miles also serve as an anchor. They can help you to hold your conditioning level through minor injury, illness, or when life rears its ugly head. They also anchor you in your goals. When you get excited about that new pilates class or lifting regimen, maintaining your base can keep you from straying too far away from training that is specific to achieving your running goals.

If I've managed to hold your attention this long, let me ask you another question. "What anchors your life?" "On what foundation is everything that you are and everything that you believe built?" Since its getting late on me, just think about those two questions, be honest with yourself, and we'll discuss some more my next post.

POWER!

Back up approximately 1 week to the hour that we lost it.

Played a softball tourney yesterday and did something I'd never done, despite playing baseball or softball for 30 + years of my life. I hit a homerun. 1st pitch of the game. Amazed me, I've never even come close. More amazing, I don't have a homerun swing. Anyway enough about that. Must be all the weights I've been lifting...well more likely the sugar rush from the birthday cake I inhaled on Friday night.

My oldest is 7 now. Just doesn't seem that long ago we were bringing him home..sniff, sob....ok, tender moment is over with.

Last post I let you in on my thoughts of running a trail marathon in December. I'm leaning towards not running it. Time constraints and other needs. The woods at my Mom and Dad's farm took a beating from the storm. Lots of trees down, and plenty of them down across fencing. I think I'll take 3 or 4 hours out of each weekend for awhile and go work on clearing off the fence line.

So with that in mind, I think I'm going to maintain a base of 3 to 4 miles per day and begin focusing a little more on strength training for the remainder of 2008.

I'll try to string together something a little more insightful and inspiring for my next post.

Updates

Updates on different fronts:

1)Fitness: Much of my training has been replaced with physical labor during storm clean up. With tree and limb removal in downtown Louisville on Monday and Tuesday, and clearing the creek in the easement behind our house on Wednesday, I skipped those days. Ran Thursday and Friday mornings and will either do more tree work on Saturday or play in a Softball Tourney or both.

2)Nutrition: Ha Ha, yeah right! Pizza buffet twice this week for lunch. (Monday and Tuesday)

3)Life: Power is still out at the house. We have a generator running (outdoors!, Amazing to me that they have had over 100 CO related cases at local hospitals and one death. Don't people a) read, and b) pay attention to broadcast warnings...guess not...I'm not cold hearted ya'll...it is a tragedy.) We've spent more time talking to different neighbors this week than we have in the past 3 years. Offering up space in our garage fridge for all kinds of peoples necessities, from Beer to Insulin. Hopefully by tomorrow we are up and going, but if not, it could be worse.

Nothing much more to write about, and I really should get to work. Toying with the idea of doing a trail marathon in December, but to properly train, I'll need to drive about 15 minutes up the road to do my long runs in a state park. Not sure I can get motivated to carve out the additional time from an already packed schedule.

Take care and continue to pray for those in Houston. We took a hit here, they got flat "knocked out!"

Still Here, but No Power

I've added Calgary to my places I've run list.

Got in a 7 mile and 4.5 mile run while there.

We've been without electricity since Sunday afternoon, and this is my first day back in the office. Power here was out as well and I spent Monday and Tuesday in the field cleaning up downtown Louisville with my local guys.

Not much time for anything else at this time. Have a good day!

James

Proof that fast food is a sin....

...and to think that for years the cries from the church have been against alcohol. Here is God's wrath being poured out on the fast food industry. "Get thee behind me Big Mac!"

Wandering

Previously I wrote about how I felt God's pressence in the last miles of the KDF Marathon. It was one of those times when I could sense him with me just as if he were physically beside me. While that is a great feeling, I've also gone through times when I don't think my prayers left the room. They simply hit the ceiling and bounced around a bit. At other times I've found myself feeling distanced from God, as if I can't seem to draw near to him.

So what's the problem?

My job makes it difficult to maintain friendships. I often go weeks without speaking to, much less having face to face contact with people whom I used to be very close to. Just like when friends move away, it becomes increasingly harder to carry on conversations or to connect on any meaningful level. Time and distance are enemies to relationships and friendships.

