FIT FOR THE KING

Ups and downs

2010-01-19T07:32:00.002-05:00

So goes my training. Good long run Saturday of 8.5 miles, but maybe jumped mileage a bit much. Knee was sore all day. Sunday morning was first morning in a long time that my muscles did cause me to waddle for ten minutes before being able to take a pain free step. 2 miles Monday felt pretty good and was able to almost reach my toes again when stretching. 3 miles this morning. Wasn't real fun and stretching was again a "stretch".
Goal is 2 or 3 each morning and 10 for this weekends long run.

Week 2 delayed but underway

2010-01-13T21:15:00.002-05:00

Well I didn't log 5 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - life, work, aches and pains got in the way.
Logged 5 this morning. Still issues with muscle strains across upper buttocks area. Seems to stretch out ok when stretching, but tightness before and during each run recently.

Was a time when I would have run 5 at break neck pace to punish myself or to make up for lost training days. Trying to be smarter these days, or lazier. Another 5 planned for the morning (Thurs) then probably 4 on Friday and 7 on either Sat. or Sun. (Kids BBall game at 9am on Sat....alas, life strikes again)

'bout it for now...time for bed...0530 wake up to get my miles in.

Flying chicken

2010-01-09T09:33:00.002-05:00

Day 4 was cross training. Not something i've incorporated in the past. 30 mins of swimming. For the record, me swimming is akin to a chicken flying. Lots of exertion for little distance. Long run pushed to Sunday and will shorten due to time constraints, so did 4.6 today. Walked .25 to warm up. Ran 4. .35 cool down.

5 tomorrow. Off on Monday. 'bout it for now. First attempt at blogging via iPod. Works, but slow.

Day 1, 2, & 3 of the Quest for Glory

2010-01-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

OK,

So here we go. I will attempt to chronicle my preparations for a third marathon and my 2nd KDF Marathon, although there is some discussion of a trip to Nashville for the Country Music Marathon on the same day.

Days 1-3 are in the books...I'll update a mileage log at some point. I've done, running and walking, the falling miles 4.5, 3.5, 3.5. The walking on day 3 was only for cool down, but tightness in the muscles across my lower back (more accurately my upper buttocks) has proven problematic and I've, so far, managed to remain smart about how hard I'm pushing.

My previous marathon trainings have been undertaken with a solid mileage base and injury free. This one, the base is still in good shape, but the injuries are looking to join me from day one. Rather than a negative, this may be a positive, as I may be less likely to overtrain.

Right now I'm doing all my running (so far, all has been treadmill, not due to weather, but due to other logistical issues too lengthy to go into at this time)at an 8:30 pace. My marathon goal pace is 9:00 miles. Slower than my last effort, but I blew that one up in the first 10 miles by running to fast, so I believe by being conservative I may actually be able to shave 10 more minutes off my time and hit the 4 hr mark, without the pain and agony of my last 26.2.

That just about brings us up to date on this diary or my pursuit...wait I'm a guy...let's call it a journal, that makes it sound a bit more manly...

Today the back finally loosened up after 2 miles, and currently I'm not too sore or pained. So high hopes there.

One training note from today, just an opinion, but guys should not take a loofa...heck I don't even know how to spell it...to the gym for showering. Again just my humble opinion, but, "c'mon man!"

Evolution

2009-12-14T11:35:00.005-05:00

The original title for this blog was Running Saved, and as the name implied, had a lot to do with my running experiences, or lack thereof, as well as sharing things from my life in Christ. The start of this blog seems an eternity ago, and while its existence does span a couple of years, at times it seems that those early days were a lifetime ago.

Earlier this year, I changed the blog's name to Fit For the King. I had, because of injury, begun to run less and lift more. My focus had shifted a bit to overall fitness and I also found that I wanted to write about some other topics, or so I thought. Not to long after I changed the name I ceased to post, having lost any motivation to do so, and finding Face Book a more welcoming environment for the quick thoughts that continued to ramble through my head, but which I never had the time to fully develop into anything of substance. Now I am stretching it a bit here, implying that anything I've ever wrote had any substance, but alas, my blog, my opinion.

Now I find myself at yet another crossroads. This year has seen growth at my job, and while grateful that as many struggle, I've been blessed, the growth has also meant an increase in responsibility and more demands on my time. This has left less time for my fitness goals, and in fact, as I write this I'm pondering how to balance travel and training for the 2010 KDF Mini-Marathon, much less my original goal of running the full again.

As for the post title, Evolution, that is something I'm trying to do. Life changes, and we must change as well. It is painful at times to give up the things we love to do, as I'm reminded each time I step into my garage and see the gadgets and gear of hobbies past. It can be exciting to find ourselves engaged in new ventures and adventures. It can be stressful trying to determine where and how to spend our time and energies. Our only chance is to evolve. So today I'm doing my best to evolve, to determine how much time I can devote to running and fitness given the demands of work and family. Trying to figure out "WHO and WHAT" matters and warrants my energies and attention.

For now, I plod along, running three or four days per week, hoping at some point I will reengage with what is currently the only hobby I still hold on to, but I'm want to let it slip away. Each missed race opportunity, each morning that I wake with the notion that trying to get ahead or catch up with work is the best use of the early hours, each time I find my self ill tempered and short of patience with my family or holding little interest to interact with people in general, I ask myself "What does it matter?" Isn't it just another demand on my time. Only time will tell if I evolve and adapt or whether the current me goes the way of the dinosaur.

Either way, whether my demise as a runner, or my return, I am returning to my blogging so that if it is my end as a runner, I document it as I did my beginning.

Time marches on...

2009-06-26T15:25:00.002-04:00

While mostly unfazed by the passing of Jackson and Fawcett. I'm not one prone to attaching a lot of emotion to persons I don't know well. I did watch a scrolling picture tribute today that was accompanied by many of his songs. Songs from my preteen and teen years. As with the news yesterday of both deaths, those songs made me reflect for a moment on my aging and the passing of time.

Perhaps my age bracket is the last to remember when things changed slowly. Microwaves, VCRs, Pulse dial phones, Cell Phones, Cassette Decks...all these things came about, became afforadable, slowly for those in the lower middle class. Now, your new I-Phone is obsolete or at least "so last year" before you can pick it up off the shelf at your electronics retailer.

We waited anxiously to see the one or two shows per week that we just had to see. No chance to catch it later on your preprogramed DVR recorder.

Anyways, this isn't a good ol' days blog. I enjoy today, and yes I miss my yesterdays and that pace of life, but as I said, the events of the past 48 have led me not to morn lost icons of my childhood, or the loss of years, but rather just reminded me that our time is brief, we are responsible for how we spend it, and we best enjoy every moment, because....(sorry for the country song reference Scotty, Todd, and any other's with minimalistic musical taste...just kidding)

Verse 1 Sister cries out, from her baby bed.Brother runs in
with feathers on his head.Mama's in her room learnin how to sew.Daddy's drinkin
beer listenen to the radio.Hank Williams sings Kaw-Liga and Dear John. Time
marches on, time marches on.

Verse 2 Sister's using rouge and clear complexion
soap.Brother's wearin beads and he smokes alot of dope.Mama is depressed barely
makes a sound.Daddy's got a girlfriend in another town.Bob Dylan sings like a
Rolling Stone.Time marches on, time marches on.

Bridge South moves north, North
moves south A star is born, a star burns out.the only thing that stays the same
is everything changes, everything changes.

Verse 3 Sister calls herself a sexy
grandma.Brother's on a diet for high cholesterol.Mama's out of touch with
reality.Daddy's in the ground beneath the maple tree.As the Angles sing an old
Hank Williams song.Time marches on, time marches on. Time marches on,
timemarches on. Time marches on. Time marches on.

Ecclesiastes:
For everything there is a season,And a time for every matter under heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die;A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;A time to kill, and a time to heal;A time to break down, and a time to build up;A time to weep, and a time to laugh;A time to mourn, and a time to dance;A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;A time to seek, and a time to lose;A time to keep, and a time to throw away;A time to tear, and a time to sew;A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;A time to love, and a time to hate,A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Third attempt at a post today & Holiday World Rocks!

2009-06-17T23:32:00.003-04:00

Blogger issues kept losing my posts, so
I'll post a pic of my new workout program.

Eat all the pizza, burgers, and ice cream you want, just be sure to lug 70 lbs worth of kids around for 4 of 5 days on the uphills at Holiday World...

Results, no weight gain, and increased endurance...LOL... and don't forget to practice you flexibility by squeezing into a 60+ year old miniature train car with your kids...

Why Would Anyone Want the Job?

2009-06-03T21:36:00.003-04:00

You know, maybe I'm just griping and whining? Maybe other guys don't have a problem with it? Maybe I'm just not a good dad? Either way, I know of at least one guy who agrees with me.

OK, so What's my beef? Why would anyone want to be a dad? Why does it seem guys father children and then run the other way?

Well beyond the usual reasons and lack of sense of responsibility, have you ever read the current job description? But let me back up for a second.