Our (my) relationship with God is no different. If we (I) fail to make time to speak to him, to allow him to speak to me, then that distance grows. However, just as it is my travel that has hurt my human friendships, so also it is my wandering that hurts my relationship with God. He's always there, waiting for me to come back.

Note to self: Make Time for God!

Utica 5K

I got to run the Utica 5K. We left New Orleans at 7:30 pm Friday night.

I managed to piece together about 3 hours worth of "cat naps" and arrived home at 7 o'clock Saturday morning.

Kiss the wife, change clothes, race to McDonald's for a jolt of caffeine, then off to Utica for the 8 am race.

Same group of competitors I faced last year, and having not run for about 10 days, eating horribly, and no sleep (yep, lining up my excuses) my goal was to defend my 07 third place finish.

Wasn't to be. Mile #1, 6:42, in third and unable to match the 2nd place runner's pace. Mile #2, 13:45, holding third, but hitting the 2nd hill, decide to give up some more of my fading lead over 4th and 5th place and quickly hike up the hill. I'm passed just before the crest by the 4th place runner. She's a friend of the family and will easily take 1st overall female. I'm fading. 5th place runner draws even with me at about 2.5 miles. I decide to maintain his pace and we run stride for stride. He pulls ahead a step, I match it, then again, and again. I pull ahead by 3 steps and hope he fades. He doesn't. I'm sucking wind, he draws even. 2 tenths out, I'm done, I check my tail and find no one close. 5th will be good enough. I pull up and walk about twenty feet, then resume running. Finish in 21:33. One minute longer than last year, 9 seconds slower than 4th place (3rd place male).

My wife says to be happy. "You made it back from NOLA safely, was able to run, will make the kidos' soccer games, and you won an age group medal." (overall winners are excluded from the age group medals)

She's right, but I'm mad at myself for giving up. I should've gut checked it out. GRRRRR!

Scratch the Fall Marathon...

and perhaps the entire race schedule.

Looks like we will be headed back to NOLA on Wednesday. Looks like I'll miss out on the Utica 5K and a second week of long runs.

Next weekend I will be in Calgary for a conference, again no long run.

I'm done. My eating has been crappy and I've lost a lot of focus.

Right now, I'm just going to plan on running and lifting for fitness and leave it at that.

Work is having a major impact on my personal life. I'll miss my kids playing their first two soccer games. That puts the burden solely on Jina, which wears her down and I'm the one who suggested we let the twins play also. Thinking they would enjoy being like their big brother.

OK, enough belly aching. The job pays the bills. I should be grateful, but honestly right now....

Anyway, will post when I have something interesting and POSITIVE to say.

Take care

Back Home from the Big (Un) Easy

Well I'm home and waiting to see when we might be headed back to New Orleans.

We left downtown at 4:30 pm eastern time on Saturday. We were able to go about 30 miles in the first 4.5 hours. Then over the next 4 hours, from Slidell, LA to Tuscaloosa,AL we were lucky when when we could go 60 mph on I-59.

After I handed off in Tuscaloosa, and went to sleep for what would wind up being a total of 3 hours of cat napping, traffic thinned out and we ran around 75 mph for the rest of the drive back.

We spent 17 hours on the road.

New Orleans was like a ghost town when we left yesterday. A city of about 1.2 million people reduced to a few stragglers, police and national guard soldiers.

I made it home in time to go to hear Jina sing with 5 other ladies at our second service. They did great, but I felt awkward and out of place. After seeing life turned completely on its head, it was hard to see life and people go on as is nothing was happening. I was actually glad that Jina, after staying for the entire first service, decided to leave after singing in the second service.

We went from there to grab a bite to eat, I was dying to eat some vegetables after eating nothing but Power Bars, South Beach Meal bars, Trail mix and one McDonalds' grilled chicken value meal for 36 hours, I was craving fruit and vegetables. That proved to be a mistake also. Again, hard to go from world upside down, to life as normal in 18 hours.