The other day I saw a Larry King interview with Lionel and Nichole Richie. Not my usual fare, but it was on somewhere I was at.

I was intrigued by a question that was posed. Larry King asked Lionel Richie about interview comments in which he said he didn't think he was a good dad to Nichole when she was younger. Lionel responded that it depended on how you viewed being a dad. By the standards of his father's generation, when dad was seen as a provider, then yes he felt he was a good dad, but by today's standards, when a dad is supposed to put in quality hours with their kids everyday, then no. He's right about today's standards. Heck, I even heard an ad to that affect on the radio this morning, brought to you by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Now back to my rant. My dad was a good dad. No a great dad. He gave up his dreams of farming to follow two job transfers that provided for his family. Leaving behind everything he had ever known. He juggled credit and bills to give us a good standard of living, and he coached me in Little League and supported me in every sport I played. However, he wasn't my best buddy and he didn't spend countless hours with me each week. He worked, he worked the family garden, and some of my fondest childhood memories involve me at an early age helping cut wood to fuel the family fireplace to no doubt keep down the energy bills. He was a traditional dad in every sense of the word. One that sustained and built and supported families and this country from its colonial days until the 1990's.

Now I and my counterparts are expected to shoulder those burdens, plus spend hours coloring, reinforcing how much we care, nurturing, etc., etc. You know to be honest, I've cracked a few times under the load. I love my children more than anything in this world. I would give my last breath to see them saved if it came to that, but trying to live up to the modern standards of fatherhood, while fulfilling the traditional role of a dad is fatiguing. I can't even take a night to play sports anymore without wondering if I'm taking too much of my very limited free time away from my kids.

So maybe this is just a personal rant. Perhaps it is TMI, and too honest and raw for publishing to the whole world, but its the truth. At least as it applies to me. Maybe I'm just weak, or maladjusted, or whacko. Maybe others feel the same way. I don't know, but I'm convinced that given the current expectations of fatherhood, it is no wonder that many men fail to follow up on their obligations, or even give up and run away.

For those of us who were kids in the '80s and before, our dad's were the product of a long line of dad's who provided for their families, and those provisions were an indication of their love for their families. Yes their was laughter and fun and all the other stuff mixed in, but job one was that of provider. From that model came generations that forged a new life on America's ever westward moving frontiers, that shouldered the burdens on both sides of the ideology that divided a nation, that fought two world wars and slogged through the Great Depression. From that model emerged a prosperous post war America, that fought for Civil Rights, that took a stand against a war they thought was wrong, that put a man on the moon, that stood its ground until the cold war ended and the Berlin Wall fell, and then that model was deemed a failure. That model was then replaced by the new and improved dad. A model that has gotten us to where we're at today.

It's late, I'm not spell checking or proofing, hopefully you can follow my line of thought, perhaps you agree, perhaps you disagree, but either way I've "vented my spleen" and so in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I've got ta say 'bout that."

Good night

I'm alive and kickin'

2009-05-29T08:35:00.002-04:00

Work, family (fun stuff - like camping), and other priorities have kept me away from the computer (except for work stuff) for a while now.

Looks like will be that way for another couple of months...new managers to hire, old ones to transfer, huge account coming on line in Minneapolis...hectic.

Since last weekend...no respiratory issues. 3 workouts and a 35 minute run outdoors here in Columbia, SC without feeling like I was a fish out of water...perhaps I'm back..

Still lifting and running, but staying very loose in structure, kinda doing what my body tells me it wants to do. Oh and the hammy hasn't been acting up...maybe I'm healed..

Anyway bye for now, hope this finds all well.

Oh and I've made it through the first two books of the New Testament in my effort to read all the way through the Bible. Amazing little tidbits of stories you don't remember or aren't always in the general messages of sermons and Sunday School lessons. Nothing that affects the theology, just little facts. Also, amazing how reading a chapter can set the tone for your whole day.

To that end, finally a use for my "crackberry", www.biblegateway.com mobile friendly site allows me to read the Bible on my "crackberry" at breakfast, or dinner, or airport, or waiting to take off....perhaps these things aren't entirely evil....but, the verdict is still out.

My wife got "Fortied Up" on Mother's Day

2009-05-12T21:49:00.003-04:00

OK,

She'll probably kill me for the post title, but it's kinda true.

After most everyone had left our house, the boys, Jina, my parents and brother, and I were out front. My oldest went in the house and came out with a "Happy Meal" stop watch and wanted me to time how fast he could run from our drive way to the street sign and back (about 90 yards).

After a couple of times, he wanted me to do it. I then badgered Jina about doing it. She finally caved (she can be very competitive at times) and went in to change. While she was doing this, I measured the sidewalk sections and figured out how many it took to equal 40 yards.

After she ran the timed out and back, we started running timed 4o's. All three boys got in on it, my dad (75 y.o.) ran with the twins, and Jina and I kept running them, with me arguing that the stop watch or the operator had to be off, as there was no way she could stay that close to me in a 40 yard sprint. She returned the smack talk...and so the afternoon wore on.

Mom and Dad left and I decided that the curving path of the cul de sac's sidewalk was prohibitive to good times, so we marked off a start and finish line in the street, retrieved my stop watch for more accurate measures and ran even more, with my son throwing in a 200 yard run +/- to my parents house and back. I tried, but respiratory issues made anything longer than the 100 yards to their house an impossibility.

I'm sure the neighbors had a good laugh, some might be mad I painted two small orange lines on the street, but who cares, everyone slept well that night.

It is great to see my wife set a positive example for our kids. Jared was even doing pushups in between sprints. She didn't take Mother's Day off, she continued the fine job she does everyday. Despite her need for a Forty.

Whew!

2009-05-05T18:26:00.003-04:00

Been awhile since I blogged last.

Since then, I've ticked off another year of longevity and logged a run in a new city...Minneapolis, MN. (I've got to get my list back up of places I've run)

It has been a stressful 7 to 10 days, I didn't even get out of work on time on my Birthday....waahhhh!

As I said, I've been loggin a few miles and still hitting the weights. Not much else to share.

Hope this finds everyone well!

How Healthy are You?

2009-04-29T15:06:00.003-04:00

Being Fit for the King, isn't just about physical fitness. We need to strive to be fit in every aspect of our life.

Found this test on CNNMoney and found it interesting and potentially useful for a quick check up.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/financialhealth/index.html

See my poll at the right and if you don't mind answering it, anonymous of course, let's see how we all are doing.

Trip South Confirms Discrimination

2009-04-28T21:53:00.002-04:00

I sit here tonight distraught, perplexed, angered, disappointed, and saddened. This country has come a long way, but now I'm convinced that discrimination is alive and well even today.

I first went to Home Depot and witnessed it there, then a trip to Target and I find the same thing. I'm walking the store to burn up some time and to have something to do and then as I'm looking at bathroom accessories to put in the RV, I'm confronted with the blatent discrimination. A discrimination that first surfaced, although I had tried to not believe it, when we were looking at accomodations for Disney.

My wife and I are discriminated against because we have 3 kids. Seriously, if you have more than 2 kids you are not allowed the same benefits that a couple with four kids receives. Disney's great vacation packages...designed for four people...add a fifth and they will not allow you stay in the lowest priced resorts and don't forget you've got to tack on an additional full price ticket package. Worse yet, try to find a toothbrush holder that is designed for more than four toothbrushes.

Don't hate us because we've got more than two kids, try it for yourself...

FIT ain't HEALTHY!

2009-04-22T21:31:00.004-04:00

Huh?

Yep, being fit doesn't equate to being healthy. I've had to learn that the hard way. For three years I've run and exercised through pains, strains, and illness with constant fear that not doing so would cause me to lose my fitness level.

I am now currently convinced that the nagging hammy and upper respiratory issues that I'm still trying to shake all come down to assuming I could "FIT" my way through anything and come out OK on the other side. Bottom line, just because I was FIT, didn't mean I was HEALTHY and my drive to be FIT, actually has caused me now to be UNHEALTHY.

Anyway, I've resumed cardio on the elliptical machine and I find that thing monotonous. I've altered my lifting routine to be a modified circuit training, hitting all muscle groups in the same workout, three days per week, with cardio planned for the other three.

As it currently stands, I've increased the weight in my final and heaviest set on the bench press by 30 lbs since the first of the year, my weight is staying in the same range as when I was running every day, I've added definition to my arms and shoulders, and best of all, I don't spend all day Saturday dreading that my kids will ask me to play something that requires the energy I burned up on the morning's long run.

At this time, I doubt I will ever return to the level of mileage I was logging before. I will do more marathons, but I will do them to complete them with little thought give to doing them fast. One of my friends who is running the KDF mini this weekend has the annoying habit of bounding up hills with a smile and energy that irritates her two running partners. I'm one of them, and though her weekly mileage has never come close to mine, she handles the hills better. I'm convinced it's the extra 8 years of experience my body has on it...crud...almost 9 years, forgot I've got a birthday coming up. OK, she doesn't log the miles, but she does log tons of time teaching and taking Jazzercise. The result, I believe, is that she maintains her cardio level, but never beats her body up with repetitive running, and running, and more running. She works different muscle groups throughout the week so that overall she stays fresh. Me, when I was running every day, I was always dragging.

Now before any hard core runners jump on me about this, let me say, some individual's physique, genetics, lifestyle, and life obligations allow them to train with high mileage. Personally, I've found that 60-65 hr work weeks, 5 to 6 hours of sleep per night, 9 meals of forced eating out each week, and other demands on my time and energy just are not conducive to me logging the miles that I was and not breaking down. No, 25 miles a week, is not very many, but given everything else, it was too much.

Well, another lesson learned the hard way. I should have paid attention. I had a co-worker who was a former tri-athlete and ultra-marathoner who still logged 20 milers for fitness and recreation every weekend. He was a fine example of the shape I hope to be in when I turn 60. Well, that is except for the throat and prostate cancer he was diagnosed with. Both, slow growing and doctors told him old age would get him before the cancer would, but still, he wasn't entirely healthy. Fit, yes. Healthy, no.

Postscript: I apologize if my writings are not always grammatically correct. I used to read and reread to try to organize my thoughts. Currently, I'm just typing my thoughts as they roll out of my head..yep, like a BB in a box car...anyway, I'm trying to cram in posting along with everything else. Speaking of which, time to go pack to go home tomorrow.

With Gilligan, the Skipper too...

2009-04-22T08:48:00.002-04:00

I don't remember whether it was the original show or a made for TV movie, "Return to Gilligan's Island"????, but I remember the start of a boat trip, once they are well underway, that the Skipper inquires as to whether every thing was prepared and made ready before they left. Gilligan proudly talks about how well he cleaned and prepared everything, even cleaning and fixing the compass and getting a little black rock (the magnet) out of it. Well, if you know the premise of the show, and subsequent made for TV events, you know what happens.

Why did I remember this? Seems in releasing the documents concerning CIA interrogation techniques our President referenced that the country had lost its "moral bearings" in allowing such things to go on. Man I'm glad it only happened in the last 8 years and now things have been set straight again.

You see, I had feared... that in a country where we kill an unborn child, for reasons of convenience, a "choice" and the killing of unwanted dogs a crime, where government can spend billions on an airplane or a community hundreds of thousands on fireworks, yet we can't figure out a way to provide even basic affordable health care for our children, or where some will rally to show support for a "wayward" youth turned to piracy on the high seas, while condemning our soldiers for actions they take under the pressures of combat deployment (poor decisions and choices are made in every war, yes even WWII, which the News Reels sanitized and left us all to believe each one of our grandfathers and fathers were Angelic Heroes. Heroes yes, Angels, No. It was WAR and WAR is Hell no matter what they show back home)...well I had feared we were already a bit lost.

Mr. President, I had high hopes when you were elected, that just maybe, it wouldn't be politics as usual, that a new wind might sweep across this country. Well it did....it was hot air....seems that all politicians are full of it.

May God Bless the USA. Because we sure need it.

Renovations...help please!

2009-04-19T14:09:00.003-04:00

Same useless info, new blog name!

As I struggle to determine what path my fitness future will take, I'm confident that I still want to be fit, I'm just struggling with whether I will continue to have a heavy emphasis on running or any single fitness activity in near exclusion of others.

Here is a tidbit of my struggle, in case you're curious. Saturday morning: Do I run? or, Do I rise early, fix breakfast for the family and then commit my day to tasks such as working on our old RV (a necessity when your RV is almost as old as you are.)?

I chose the latter option. That would have been a stressful decision just 3 months ago.

Anyway, I thought I'd change things up a bit, but in doing so, I lost some information importing a template I thought I wanted. That info included the links to many blogs that I previously had listed....Sooooo...

If your blog was listed on my site before, please shoot me the link. I was able to google up some, others I linked from the comments box on older posts, but alas, some of you don't have your blog link on your profile....please help me.

Thanks, and I promise to try to post things of relevance, interest, or hopefully humor as I move ahead.

James

T-Ball, Baseball, Christianity

2009-04-16T09:55:00.003-04:00

T-ball isn't baseball. Yes, the premise is the same, but batting through the line up, not counting outs or runs, non-existent fielding for most kids, and coaches roaming the fields providing instruction at every turn is not a game, it is instruction or practice.

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved coaching T-ball, and it serves a genuine need to help kids learn the game of baseball, but in reality, at the end of the day most parents just want to see their kids playing something and the general consensus is that everyone should get a participation medal or trophy.

My oldest has moved up to machine pitch. A league in which a pitching machine is used to deliver consistent pitches that allow the game to flow and the kids to continue to develop hitting skills without the inconsistency of 6, 7, and 8 year olds trying to throw strikes.

Beyond the machine part of it, and a few rules to ensure the games flow efficiently without punishing the kids for having undeveloped skills, the game is baseball. Outs count, runs count, their is a winner and a loser, there is elation and disappointment. The building blocks of character.

Here's where my problem lies. I never possessed the physical stature or athletic prowess to be successful in baseball during my teen years. I did, however, learn the skills, and as I moved into adult softball leagues, I played, I think, fairly well. I'm not a flashy fielder, with the arm needed to make plays from deep in the hole at short, but hit 'em as hard as you like, I'll stay in front and make the play.

Where my adherence to the skills of baseball becomes a problem is when I work with Jared. I push for the same perfection and adherence to skills. Skills that he hasn't developed yet, and skills that are not always fun to learn, particularly when you're 7 and you can't see where endless ground balls and corrective batting practice is leading. Before I go on, know that I'm trying to change, and at games, I'm supportive, not bashing mine or any other kid for mistakes or miscues...that's for the ride home...just kidding.

Anyway, I got to thinking this week, and hence the blog, that unfortunately the parent's approach to T-ball and my approach to my son's baseball skills are perfect examples of the way too many approach Christianity.

On one end of the spectrum are those who fall into the participation crowd. They believe that we can't tell anyone their beliefs are inconsistent with God's word and that "good" people go to heaven as long as they "love" one another. They like to point out that Christ's message was about love and that Old Testament laws pointing out what God finds distasteful were replaced by Christ's message of "love". Seems they miss the whole passage when Christ says he came to fulfill the law, not abolish it.

Matthew 5:17-20
The Fulfillment of the Law
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who approach Christianity in the same manner I approach my sons baseball play. Anything short of their vision of perfection is unacceptable. They insist on arguing every aspect of doctrine, debating to "no end" what is right or wrong and insisting that others are less faithful, dare I say, maybe even less Christian, if they choose to worship differently or view doctrinal issues differently.

Christ covers this end of the spectrum as well.

Matthew 23:13-15 (read the entire chapter for more references)
13"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[c]
15"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Neither is right! Just as T-ball taught my son little about the game of baseball and created no love for the genuine article, just as my insistence on my son learning and performing skills at a level far beyond his years strips him of any budding love for the game, so also these two approaches to our Christian faith provide little reason for people to want to experience what we know to be true.

Road To Recovery

2009-04-12T08:17:00.003-04:00

As I sit here and enjoy a cup of coffee and scan the news stories, I took a moment to check the Papa Johns 10 miler results to check on some friends and aquaintances. The times weren't up yet.

Great job by Daniel, Alicia, and Tammy who ran the 10 miler. I got to see them all at the Easter Egg hunt yesterday, and it was a bit strange not to be part of the group. Sitting out and not running will prove to be a wise decision, but it has also begun to spark my desire to run again.

Perhaps, as I draw a few days closer to my final year in my thirties, running is my identity, at least the one I can control. My wife makes me a husband, my kids make me a dad, my job an employee, but gone are the days when I considered myself a hunter, a fisherman, or a ball player. All these were identities I held because of what I chose to do.

Well anyway, I wax philosophically this morning, and I'm not a philosopher, so I'll put on my shirt and tie to join the family for church. Actually, being a runner is great, but I think being a husband and dad is most important, and I control that as well. Being "married" doesn't make me a husband, and fathering kids doesn't make me a dad. Both I have to choose to be.

Happy Easter!

Matthew 28:5-7

5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

KDF MINI

2009-04-06T20:57:00.002-04:00

As I sit here trying to suck in a full breath through chest congestion that has plagued me since Thanksgiving, I had originally planned to blog tonight on whether or not I was going to follow through with another KDF Mini.

This morning was a struggle to breath well enough to run 2.5 miles and walk another half. In the past couple of months, I've pushed through days and weeks like today, an I'm starting to wonder at what cost. Currently I'm battling daily fatigue, a nagging hamstring, and I'm so worn down, I don't even suffer OLS anymore...I don't think I could be excited or competitive about much of anything right now.

With that in mind, I got my Mini question answered for me tonight. As I lay watching the Channel 9, news at 9 broadcast, waiting for the NCAA Championship, the news flashed...KDF Mini and Marathon registration closed, two weeks earlier than anticipated. Guess what? I wasn't registered.

Part of me is sad, because I have friends who will be running and because I've been involved with the race for the past three years. Part of me elated, I don't have to feel like I wimped out. Part of me, a big part, just wants to be rested and well.