I've spent the afternoon bouncing between the Weather Channel, FoxNews, CNN, ESPN (for the UofL/UK football game), and cat napping.

Now it will be a matter of determining when we go back, what our role will be, what staff will come back (I anticipate most of them having to deal with their personal property first), what supplies we'll need (we have a pass to get into the city, but until it is opened up to the general population, once we are in we will have to be completely self sufficient and unable to leave the city), and I believe it will be prudent to consider what personal security measures we might need.

That's about it, hard to think about much of anything else right now.

Gustav, again

Well, Change of plans again.

We had three choices here in New Orleans.

1)Ride out the storm at the 100 year old hotel in the heart of downtown where we were staying. The walls are 3 feet thick, the hotel is elevated on a raised lot, and it has it's on generator, all of which allowed it to remain open during Katrina.

2)Head to our alternate rooms in Lake Charles, LA or our secondary alternates in Houston.

3)Drive 11 hours back to Louisville, pick up additional personnel and supplies and return next Wednesday.

The hotel told me on check in today that they were shutting down on Sunday, staying open last time was a mistake, seems tourist decided to stay, but were not prepared mentally to be stranded for an extended period of time. That's OK, we had pretty much ruled out staying.

Lake Charles, now sits in the expected path of the storm and Houston, normally a 6 hour drive is estimated at taking 13 hours to reach due to evacuation traffic.

So, my collegue and I will be headed north, hopefully around 3 pm on Saturday, for what mapquest says is a 707 mile, 11 hr drive. Well, that doesn't factor in that we still have to deal with the exodus traffic leaving New Orleans. So, who knows when we'll get home.

Enough of my adventures, I'm getting ready to go jump on the treadmill and burn off a couple of miles. Gotta keep running, but definitely looks like no long run this weekend. Maybe Monday. Also looks like I want be running the Utica 5K, or making my kids' soccer games. Of course some of that will depend on what tropical storm Hanna does. She's making folks nervous since she changed course earlier today.

Maybe I'll post again on Monday. Have a good weekend.

James

Gustav

As I type this I'm wrapping up a bowl of cereal and preparing to head to the airport.

If I get in a long run this week, it will be in New Orleans. I'm headed down this morning to finish wrapping up shutting down our operations and then await the storm either in New Orleans or Lake Charles.

Looking like Thursday of next week is the earliest I'll have a chance to come home. If the storm hits NO, who knows what our game plan will wind up being. Hope I'm home in time to run the Utica 5K next weekend.

Oh well, got to go.

Hooking up with an Old Flame

I went to my class reunion on Friday night. Not much to talk about, light showing for a combo of the '87/'88 classes. Only two hundred at most from classes which combined for over 1200 graduates.

Anyway, Saturday morning found me hooking up with an old flame. At first it was fun and exciting again. My heart was racing, I felt young and full of energy. An hour later I started to remember the pain that the relationship had caused. It hadn't taken long for the glimmer to wear off and I remembered why I had walked away before.

Saturday night found me back with my wife, attending the spouse night of the reunion. The pain of my earlier folly was still fresh, but I pretended as if nothing had happened and pretended to enjoy the evening. Today, the pain still lingers, yet I find myself longing for another encounter. So this week I'll try to put the pain behind me and then next weekend, slip from my bed and sleeping spouse to hook up with a long run again. This time, 14 miles, who knows maybe I'll start to feel comfortable with it, but for now, I'll savor the pain.

OK folks, if you've never tried it and are wondering, going two months with nothing longer than a 5 or 6 miler and then reeling of a 12 miler is not the brightest idea. Don't do it. I did it to see if I could pick up with where I should be in a marathon training program, but building up slowly is the only smart way to go.

I'm confident I will be fine and will log a 14 miler this week with a friend who is prepping for the same race. To jump straight into this mileage I'm going to have to be much smarter than I've been in the past. I tried that this morning, opting to log an extra 2 hrs of sleep instead of getting up to run. Instead I came home and ran 4 miles after work, 2 of which I was accompanied by Jina on my bike hauling the twins and my oldest son and one of his friends on their bikes. Wow, I felt like an elite, or maybe Lance Armstrong, with my on training entourage.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how the training goes, let's see if I can keep it together and do this. For some reason a switch got flipped in my mind this past week and I'm focused in on doing this marathon again.