Anyway, I want to do a fall marathon...I think...for now, that's a long way off. I think I'm gonna let my lungs rest, and put in hour long lifting sessions for a few weeks instead of my usual 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights.

Well enough for now, I'm gonna go watch the game.

Jackson Mississippi

2009-04-02T00:01:00.003-04:00

Well, our operations are up and going. Always hectic when we start a new one, but hey, we're still growing. Nothing to sneeze at these days.

No early morning run, early morning was spent on my regular duties, dashed off to the office at 7 and worked until 5. Ok, we finally had lunch at 4 and used the time to review some schedule changes, so maybe I actually only worked until 4????

Back to the hotel, changed clothes, back downtown, and log another city in the places I've run category. 4 miles. Great news was that there is a YMCA just down the interstate from my hotel. Man did they have some old equipment. Still managed to get in an upper body circuit. Back to hotel, shower, hit Wal-mart for supplies, then dinner at 8:30 back to hotel by 9:30, emails 'til 10:45, blog 'til 11...good night....(for what it's worth, all times are central..my body hates central time!)

Catching up...or...Running behind?

2009-03-31T09:53:00.002-04:00

Man, I don't know whether I'm coming or going lately. No not because life is a hectic rat race. Just the opposite and I'm doing my best to put the time to good use. Could still use a little more, but I'll work with what I've got. What's been going on? Gee, thanks for asking....ok, so you don't have much choice when I'm the one typing what you say.

We begin Little League this week, if the rain holds off. Jared is learning the necessary skills, and seems to be enjoying it when Dad isn't preaching and teaching and pushing and... I'm getting better, but I do have relapses. I've played baseball or softball nearly non-stop for 30 summers, and Jina played four years of varsity in High School, so baseball is near and dear to our hearts...we're hoping the boys take to it as well, but if not, we decided long ago to support them in whatever they choose to do.

Summer means camping, which means breaking out our classic RV. Now when you're a thirty three year old RV, you're bound to need something each year. She cranked up fine after sitting all winter (the RV, not Jina) and finding no immediate must fix issues, I've started sprucing up the bathroom to make it less dreary and a little more appealing to be utilized as a true bathroom space and not just a port-a-pot/shower station. We've got two planned trips already and were excited to learn Jared's ball season will end before we begin camping season in ernest.

All this leads me to the excercise/running portion of my life. Last week's diet was pretty bad. Healthy was not on the menu for our meetings. Also, about 85 percent of us picked up a nasty virus that hit us, with one exception, after we returned home. That put a damper on any long run last weekend, but I did manage to keep my overall weekly miles up with a 4 mile run on the treadmill Sunday morning.

This morning I warmed up for one mile on the treadmill and then did another 2.25 through the neighborhood with my hammy yelling at me to stop the entire time. I did not enjoy the run and I actually found myself dreading the upcoming KDF Mini. Should I run a race I'm not totally commited to this year. On that Saturday, Jared has a ball game at 10 am, Jina has a wedding shower to set up...which means no matter how drained...I've got the kiddos all afternoon. Is it worth it? This year I just don't know? I'm going to keep logging the long run with my partners in crime, but I've got to get off the fence soon and get my head around this race!

Anyway, the past couple weeks training seems to continue to pay dividends and this weekend will be time for another APFT test, so will see if I can get the push up score up and improve overall.

That's about it, time to shut down, board a flight and log a run in a new place..Jackson, MS.

Saturday

2009-03-21T21:48:00.002-04:00

Got up, couldn't make up my mind whether to run or wait for the Y to open.

Boys woke up before I got out the door, all hungry, fixed them breakfast and woke Jina up.
Now I'm not motivated at all to go. Decide to give her the chance to run on the road this morning. (Yeeaaaa! Good job girl...she set a PR for a training mile time).

I opted for the treadmill. Decided to do my run to mimic the Mini course as best as I could remember and guestimate. Did 8 miles. Hammy was nagging at me. Iced it as soon as I got of the treadmill. Really helped. Wish I had that option everyday.

Only disappointment, my weight gain in week one was all water weight. After my run this morning I weighed before rehydrating. Yep it was all gone. Oh well, I'm still happy!

Have a good week. Probably be late in the week before I get back on here to post.

J17W Update

2009-03-20T08:49:00.003-04:00

5 days under my belt.

I backed off of running after Tuesday morning to allow a hammy to mend. Been Biking instead.

Never have reached my daily calorie intake goals. Find myself consuming some "not bad", but not "ideal" calories each evening. Little League and school spring festivals made dinner a "How much can you swallow in 5 to 10 minutes?" ritual for the first four nights of the week.

No running has meant I'm not partially dehydrated everyday. This, and hopefully some muscle gain has meant a 3 to 4 pound weight gain this week. Stepping on the scales has been rough. After 3 years of losing or maintaining weight, convincing your mind that it is OK for the scale to tick up a bit is hard. Currently I'm telling my brain..."If the jeans still fit, we're OK,...it listens sometimes.

My workouts were pretty traditional in nature. Monday was chest and arms (Bench, Incline Bench, Flys, Curls, Dips). Tuesday was back and shoulders (Shrugs, Military Press, Seated row, Pull ups, Dumbbell rows). Wednesday was chest and arms again. Thursday repeat of Tuesday. This morning was chest and arms and some squats thrown. 3 to 6 miles of riding the bike for cardio Wed. Thur. and Fri.

I was pleased with the weights that I was working out with this morning. At the start of the year, I was doing my heaviest sets at about 5 to 10 lbs below my body weight. Now my heaviest sets are at around 10 to 20 lbs over my body weight.

I'm still debating what to do tomorrow. A calisthenics style circuit routine or a long run.

Anyhow, that is week one. On Sunday I travel for a meeting, OK, actually Sunday is the golf outing, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are meetings. The room accommodations have full kitchens and I'm familiar with YMCA there, so hopefully, although it will be on short sleep, I'll be able to keep up with my routine through next week.

American Idol

2009-03-17T21:57:00.002-04:00

OK,

Have to vent. As a country music fan, I was mortified by some of the performances, but I came away with one burning question.

Why did I hear the Ozzy Osbourne/Boy George impersonator sing a classic accompanied by Indian Scitars, while the guy who appears to be Indian turned in as very strong performance in flawless English?

Actually, none of this is relevant or important, but I had to ask. It is disappointing that they allowed some iconic, classic songs be butchered without comments like....

"Yo, Dawg, you know if you're going to do a Whitney song, well, Dawg, look, you know, I mean can't nobody sing it like Whitney, so you know, you just shouldn't go there, I mean, you know Dawg it just ain't a safe bet..."

Same can be said in country music for Dolly, Patsy, Willie, and Johnny.

Next week, perhaps we'll get to hear pop music versions of Back in Black, You Shook Me, Pink Houses, Jump, and Walk this Way.

I probably should travel again, staying at home and watching this stuff is turning my mind to mush. As evidenced by this blog post.

G'night!

J17W

2009-03-16T15:04:00.002-04:00

OK,

You've probably seen the commercials for the P90X program. I've heard good things about it, but for now, I've got 17 days of either no travel or travel that should allow me to focus on a)eating enough good calories to support muscle gain and b)access to enough equipment to lift in quantity and in quality.

So, I'm starting the J17W plan as of this morning. After 2 years of watching what I eat, it is actually kind of tough to switch to eating an increased calorie load to hopefully fuel some muscle gain.

Today's diet so far = Oatmeal w/ dried fruit and bannana before heading to the gym. A protein bar (30g of protein) after, Ham and Cheese sandwhich, fresh broccoli (uncooked) and 2 celery w/ peanut butter, afternoon was a Power Bar (smoothie flavor-nasty, but cheap on clearance) and an apple. My notes give me an estimated 1320 calories before dinner. I'm guessing I need to get up to around 3000 per day minimum, especially with burning between 400 and 600 doing cardio each morning. Yes I know I should probably drop the cardio to two days a week, but I'm more concerned about keeping my heart healthy than gaining mass, so either I'll figure out a way to do both, or I just want gain.

I'll keep you posted.

"Houston We Have a Problem"..or.."The Easy Button"

2009-03-14T10:44:00.006-04:00

A long time ago in galaxy far far away a proud race built for itself a mighty star ship, the likes of which had never been seen, and staffed it with their best officers.

Captain N. E. Way was beloved by all who served with him. Captain Way was a "the ends justifies the means" type of guy who didn't care what those below him did, confident that they were all on the same mission, with the same goal, and if they each followed a different action plan, so much the better, they'd still get there and morale would be high when they did.

A gifted woman was assigned as the mighty ship's first mate. Bygude Werkz had, since her first day at Star Fleet Academy, demonstrated an ability to always be in the right place at the right time to lend a helping hand. Even more impressive, she never seemed to tire. Everyone marvelled and envied her for her confidence that hard work, especially when it helped others, would always win the day.

The ship's engineer was a brilliant man. Dr. I. B. Smart had graduated at the top of every class he had ever taken. He had dedicated years to the study of such things as rocket design, jet propulsion, spacecraft systems, physics and mathematics, not to mention any number of obscure sciences which he had learned and applied to the solve the most perplexing of problems and questions.

While the reputation and exploits of the crew were well documented, the ship and and one of its systems was another story all together. You see what made this ship radically different from those that proceeded it, was its life support system, or more accurately, its life saving system.

The system was intriguing in its simplicity and amazing in its ability to save a ship. The system didn't guarantee that the ship wouldn't be damaged, but it did guarantee the ship's survival, sparing it from complete and total destruction. All of this at the touch of the "button".

The crew was told about the life saving system, shown the "button", supplies were loaded, engines were lit, and the great ship rocketed into space on its maiden voyage.

As is likely to happen on such an epic journey, trouble befell the ship. Not too far into the mission, the crew found itself faced by its first challenge, a meteor shower. The meteors proved to be not very large, and the damage to the craft was light, repairs were made, and proud and confident in their own abilities and skills, the crew pressed on. Now what you may, or may not know about space is that the deeper you go, the more serious the dangers and daunting the challenges. The crew's orders called for them to travel to the furthest reaches of the universe.

Deep into the mission, far away from the space dock where the mighty vessel was first dreamed up and built, she found herself battered and damaged by the ravages of space travel, but Captain Way and his officers remained confident and proud of their skills and abilities. Time and again the captain had applied his approach to command. Happy with this freedom to deal with things however they saw fit, First Mate Werkz had, through hard work, been able to make any repairs necessary to save the ship, and everyone marvelled at Dr. Smart's ability to think and reason through any problem and provide the right answers. Well even if they weren't right, at least they seemed to work and no one dared to question them.

In this manner the mission continued until that fateful day or night, who can tell in space, when the ship and her crew found themselves locked in the ultimate battle for survival. Systems were failing, despair gripped the crew and all appeared lost. That's when the ship's leaders remembered the "button".

Captain N. E. Way considered giving the order to push the "button", but wavered, "How could he? If he gave the order to push the button, wouldn't he be admitting that it was the only way to save the ship, and might that upset his officers?" First Mate Werkz efforts had save them up until now, "Could he now say that her hard work wasn't sufficient?" Likewise, Dr. Smart had reasoned and researched and eventually solved tough issues in the past, "Who was he to say he wouldn't this time, or that they didn't have enough time for the Doctor to think things through?"

Now one thing you have to give First Mate Bygude Werkz credit for, she was a worker. She remembered the "button", but didn't have time to stop and press it. She had work to do. "Let someone else push the "button", I'll save the ship through sheer will power.", she thought to herself. Besides, pushing the button would have been much too easy and would not have impressed anyone, given her a sense of accomplishments, and earned her another "at-a-boy" on her service record.

Dr. I. B. Smart didn't forget anything. He could still remember and recite the first ten words he had ever been required to spell, on his very first spelling test, in his very first year in school. There is no doubt that he remembered the "button". Dr. Smart remembered the "button" alright, but the thought of its very existence angered him. The concept was much too simple. "Push the "button", save the ship. Where was the enlightenment in that?" No that wouldn't do. Not for I. B Smart, PhD. Given time he knew he could reason out the processes and procedures by which the ship could and would be saved.

As the Captain waited, as the First Mate worked, and as the Doctor pondered, the mighty ship met her fate. All the while the "button" sat in front of them, waiting to be pushed, in its own mechanized way, wanting to be pushed. As the once proud ship was destroyed it disintegrated, vaporized, and all record of its existence disappeared. All except for one. The Captain would not have believed that only one of the ships systems was capable of surviving. First Mate Werkz would never have allowed herself to consider that her handiwork wouldn't hold up and Dr. Smart would have never rationalized that all evidence of the systems he had studied and understood so well would disappear. You see, the solution he deemed "simple and unenlightened", the system that Werkz considered "too easy" and the Captain refused to define as their "only chance" would survive unscathed waiting to be found. That's right, when the mighty ship and her magnificent crew were gone. The "button" remained.

John 14:6 (NIV)
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

The Destruction of a Temple

2009-03-11T07:39:00.003-04:00

A congregation was looking for a place to hold their services. A wealthy benefactor decided to help out and presented them with a brand new building, free and clear.

The congregation moved in and things went well for several years. Then things began to change. As the congregation grew, the building aged. A well meaning trustee was able to purchase a bulk quantity of light bulbs at a great price. Unfortunately they were those wonderful yellow outdoor patio bulbs, and as more and more of the original bulbs burned out and were replaced with the "patio" bulbs, which were readily available and easy to grab a hold of in a hurry, the sanctuary began to take on a dim and dingy appearance.

At some point in time, the decision was made that the beautiful stained glass windows filtered too much of the "natural" light and so the stained glass was removed to let in as much "light" as possible. No one stopped to consider that the stained glass windows were not just ornamental, but actually filtered harmful UV rays and the new and improved natural lighting began to age and deteriorate the once brilliant carpet and natural woodwork.

Now, as previously mentioned, the congregation had been growing, and additional seating was needed in the sanctuary. On a whim, someone brought in a used couch one Sunday morning to provide additional seating. Some thought this a great idea. Wow! They thought. The new seating added a fun atmosphere,was really progressive, and so more and more people brought in their discarded furnishings. Pretty soon, the sanctuary became cramped and looked like a frat house or perhaps a furniture graveyard.

Sometime, no one is absolutely sure because it passed gradually and unnoticed, fewer and fewer people attended services. At first the decline was written off as the natural life cycle of an aging congregation. When that explanation was no longer satisfactory, a few improvements were attempted.

Some of the lights were replaced, but when no immediate results were realized, it was decided that the investment was too great and the return not sufficient. Some of the old couches were tossed, but were quickly replaced with other accumulated items within months. As for the windows, there was a half hearted effort to do something about them, but the thought of losing all the "natural lighting" wasn't entirely appealing, and besides, it added some brightness to the dull glow produced by the "patio" bulbs.

Eventually, the church's doors shut for the last time. Its once wonderful sanctuary chocked full of "junk", its enlightening windows pouring natural light into a barren room and deteriorating its once glorious and ornate interior, and its once brilliant lighting, now almost entirely replaced by the "patio glow", was dark and dismal.

It is said that shortly afterward, the wealthy benefactor returned, looked upon the once proud building, now in full decay and death, and simply wept at what was lost.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Running Scared

2009-03-02T21:00:00.004-05:00

I changed the look of my blog as well as the description under the title when I decided that I needed or perhaps wanted to write about some topics I didn't think fit well with my original blog's content and intent. My weekend rant concerning Dr. Mohler is one example. I wrote it to get something off my chest, and while I'm not inclined to retract my comments, since they represent my honest feelings and opinion, I am conflicted by the notion that my rant was little more than the same "puffery" and grandstanding that I intended to criticize.

Luke 6:42 (New International Version)
42How can you say to your brother,
'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see
the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Anyway, to the point of today's blog. Under my blog's title, I added, "Because it Beats Running Scared". For some reason, running scared has crept into my consciousness recently. I've become more aware of my own mortality, and honestly, it is scary at times.

In the last week we've learned of a 34 year old acquaintance with inoperable cancer and an estimated 6 months to live. A visit to a friend's blog tonight revealed a request for prayer for her little brother who has been diagnosed with cancer, and since she is, I believe, 29 for the second time, he's still in his twenties. Throw in the plane crash in Amsterdam and my six separate flights this week and I start getting antsy.

At dinner Sunday night, after we said a blessing and started to eat, my 7 year old starting asking us if we had any prayer requests. After we answered, he said, "OK dad, you pray." As I prayed I asked God to protect my family while I travelled, acknowledging that even when I'm home I must rely on his grace and mercy, because there is, despite my wishes otherwise, very little that I can protect my family from.

Now while this might sound great and wonderful, woohoo, "James is a great Christian who trusts God in all things", truth is, I don't like it. I want to be "bullet proof" like I thought I was when I was 20. I don't want the thoughts of "What if..." and "What would my family do..." rattling around in my head. I don't want to acknowledge that God is sovereign and that I'm not in control, because doing so scares me at times.

Truth is tomorrow holds no guarantee. My running doesn't guarantee me anything, my lifting doesn't mean I want grow weak, which reminds me that I saw one of the fittest guys I ever played softball against at the gym on Saturday, his boys were playing against mine. A degenerative back condition has stripped him of his once muscular physique and from what I've heard, came close to putting him in a wheel chair. "Could that be me?"

It's funny, I thought I had a point to make when I started typing this, but now I'm sitting here growing drowsy. Perhaps by putting my thoughts on paper I've exorcised the "demon" for the time being. I know it will be back. Perhaps Wednesday or Friday as the plane rolls down the runway. Perhaps next Tuesday as I kiss my sleeping boys goodbye before heading to the airport. Maybe it will stay away until I have tests run in April to check that some previous lab work doesn't point to anything serious. Who knows? It will be back, and when it returns, I'll tell myself and God, "His will be done." and then pray that my faith is sufficient that I really mean it.