Side Note: Remember my adulterous relationship in Columbia, SC when I found myself cavorting with a pair of Asic 2130s instead of my loving New Balance 768s. Well Saturday's long run and the resulting hip pain were enough to convince me the Asics had seen enough miles. Me and the 768s hooked back up tonight. I think we can salvage our relationship.

Bits and Pieces

Just a couple of random items to get out of my head.

I should not run a fall marathon. I'm way behind the training curve and life seems destined to stand directly in my path and prevent me from getting on track. Easy thing would be to just write it off, but then comes the olympics which provided some inspiration (more on that a couple of lines down), and then there is a dogged (correct spelling s/b "dawgged", but dictionaries apparently originate north of the Mason Dixon line)determination on my part to just do it. My athletic condition remains solid, soooo...why not just do it! I'll let you know. I'm hoping to get something longer than 5 miles in this Saturday. It will be my first opportunity in close to 2 months to get in a Saturday run.

Wow, a 41 year old swimmer medals at the Olympics, a 38 year old marathoner wins gold, a 31 year old gymnast from Germany medals in vault. (I think their Olympic committee person is dislexic and didn't realize the Chinese said they were letting 13 year olds in, not 31 year olds.) Anyway, it appears there is life after 30. Heck, I thought I was in purgatory for the last eight years, guess it's time to start living again.

Watch this and then don't tell me you can't!

Shout out to Greg Cheney at the blog, Faith First Fitness Programs (listed in my blog list). I followed his lead in posting it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4LMBEBM1qc

Fish Heads, Fish Heads, rolly polly...

...just kidding, you don't have to eat the heads, but eating some fish is good for you.

The following is information gleaned from the July/August Run Midwest magazine, in an article by Nancy Clark, titled The Beat Goes On: Heart Health and Nutrition.

The following foods are good for lowering your LDL (bad cholesterol): oats, barley, soy, beans, almonds/nuts, and plant sterols/stanols added to margerines (check the package). Combine these in your daily diet and you have the potential to make a huge impact on your cholesterol numbers.

Beans and nuts are great sources of protein and filling up on them can steer you away from sources of saturated fat, such as steak.

To reduce the inflammation caused by cholesterol filled plaques in blood vessels eat salmon or other oily fish, walnuts, fiber-rich whole grain, fruits and vegetables, and my favorite inflammation fighter, dark chocolate.

In the fruit category, apricots, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach are the "Big Six". This was great news to me. Bananas are some of the cheapest fruits to buy and every time I order the seasonal vegetables when eating out, I always get broccoli. It doesn't seem to matter the season or the part of the country I'm in.

When it comes to fish, 8 ounces per week of salmon, mackeral, sardines (yuck) or herring (cold water fishes rich in Omega-3 fats) can reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 36% and can even up your odds of surviving a heart attack should you have one. Plan at least one lunch with some tuna (low fat mayo) and one salmon dinner entree per week. If you've heard the concerns about PCBs in farm raised fish, you might like to know that Dr. Charles Saterre of Purdue University says the risks are tiny when compared with the benefits, just don't eat the skin, fat, or fat drippings. (why would you eat fat drippings?)

Now that you're eating right, don't forget to exercise. Yes, you need to exercise, but you don't have to kill yourself. Heart health benefits peak at around 2000 calories per week, or the equivalent of running 4 miles per day five times per week. No, you don't have to run. Just be sure to keep an eye on your heart rate and your calories burned and make sure you turn in some quality workouts that total up to at least 2000 calories per week.

Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie...

In my previous post, which I intended mainly to introduce a new blog that had touched on a topic I had before, and of course was in support of my viewpoint, I reminisced about childhood memories of church socials. Based on a couple of responses, I'd like to talk about those "Dinner on Grounds" and their glaring absence from the current church landscape.

Before diving in, let me be clear on a couple of facts. The church I spoke of is a traditional country Southern Baptist congregation dating to the 1860's, nestled in the heart of rural Georgia, (of course Atlanta's expansion is encroaching. perhaps it should be the state of Atlanta...but that's another topic) meeting in a building that looks like it belongs on the cover of the next collection of classic hymns sung by country music stars. My memories are 25 + years old and the church of my childhood and teen years located in Southern Indiana, did not, except for a few "Deacon's Cookouts", put on these types of socials during my childhood and teen years in the 1980's. So not having them is nothing new.

With that said, I lament not experiencing what, based on stories I've heard my parents tell and the old 8mm home movies I saw played on the kitchen wall, appear to have been some wonderful times of fellowship for church members. Even so I fully recognize that in today's culture and pace of life, replicating them is never going to happen. They are, along with large V8s and tail fins, a piece of Americana etched only in our memories. Beyond my generation, you won't even hear about them in sentimental country music ballads.

These days, church fellowship competes with soccer practice, second jobs, mom and dad's work schedules, jr's homework, and a myriad of other activities that we try to cram into the week, for our time and attention. The days are gone where our friends were our neighbors and/or the folks we went to church with. Now it's who we schedule our kids play dates with and who's on jr.'ettes travelling softball team. As stated by a friend who commented on my last post, cooking a dish means skipping Sunday School and "Sorry I can't clean up, my kid has XYZ to attend and we have to get going..." are just a couple of reasons why church "socials" may be more hardship than fellowship these days.

I don't criticize churches for not having them. I don't fault members for not attending. Not attending a church fellowship doesn't mean you're not putting God first. For me, trying to cram too many things, even a church event, into a hectic week leads to frustration and a "sour" heart that isn't open to experiencing and sharing Christ's love and grace with anyone else. Even so, sometimes I feel guilty for not being more active in church activities.

Whether our greed or the changing economic landscape of America has caused it, who knows, but in our current state of dual income households, "kids must play organized sports" families, and not knowing who our neighbors are, it is no surprise that "Dinners on the Grounds" have gone the way of Block Parties and Roller Skating Rinks. I'm old enough to lament their passing, yet young enough to know that nothing stays the same. Heck, based on current trends, some day my treasured hymns will be completely replaced by what one person coined "7/11 Praise Choruses". (The same seven words sung over and over eleven times)...(whoops, don't forget the chord change on repeat #5, it makes all the difference).

My closing point will be this. It isn't the setting that matters. It's the fellowship. Make time, whether with the entire church family, with a small group of Christian friends, or maybe with one close friend, to laugh, to celebrate, and don't forget...TO EAT!

"...I drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry..." (I wish today's cars had tail fins)

A quick note...

I've added a new blog to my "Blogs of interest" list. Interesting topic on the current post, especially if you're a Southern Baptist like me who laments the fact that more SBC churches don't return to their roots and have more church social "dinner on the grounds".

My early childhood church had concrete block columns designed specifically for supporting 4x8 sheets of plywood under a shade tree, for use as a tables. Not for eating, but to set up the service lines. Oh, by the way, I'm not talking about a couple of sections, if memory serves me correctly, it was at least 32 feet long. Yep, a 128 square foot buffet table at a church whose Sunday worship attendance has likely never topped 80 people. That's some serious cooking and eating.

Anyway, the current topic touches on an interesting point about obesity in our churches (not just Southern Baptist Churches) and how we like to pick and choose what we consider sinful, i.e. "drinking alcohol is a sin, eating 4 twinkies a day and 6 tweenty ounce cokes is ok." (my words, not the other bloggers)

Have a good day!

Whoops almost forgot to say that I'd gladly add an extra long run into a week if I could experience another one of those good ol' dinner on the grounds. ;>)

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus...

...look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." These are the lyrics to one of the hymns I grew up with, and this is the frequent topic of sermons every Sunday across the country.

I've asserted before that the past three plus years of running, for me, has mirrored my life in Christ and this morning I recognized another similarity. Focus.