Training Partners and When Anger is Good

2009-03-01T13:28:00.002-05:00

PARTNERS
Today's post is a shout out to my running partners over the last few years. They've changed a few times, and we don't maintain an every Saturday meet at such and such time to run such and such distance at such and such pace routine, but they always seem to be there when I want them the least, but need them the most. I encourage everyone to find a running partner or workout partner, just be sure to pick someone who's motivation and commitment matches yours.

I was reminded of how important running partners are this past Saturday. I was to meet with two of them for a long run, but as my week came to an end, I wasn't looking forward to it. Then one had to back out due to illness and there was a glimmer of hope that I wouldn't have to run. An email to the other dashed any hope of getting out of it. She still wanted to run.

Where once I looked forward to long runs, I've not been so fond of them lately. As I headed out to meet up I was not at all motivated, but I had a commitment to keep. Someone was waiting.

The run started and the conversations started and the miles began to pass. I was shocked at how quickly the first few miles passed, but the strong head wind was taking a toll, and for the first time I wasn't sure I could hang with my friend. We pressed on, grateful for the tail wind helping us on the return route, and when it was over I was happy we hadn't cancelled.

That's the best thing about training partners. They hold you accountable, even though they don't always know it. They push you to do the best you can. They motivate you when you don't want to be. They become your workout conscience.

So, to all those who have, whether knowingly or unknowingly, pushed, prodded, pulled, or otherwise gotten me out of bed, out of the house, and on the road, THANKS! (I'm still not sure that applies to that one guy who got me into this silliness a few years ago...well, OK, him too.)

ANGER
Now you may not agree with me, but I'm convinced that my best weight lifting workouts come when I'm angry. Sometimes that anger is genuine, such as being upset, frustrated, or mad about something. In these instances, the weights become the recipient of my aggression and I typically finish with my energy spent and my anger exhausted. A well timed workout can do wonders for a marriage...;>)

At times I manufacture the "anger" I need to lift heavy. This is usually accomplished through my music selection. Songs like John Cougar Mellencamp's "Authority Song", Toby Keith's "Angry American" or "Whiskey for My Men, Beer for My Horses", or M.C. Hammer's "You Can't Touch This" are successful in creating within my mind a adversarial mindset against either "institution", "injustice", or "perceived lack of respect".

Likewise, I can often get "worked up" and "hard charging" by listening to songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama", "Back in Black", "We're Not Gonna Take It" or by listening to Country songs such as Alan Jackson's "Where I Come From" or Alabama's " High Cotton" which help to fuel a frustration with my current place and pace in life in comparison to what I aspire too return to some day.

Either way, whether real (rare) or manufactured (almost always), I utilize anger to get the most out of my lifting routines. Give it a try, just leave it in the gym when you're done with it.

Rants for the Weekend

2009-02-27T08:04:00.004-05:00

Ok, I got irritated by two things on Thursday. Perhaps you agree, perhaps not, but here's my take...

If I see or hear one more story on the national news about poor college kids and how the economy is causing them so much angst and distress, I'm going to swear off the national news outlets for at least a day.

In the story that sent me over the edge, a young lady being high lighted in the piece made the following comment (I'm paraphrasing);
"Why should I have to transfer to a different school? The kids who's families have the money to pay aren't having to transfer."

Ummm, ok, didn't you just answer your own question? You need to transfer because you can not afford to attend that school. Tough. Get over it.

My parents, then my wife(first time around) and I paid for my education and for her's out of our pockets. At the time, financial aid was limited, and despite my dad's lower middle class salary, the feds said his, along with my part time job's, income made us too "rich" to get aid. So I attended an extension campus of IU where we could afford the tuition and made the most of the education opportunities available to me.

Why should she or anyone else be any different? Oh and then there was her closing comment (again, I'm paraphrasing);
"At my age, I should be worried about other things, not worrying about how I'm going to pay for college."

Gee, whiz, at my age, I should be financially set and without a care, not travelling 3+ days per week to put food on the table, watching what we spend, worrying about medical exams I thought were reserved for "old" guys, ad nauseum, ad nauseum...

Later in the day, I'd be fired up by the head of one of my denomination's seminary presidents who has a local radio show on the Christian station my wife and I listen to at times.

Dr. Albert Mohler was up on his soap box ranting about pornography in this country. Ok, I have no problem with that, except the fact that when individuals like Mohler, who are viewed by Christians and non-Christians alike as being representative of believers as a whole (a scary thought as far as I'm concerned) spend such a large amount of their time placing themselves in the public eye to promote or denounce social and political issues and agendas, it injures the testimony of Christians as a whole.

Would Mohler, or any other theologian help this simple lay person, who considers himself fairly conservative in his interpretation and understanding of scripture, to locate in scripture where we are called to concentrate such a vast amount of energy and resources on government policies and agendas. Did Christ? Did Paul?

If we want to change the culture of America, to stop what Mohler refers to in his blog as the "Pornification of a Culture", we can not and should not do it through the political system, but rather through the spreading of the gospel and the subsequent "changing of America's heart" through the love of Christ.

The efforts of Mohler and his peers helps solidify for many the notion that the message Christianity is one of exclusion, hate, and "do's and dont's". Their actions do little if anything to share the Love of Christ to a dying world. I would venture that the issues that pervade our societies today are little different than those evident in Christ's time. Perhaps the vehicles for their spread were different, and perhaps they were less pervasive, but who knows. I wasn't there, but I'd bet Dr. Mohler had a contemporary in that century who was just as confident that the world was falling further and further into the mires of sin. Well, yeah, but our calling is to save the world one soul at a time, not to initiate social change.

In closing let me offer this observation from my recent work trip to New Orleans.

While in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I ventured to Bourbon Street to take in the revelry of Mardi Gras. Amidst the drunkeness, obscenity, nudity, and vulgarity there were Christians attempting to witness. Two distinct efforts were underway.

Effort number one involved the holding of signs cataloging various sinful activity and the preaching of condemnation with a bull horn. The response I saw to these efforts ranged from vulgar insults, pulling and tugging of the signs as people passed, to a bull horn toting antagonist that drowned out any attempt to communicate to the crowd with a repetitive, "Stop the Hate, Stop the Hate!..." or literally, "Blah, Blah, Blah!...Blah! Blah!..."

Effort number two was undertaken by a group that formed a single file line that didn't block the flow of pedestrian traffic, held up signs proclaiming Christ's love, and quietly passing out pamphlets. I saw no one harass these folks and I saw people politely take the pamphlets that were offered, some of which were not immediately discarded on the ground.

My hat's off to both groups for undertaking witnessing in such a harsh environment, but "Which do you think was the most effective?" Which do you think best demonstrated a message of Love? I have my opinion.

Anyway, that's my two cents, and thankfully it's worth as much as anybody else's.

Dirty Pictures from Mardi Gras!

2009-02-24T15:43:00.007-05:00

Here's the side of Mardi Gras most folks don't see!
Here's what it looks like when our crew and the other crews are done each night! Ready for another day or night of parades...

And then...start all over again...

And if you want to see something really raunchy!

But then....

Yawwwwnnnnnn!

2009-02-21T12:54:00.002-05:00

Ok,

As mentioned before, I'm in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Doesn't look like I'll be doing much on the blog this weekend either.

I've gotten a total of about 13 hours of sleep in the last 3 days, and tonight is the biggest of all the parades, as well as the longest route through our zone of responsibility. Oh yeah, and tomorrow, I still have to outstanding items for work to wrap up.

Hangin' on to good eating habits is a challenge, mainly just getting enough of the "right" calories, and not getting caught up in shoving anything down my throat. So far, I'm making it, well except for the king cake last night.

Sooo...I've managed to log two treadmill runs and two lifting sessions since getting here. I started lifting heavier about 2 weeks ago and have begun to see more results. The running has moved away from race inspired and become more my cardio routine.

Looks like a long run on the road is setting up for next Saturday. I'm planning to run the Papa John's Ten Miler and then the KDF Mini. So I've got to get some road time in at some point.

Well got to go, I'm going to hit a couple sets on the bench press before heading in to the office to start staging for tonight.

Still Hangin' Out...Mardi Gras Style.

2009-02-20T12:28:00.003-05:00

I thought I would be posting by now, but things haven't quite fallen into place. Still hectic pace at work and currently in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. No, I'm not partying, I'm cleaning up afterward each day in our assigned areas of the downtown. By day, I mean each night, well...then into the next day.

Maybe this weekend I want have my normal work load on top of duties here and will take a moment to update my blog look, my running #'s (currently on a piece of paper in my pocket), and share a relevant or irrelevant thought.

In closing...A-Rod is taking a beating for his steroid use, and yes I'm disappointed, but for anyone who wants to criticize him for failing to be a positive role model....

"Do you measure up each and everytime you're in a spot to leave a lasting impression on a child, on a stranger, on a lost person?"

Honestly, I make A-Rod look pretty good!

Now, back to the grind.

A Follow Up to My "Last" Post

2009-02-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

As I mulled my decision to stop blogging on the flight out this morning, I began to consider what writing this blog meant and what it had become.