Take a look back through my posts and you'll find that over the past year, since starting this blog, I've thrown out numerous goals that I hoped to achieve. I've been focused on distance, on times, on fitness level, on weight, on body fat, etc., etc. The reality is that other than general fitness levels and, dare I say, concern with my appearance, I've never remained focused on any one goal for very long.

Our Christian lives can be very similar. We may find ourselves deeply involved and interested in in depth Bible study one minute, faith based community service the next, then church leadership, or perhaps teaching at another point in time. Then life kicks into high gear. School, kids, activities, work, and sometimes even Church responsibilities can capture our attention and cause us to lose focus. I've come to realize that it's OK. I'm going to stumble, I'm going to get lazy, perhaps even lose interest in one thing or another. What I must never do is lose focus on the big picture. In exercising, my short term goals will change, but each one should, and will, contribute to the overall goal of staying in shape and living a healthy lifestyle. In my Christian life, I have, and will, do many different things in an effort to serve the Lord. Some will capture my undivided attention, some I will trudge through, like a long set of ab crunches, but each will contribute to my spiritual fitness.

With the approach of the Olympics, I'm reminded of the US Olympian some years ago who pulled a muscle in the final stretch of a race. He struggled to his feet and continued for the finish line, seeing his son struggle, his dad rushed the track and supported his son. Together they crossed the finish line. As Christians we should train to win, yet we will likely never run the perfect race. When we struggle, we must continue to press forward toward the finish line, and when we see another stumble, we must be willing to lend a hand. If we "train" and then "run" with this same dedication and focus then, "...the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace."

New Training Log

I've changed the information on my training log to show my workouts instead of my total mileage. This will give a better of the type of fitness activities I'm engaging in and if someone is interested, might spark an idea or two to break out of a rut or get started with a new exercise regimen

Lately I have found myself struggling to stay focused on running only, and recent runs felt mundane and boring. I'm trying mix up my training with weight training, sprints, running, plyometrics(jump roping), and bike rides with the family.

On the running front, I'm gearing up for a small 5K in Utica, IN and I haven't completely ruled out a fall marathon, however, I'm battling a hamstring issue deep down in the upper portion of my left leg. Stretching doesn't seem to be helping much and I feel it immediately when I begin a run. If any one has any ideas, let me know, it's becoming very frustrating.

Back From The Big Apple

We're back. I talked Jina into Running/Walking Central Park. I thought she was going to hate me for it, but she actually told me later that it was one of her favorite things we did.

If you check out my weekly mileage as of late, I'm way down. That has to change this week, not so much the mileage, but conditioning in general.

Enough from me, not much more to say of any interest or importance, but please, take the time to look in my side column, under the "blogs of interest" list and check out the music video at "Baldpastorguy" - The raw emotion is overwhelming.

An Active Family

One of my concerns as a parent is whether or not my kids, actually our whole family, is active physically. I have no desire to be Mr. Potato Head o' Household for a bunch of couch potatoes.

This summer Jina made a committed effort to make sure the boys spent more time outdoors playing. We don't have the biggest house, but by today's standards, we have a big yard. Plenty of room for the "kiddos" to play. Toss in several "play dates" to local parks (Does anyone else remember the good old days when you played with the kids in your neighborhood, and you played at anytime that wasn't dinner time? Now kids have more appointments on their calendar than I do at work? Yes I realize I'm getting older and dwelling on the "good ol' days"!)and our kids have remained pretty active day in and day out.

During our vacation we went for a family bike ride and afterward I left the bikes down, assembled and ready to ride. Now we go for post dinner 3 to 5 mile bike rides multiple times throughout the week. The best part is that my kids look forward to it. Jared, my oldest is riding an 18 inch kids bike, with only a couple of exceptions he attacks and conquers the hills in our surrounding neighborhoods without complaint. We challenge him to keep pedaling, to push himself, and then praise his efforts and point out the accomplishment each time he tackles a new challenge. Several times he has nearly melted down emotionally and psychologically (he gets upset if he begins something and then thinks he is going to fail-I can't count how many times we've had that talk) on a tough climb, but when encouraged he pushes through and the reward is that we've ridden new routes, such as a ride through the local city park behind our neighborhood. (Hey Brian, we rode on an old gravel trail and then a dirt trail for maybe 2 tenths of a mile, he thought it was the coolest thing.)

The only issue with being an active family is that it has really cut down on my running. I didn't think it would be an issue, but those evening bike rides with a trailer load of toddlers are more fatiguing than I thought. Even so, I'll take the trade off.

Anyway, I'm typing this quickly and not sure how well my thoughts are flowing, but my point is this. It is important for us as parents to set examples for our children in the area of physical fitness. However, we can not just hope that our kids will see what we do and follow our lead. We need to create opportunities for them to be active, not just in organized sports, but also in our family activities and their daily play.

Fruit of the Spirit

During our trip to Georgia I had the opportunity to walk down to my grandmother's old place. The house was in disrepair before she passed away some years ago, and time has continued to wear the old house down, yet the minute I stepped off the road into the gravel drive, memories came flooding back.
I was there for a reason; figs. For the first time since my childhood, I was visiting when the small tree in her back yard was bearing ripe fruit. I met my dad and uncle walking back up the road,dad was munching away on a handful of figs,now I travelled down the Georgia asphalt with anticipation of reliving a childhood memory. As I stepped into the yard, I couldn't help but remember the small tree in the back yard, maybe six feet tall, growing beside the old tool shed.
What greeted me was much different. Instead of a diminutive tree with a handful of ripe fruit, I gazed upon a twenty foot specimen, it's branches loaded with ripe and green fruit, some having already fallen victim to the hungry birds. I filled my stomach and then a small bowl. For a brief few moments I found myself alone with fig tree and my thoughts. I drink in my surroundings and bathed in memories. Behind me a grapevine was loaded with not yet ripe grapes. Not your typical grocery store variety, but a variety exclusive to the southeastern U.S. and Mexico, I had not tasted them in years, and would not on this trip either. Standing a little further back, beside the old garden spot, stood an apple tree. A few of the green apples showed tinges of red, I pulled one, remembering how my grandmother used to dry apple slices on old window screens in the southern sun. Despite her passing years ago, her trees and vines still bore succulent fruit and the old pecan tree had, thanks to my uncle, provided many nights of late night snacking for Jina and I this past winter.
Thankfully, those fruit trees weren't the only things she left behind. She also left behind four sons who grew up witnessing her love for Christ and her steadfast devotion to the Bible. One of those four sons is my dad. He not only witnessed her life in Christ, he followed it as well. She planted within him a seed of faith which grew through the years into a tree. God then nurtured that tree by adding a Christian woman, my mother, and that tree bore fruit. My brother, my sister, and I all came to find God's grace and salvation. My sister's two kids have professed their faith in Christ and Jina and I strive daily to raise our three little ones up as our parents raised us. So, it isn't just my grandmother's trees and vines that continue to bear fruit, her life does as well.
As I stood there picking the figs, I thought about how they were a fruit mentioned in the Bible. I thought about the passage in which Christ curses the fig tree for not bearing fruit in season. Then I asked myself, "Will my life be like that tree, or like my grandmother's?"

Running, Biking, Sprints and Circuit Training

All have been part of my regimen this week. My bike rides have been tame affairs, a four miler with the family, with me getting the added benefit of pulling 60 lbs of 3 year olds up the the hills. I also threw in a trip to the grocery store and then back with a fully loaded trailer. Finally then a quick ride to return some movies. Not exactly Lance Armstrong, but on top of my other morning workouts, I'm feeling it.

I ran sprints again this morning and held up well. I run the sprints after completing a circuit training routine, starting with my legs, then chest, shoulders, arms, and finally abs.

The sprints paid off tonight. I played a double header, for the softball team that picked me up as a fill in, and found that my fast twitch muscles responded much better to my demands and requests than they have in previous games. Besides, I'm warped and find the agony of the sprints a challenge.