In some ways it became a chance to share my thoughts and ideas, to carry on a conversation, albeit one sided (I guess that would make it a monologue) and often times replaced the conversations that my travel prevents me from having with friends and family.

The more I think about writing, not that I consider myself a writer, I realize that everyone who writes, does so for themselves. Some to share thoughts and ideas, some to gain fame and fortune, but ultimately they draw something from it.

At this point in time my life seems to have grown rather hectic. Personal and professional pressure, responsibilities, and demands on my time have impacted how I spend my time, how I workout, and what my fitness goals are. So also have my thoughts and ideas have changed to reflect where I'm at today. While the topics I originally wrote and tried to continue to write about are still important to me, there are also thoughts, opinions, ideas, questions, and rants that I want to share, but, this blog, with its original intent and purpose does not present the proper venue for those topics. (No I'm not talking graphic OLS stories).

Going back a paragraph to my comment about writing for yourself, I need to do that. I need to write about the things that capture my attention and mindset on any given day. So I will return to blogging in the days ahead, but will do so with a different format. On Running Saved I've tried to avoid discussing some issues, feeling they were not appropriate given the intent of the blog, yet those issues would dominate my thought process looking for an outlet. So I'm going to either create a new look and format for this blog, or create another and start fresh. Either way, I will return, ultimately because I need the outlet. I hope you'll continue to stop by to read my ramblings, feeling free to challenge me when you disagree, or chiming in when you agree.

Thanks

James

Shutting Down!

2009-02-09T16:31:00.002-05:00

For some time now I have found it difficult to make the time to post on this blog.

Rare is the time I spend on a computer anymore that isn't work related. Even posting my workouts to my online log can seem a daunting task and one I'm considering eliminating.

So I'm signing off for now. I'm going to leave the site active for now, and should things change, perhaps return to posting, but for now, it has become a victim of changing work responsibilities and priorities overall.

I will still continue to visit the blogs that belong to my friends, whether they be from the real world or the web world.

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read. I hope at times I've drawn a laugh, whether intentional or not. I hope I've motivated some to think, to live, to work out, and perhaps to draw closer to God.

If I've failed that, at least I had a good time. Take Care, keep running, cycling, lifting, living, and praying.

James

I want(ed) to run...Part 2

2009-02-01T16:48:00.003-05:00

Ok,

My reward for coming home:

Jordan awoke at about 12:30 A.M., wide awake, ready to watch the end of Speed Racer when he realized I was watching it. So a blanket, the couch and him on my chest is how I ended watching the movie..perfect.
Then after putting him down, and before I could get in bed, Jaden wakes up. His pull-up had leaked and his bed was soaked. He wanted me to change put on his new pull up and then, since I was too lazy to do a middle of the night bed linen swap, he got into bed with Jordan and with a smile, drifted off to sleep...excellent.
Sometime in the night Jared crawled in bed with us. While I often get annoyed with the loss of space, after being on the road, I tend not to be quite as agitated and couldn't help but smile seeing him there when I awoke this morning.

Sooooo. The race would have been nice, the medal added to the shadow box on the den wall, but what I've got to show for not staying, will last me a lifetime. Memories.

Parenting is so great...hold on a second.....

"Jared, put that down!" "Jordan, quit hitting him!" "Jaden do you want to get sent to your room too?!"

....now where was I....

I want to run...

2009-01-31T12:36:00.003-05:00

Upon arriving in New Orleans I discovered that the Mardi Gras Marathon, Half, and 5K were being run on Sunday morning.

Had I realized, I likely would have planned to participate. As it stands, my flight leaves out this afternoon, but when I looked at their website last night, there remained 300 spots open for the Half. Confident my base would allow me to complete an unplanned 13.1 mile long run, I consedered it.

This morning was torture. Runners everywhere while I walked and inspected our operation, and specifically a 2.5 mile walking tour route that would be used by convention goers later in the day.

Each runner caused my mind to grind away at a plan that would allow me to fly out a day later and at the same time struggled to justify missing another night and day with my family. I was torn, but as the morning wore on the walking took its toll.

Two loops around the tour route and time spent assisting some of the crew with a clean up brought out aches in my hips from last night's intervals and leg work. Gone now is the desire to run 13.1 miles just to tick off another race in a unique location, replaced by a longing for food, my own bed, and time with the wife and kids.

Control - a dad and the Father

2009-01-29T22:55:00.004-05:00

I got a phone call earlier tonight that I've dreaded for some time. It went like this...

Jina: "There's no reason to worry, but I'm at Kosair (Children's Hospital) with Jaden and...(dead air)...

Ok so I know, since she wasn't hysterical, that things must be somewhat ok, and since last I heard she was at Norton's waiting on a family members first to be born, it made sense that any injury to one of the little guys would result in a walk across the pedway to Kosair.

With that being said and without going into too many story details, let's just say as a dad, your job is to fix everything, protect everyone, etc., etc. Kind of hard to do when you're sitting at a restaurant in New Orleans. My biggest fear was realized, one of my sons needed me, my wife needed me, and I wasn't there and couldn't get there.

...so an hour later she's finally in a room with a phone and is able to give me a call and an update. Looks like his head is tough like his mom's, but since he came in with a head injury, they'll run the obligatory CAT Scan to be sure.

Anyway, as I sat pondering my salad, sat pondering what my options might be to get back home as soon as possible should that be necessary, I was reminded of the fact I discovered 3 years ago sitting in a hotel in Toledo, OH, watching the Louisville weather on the internet as severe storms rolled through our area. I'm not in control. I can't stop every bad thing or fix everything. All I can do is trust. Trust in God, and pray.

Now for someone who writes a blog that occasionally spouts a theological notion or espouses a faith based recommendation, I'm ill qualified to do either. I manage to read my Bible daily, in spurts, and then go for long dry spells with it collecting dust. The verses I post here are usually the result of searching Biblegateway.com, not ones that I can pull straight from memory. In my defense, I usually know what I'm looking for, just not where to go for it. I can easily relate to the line from Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" when he sings, "...but I know Jesus and I talk to God and I remember this from when I was young...", I'm no scholar, but I do remember the lessons I've learned from Christian parents, from Christian friends, and from teachers and preachers along the way.

So on nights like tonight I'm thankful for a God that is merciful and just, who has within his power the ability to stop or not stop the bad things that happen. I know that the heartache in this world is a result of our sin, and we all, believer and non-believer must suffer at times. On a night like tonight, I sit here writing this, waiting for another phone call, praying my son is ok, and knowing that the one to whom I pray has control over all things, and hears my prayers.

When a dad can't be there, the Father can.

Luke 8:24-25
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."-emphasis added

New Beginnings

2009-01-25T00:15:00.002-05:00

Ok, this is one of those resolution type deals where you say it out loud to other people to add a little pressure and incentive to keep it.

First, logged a good long run today with Tammy and Alicia. Alicia dragged us out in the cold with her suggestion to meet and run, and to be honest, I was glad. Thanks!

Second, that was to be followed by a long lifting session at the gym with my wife, but a kiddo who has been struggling coping with going into the kids care for some time now stopped that. I decided that instead of dropping him off and letting him do his usual cry for two minutes and get over it, I'd try to help him come to the conclusion that it was fun in there with the other kids. An hour and a half later of just sitting doing nothing, and he had waited me out....So much for solving that issue, next time I follow Jina's advice.

Third, my eating habits, while not terrible, have not be great lately and I suspect my calorie/fat/cholesterol counts have been creeping upward over the past couple of weeks.

Soooo....I wrote off tonight as my "last meal", ate candy and junk that I shouldn't, dug out an old pocket note pad and decided tomorrow I go strict. Logging my meals and my workouts...so there it is. I'm back in the saddle, mad at myself and motivated to make the guys from the P90X info-mercials look like a Richard Simmons video...

I'll try to keep you posted on how it's going.

Start Where You Want to End...

2009-01-21T22:39:00.003-05:00

...and work backwards from there.

The keynote speaker at a dinner I was attending tonight in Duluth used the title of this post in discussing city development and revitalization.

I was instantly struck at how this applies to both our quest for fitness and our lives as Christians.

While watching "Biggest Loser" a "contestants" comment sparked a thought. Most people know where they want to go, but they want to be comfortable getting there. They see themselves working out harder and harder as they get in better shape and closer to their goals. This is a mistake.

Determine where you want to end, and work backwards. Once you know what you want to accomplish, work backwards to the point where you are now. By focusing on where you want to go, you'll constantly compare your current condition against the ideal and be less likely to become complacent with the improvements you've made over where you were yesterday. In between where you are and where you want to go are the goals and guide posts to follow along the way. Next, work hard now. I contend that most people fail to push themselves hard enough to see early results, which leads to frustration, which leads to failure. Push yourself early on to see early results upon which to build the momentum to carry you to the next goal.

As Christians, we've frequently heard that we are to grow to be like Christ in our daily lives. Too often I think this is seen as beginning at a starting point and working forward, but in doing so we are likely to overestimate our starting point and place ourselves much closer to the end goal than we are. The proper way to assess where we are is to start at the end product, and then work our way backward to where we are in our maturity and progression.