I'm off to bed (it's 12:30), no work tomorrow, we are headed back to my families hometown in Georgia after the death of my Uncle's wife. (Yes, it is technically my Aunt, but he married late in life and I wasn't around her very much, so it is difficult for me to relate to her as my "aunt") That likely means no long runs this weekend, and also no posting for several days, which is either a good thing or a bad thing. That's up to you guys/gals to decide.

Take care, keep exercising, and will post again when I get back.

Is this love that I'm feeling?

Besides being the title of a 1980's pop song, it is also the question I'm asking about my marriage this morning.

Today was my first workout incorporating sprints. Last night, while discussing it with my wife, I told her I figured I'd go to the "Y" and run them sideline to sideline on the basketball court. Her response, "Why don't you run base line to base line, we always did. You know we always did the ones where you ran out, touched the lines...."

Now what I didn't rationalize is that my wife last ran wind sprints, or "suicides", 16 years ago. What I did do this morning is suffer from OLS and decide that she had challenged my manhood and therefore I needed to run them as she directed.

Ouch. Think you're in shape? Concentrated only on distance running for some time now? Try running sprints up and down the basketball court and see how you hold up. Anyway, back to my original question, "Is this love?" or "Was it a concerted effort to collect on the life insurance policy?" Hmmmm.......only time will tell, but how much time do I have left? Wasn't there a line from an Aerosmith song, "that kind of love was the killing kind"?

The End of Vacation

A week off work, a week off of training, a return to the eating habits of 2 years ago, but best of all a week with my four favorite people.

We packed up the old camper and hooked the boat to the trail blazer, scratching our plans for the Cave City area of Kentucky and opting instead for Hardy Lake Reservoir, 45 miles from our house.

Three days of camping and boating, a free movie for the boys and I on Thursday, not much of anything on Friday with a 4 mile family bike ride late in the day, breakfast with our parents on Saturday morning, then another trip up river with family followed by a Demolition Derby at the county fair. Top all that off with a little work on the boat today, White Castle for dinner and Dairy Queen for desert.

Pretty much our vacation in a nutshell. Honestly it ranks in my top five of all time, and according to his Sunday School teacher, my oldest was pretty stoked about it as well.

Anyway, back to the training and the office tomorrow, then much too soon, back to the travel.

A New Plan

As vacation wraps up, I'm going to attempt to refocus again, which if you follow my blog, you know this makes about my fourth time in the last 6 months. After the motivation of the marathon ended, the onset of the summer months has made it hard to focus on a goal. To run consistently draws either time or energy and sometimes both from my personal life, and for me that means that it is drawn away from my family. Work does that enough, so I'm not willing to make that sacrifice.

With that being said, I do have goals I like to maintain and/or achieve, whether it is challenging myself, or maintaining a level of conditioning and, dare I say, appearance that makes me feel well and confident. So the dilemma is, "How to balance everything to maintain motivation?" and with the potential opportunity to play softball again, "What training best addresses my two needs. A need for long distance endurance for an October/November marathon and the need for the quick bursts of speed I need on the base paths." Throw in a need to break out of the training rut and here is the sample training week I've come up with.

Monday: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: 20 yard sprints, weights or push ups and crunches
Wednesday: 7-8 miles easy
Thursday: 20 yard sprints, weights or push ups and crunches
Friday: 4 mile easy
Saturday: Long runs 10 - 20 miles
Sunday: Off

With the exception of Weekend long runs, my time requirement should be no greater than the hour and fifteen minutes I need for the Wednesday runs. This means, I hope, more sleep, less fatigue, and less stress to get my workouts in before work every morning.

I'm counting on the sprints building leg strength and activating some fast twitch muscles fibers for use in softball.

Well that's it in a nut shell. Mix in some better eating habits and hopefully all goes well.

One fall marathon note: I may skip the mid October Louisville Marathon and travel to Indy for the November 1st marathon. There is some intrigue in running that events inaugural race, and my agent (wife) agreed that it would be neat. Sooooo....decisions...decisions...