Two things come from this approach. As we move backward away from the perfection of Jesus, we can better see how imperfect we are. Secondly, our focus remains on Jesus and the goal of living a life that replicates his as closely as possible. In this approach, we focus less on ourselves and our past accomplishments and achievements and more on reaching the next milestone that puts us closer to a life that genuinely reflects Christ's love in us.

Finally, a training note. I did 4 of 7 miles on Saturday on the road when the temp was 14 and enjoyed it. Then, despite overseeing operations in Cincy for a year, I never logged a single mile there, so on Tuesday, I braved the bitter cold and logged three miles through downtown. I has now been added to the "places I've run list".

Time Marches On

2009-01-16T19:54:00.003-05:00

It waits for no man.

If you ever check any of the blogs I link on my blog, you may have found two posts recently related to age. One was by a young lady celebrating her 29th birthday for the second time. The second was less celebratory and related the woes of the wear and tear on an aging body.

These two posts kicked off a week of mile markers that reminded me how far down life's road I'd journeyed and reminded me that no matter how much I run and lift and fight to slow the progression of aging and its affects, that's all I can do, hopefully slow, but never stop the hands of time.

The ongoing situation with my mother-in-law's health, the worry for aging parents, the eye exam at which the doctor advised me that I was still a couple years away from some permanent vision changes, and finally, the call from my doctor advising me that I needed to go have a test run. A test that I thought was reserved for men a bit older than I. Of course his comment was, "I don't think there is anything to worry about, but you're not a 21 year old, you're 38 now."

Cap the week off with a coworkers son being shot, the death of a fellow church member, a discussion with one of my managers in which I learned he had lost his son some years back at the age of 16, and finally the crash of a jet airliner because of a flock of geese. Great news when your job has you flying almost everyweek.

A week filled with many reminders that time on this earth is fleeting, that tomorrow is not guaranteed, but that eternity can be. Even knowing that my salvation was bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, I still wouldn't mind sticking around a few more years in this rental body. Perhaps during that time I will help others find that same saving grace, raise my boys, love my wife, and have some fun along the way. With that in mind, I'll continue to hit the gym, try to watch what I eat, and will those airplanes to stay airborne when I'm parked in their seats. My body might be a rental unit, but nothing says I have to "beat it like a rented mule", rather, I need to be the best steward I can possibly be. Who knows, maybe when this week is well behind me, and the indignation of my tests are complete, I'll be able to laugh and say...."40 is the new 30"...well maybe...just maybe.

Looking for Trees in the Forest.

2009-01-11T15:01:00.005-05:00

"Can't see the forest for the trees" is one of my oft repeated lines in my years in management. A phrase to frequently describe how people can become so fixated on individual tasks, or their finite realm of situational knowledge, that they either don't or can't see the "big picture".

In my most recent copy Runner's World, there is a section on how to stay motivated during a race or training running. One of the most repeated pieces of advice is to keep your focus small. Don't think about the 10 miles left to run, concentrate on the mile you're in, pick a tree up ahead and run to it, then pick another, etc. etc.

I've used this technique and can attest to its effectiveness. Likewise, I've allowed myself to become focused on the distance and time remaining and felt my physical energy drain in direct proportion to my mental optimism. So remember to focus on small objectives and goals. Allow them to then add up to one big goal. Plant individual trees that amass into a forest.

For the first time since I started this blog, I'm going to tell you that this time running is not a good correlation to the Christian walk through life.

In the 6th Chapter of the book of Matthew, Christ gives us these two directions.

Matthew 6 (New International Version)
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....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.

As Christians we need to be mindful that our ultimate reward is our eternal salvation. We need to make sure that we remain focused on that fact. Now, I will be the first to tell you that it is easier said than done. As a husband and a father I'm frequently worrying about what is happening or not happening "today". I've ruined my fair share of days and even weeks worrying about things, not to mention what it usually does to the way I react to my family.

Worry is akin to fear, and both are capable of paralyzing us. Sure we need to plan and prepare, and it is ok for Christians to have goals for certain worldly successes, but it can not consume us. Another old cliche is "The devil is in the details." That can be much truer than you ever imagined.

Remember, when you're running, training, or perhaps dieting, set short term goals and let them build upon one another. When you're living your Christian life, keep your eye on the the end reward. Enjoy the short term victories, but don't dwell on the near term set backs, because no matter what happens, no one or nothing, short of your own denial of Christ, can ever strip you of that reward. That simple truth can make the daily struggles seem less daunting and more manageable.

If money grew...

2009-01-08T21:35:00.002-05:00

...on hackleberry trees.
If time wasn't such a luxury.
If...

So goes the words to an Alan Jackson song. Seems like time has been tight lately and my mind racing on so many different fronts that it is hard to put together something to write.

Of course some would contend that is the case everytime I type.

Workouts are going well, I'm still walking and breathing, employed, and blessed...No complaints.

Hopefully things settle down soon.

Setting 2009 Goals

2009-01-03T13:48:00.002-05:00

I've decided that marathon training does not mesh well with my current preferred excercise regimen, nor am I inclined to sacrifice that much time and energy from my family right now, so it will be the Mini-Marathon this spring and a time goal for motivation.

At some point I need to move back to logging some miles on the road, but currently the ability to transition from run to weights, completing both routines in about an hour, is keeping me on the treadmill. Of course life takes its toll also, I got in an 8 miler today, interspersed with changing movies in the dvd player, getting a kid dressed (the other is still running around in his PJs), etc.

I will likely do the Triple Crown series, but doubtful if I'll commit time and resources to any of the remaining two Polar Bear Grand Prix events. Right now 2009 has to be about setting and maintaining some priorities, and right now racing is pretty low on the totem pole.

Anyway, not much of a post, just some random thoughts on this Saturday afternoon...off to run errands...

2009 Bench Mark APFT

2009-01-01T14:07:00.003-05:00

January '09
Push Ups = 51/77 points
Sit Ups = 77/100 points/101 points on extended scale
2mi Run = 12:56/100 points/106 points on extended scale
Total = 277 / 284 on extended (extended doesn't count for anything, just a sliding scale to judge fitness beyond max score)

I've placed a link for a score calculator in my side column in case you're interested in trying. Also has a body fat % estimator.

January '08
Push Ups = 41 Reps/67 Points
Sit Ups = 57 Reps/84 Points
2mi Run = 13:13/100 Points
Total score = 251

April '08
Push Ups = 40 Reps/66 Points
Sit Ups = 64 Reps/87 Points
2mi Run = 14:42/91 Points
Total score = 244

July '08
Push Ups = 49 Reps/75 Points
Sit Ups = 74 Reps/98 Points
2mi Run = 13:30/100 Points
Total score = 273

November '08
Push Ups = 44 Reps/70 Points
Sit Ups = 72 Reps/96 Points
2mi Run = 13:42/99 Points
Total = 265

Multiple OLS Flare Up!

2008-12-29T15:06:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-26T11:31:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-12-22T08:54:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-19T09:53:00.002-05:00

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

2008-12-18T14:16:00.003-05:00

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?

2008-12-12T15:37:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-12-11T17:14:00.001-05:00

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...

2008-12-06T11:20:00.003-05:00

...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

2008-12-04T14:27:00.004-05:00

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.

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

A reason for Thanksgiving..The Power of Prayer

2008-11-26T12:38:00.002-05:00

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????

2008-11-23T17:56:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-19T17:45:00.001-05:00

Check out this story!

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

Evolution and Aerosmith

2008-11-18T17:52:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-17T17:14:00.001-05:00

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!

2008-11-12T20:56:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-08T19:58:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-05T08:16:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-03T08:27:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-01T08:04:00.003-04:00

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.

2008-10-27T08:04:00.003-04:00

"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

2008-10-26T00:12:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-10-22T20:59:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-21T21:20:00.002-04:00

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?

2008-10-16T19:14:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-14T13:19:00.001-04:00

As Stocks Tumble; Seems Appropriate to Remember

2008-10-10T12:03:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-10-09T19:21:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-10-08T08:05:00.004-04:00

A little inspiration for the day or the gym

2008-10-07T08:59:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-06T14:48:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-06T14:34:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-01T08:23:00.013-04:00

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

2008-09-28T21:22:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-09-21T20:16:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-19T09:42:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

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....

2008-09-10T10:27:00.002-04:00

...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

2008-09-09T08:40:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-07T21:07:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-09-01T21:18:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-31T17:50:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-29T19:24:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-29T06:58:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-25T20:52:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-21T11:13:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-08-17T21:41:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-08-17T20:26:00.010-04:00

...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...

2008-08-13T16:05:00.006-04:00

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...

2008-08-07T09:04:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-08-06T08:01:00.005-04:00

...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

2008-08-05T16:01:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-04T12:15:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-31T08:37:00.005-04:00

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

2008-07-28T08:23:00.004-04:00

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

2008-07-25T00:31:00.002-04:00

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.