Purpose

If you follow any of the other Blogs linked to this site, you may have read one in the past couple of days concerning living a life that has purpose. This subject has been on my mind for quite some time.

You see, I've made a big mistake and become friends with some teachers and preachers. The mistake comes from the fact that it has caused me to question what purpose and impact my work has beyond making money for other people. Is anyone better off today because of my work?

Without dragging this out, let me say that I want to do something bolder with my life, something that has impact, and of course pays the bills. In concentrating on a career with a purpose, I've failed to recognize that there are other ways for me to add meaning and purpose to my life. For two years I've been passionate about my running and last year I was given the opportunity to start up a running group at my church. This was something I had thought and talked about doing for nearly a year. I was pumped. Unfortunately, after the initial start up, I became complacent about things, content with the small number of friends who joined me for runs once per month. While I cherish these runs and the fellowship and friendships, my original vision was for a larger group of area Christians meeting monthly to fellowship and run together.

Now I've been approached about expanding the group to include walkers. While this was part of my original intent, my passion is running, and the folks who first joined up wanted to run, so the group gravitated in that direction, and in my complacency, that is where it remains.

There will be some logistical issues with expanding. Finding someone who will help with the walking side of things. If I expand the number of runners, how do we integrate runners of different skill and conditioning levels into group runs? Questions have answers, you just have to look for them. More importantly you have to want to look for them

I've come to the conclusion that we are each provided with opportunities to make an impact and to serve a purpose, the real question is, "Will we make the best of those opportunities?" I'm going to try to make this opportunity count. I've got some ideas bouncing around in my head and I'm excited about the prospect of getting more Christians involved in fitness and fellowship. Help me out and pray that God will grant me the fortitude to see this through. If we don't expand the group any further, it will not be a failure, but if the group remains the same size, I want it to be because God's will is fulfilled, not because I failed to take advantage of an opportunity he presented me with.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (King James Version)
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Matthew 9:37 (New International Version)
37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

CRAZY!!

Ever have anyone look at you like you like you're crazy when you talk about exercising or running? It seems the more you are committed to it, or the more you push the intensity envelope, the stranger you appear to people.

I haven't decided yet, does this say more about me, or about society in general? Here on my blog I recognize that, if you are one of my very small group of readers, you are probably also a runner or committed to exercise of some sort, so I try to be direct about my thoughts on fitness and health. But an elitest I'm not. If someone chooses not to exercise or eat right, that is their choice and I'm fine with that.

With that disclaimer out of the way, it just seems odd to me that people see me as being "odd" because I'm willing to run the amount that I do and, while I'm no saint when it comes to eating, (I just polished off some oil popped popcorn. Can you say trans fat), I try to be sensible. This isn't limited to me, I have a friend, an ex-ultramarathoner/tri-athelete who is the point of many office comments because of his continued dedication to fitness. I know of another acquiantance who's appearance was criticized by someone else because they thought the individual should look better for the amount of exercise they do. Funny, sometimes people act like we have a disease that thy might catch.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I plan on staying the course. As a virtual "unknown" in high school, and with little other reason for notoriety in this world, I like being different. It goes nicely with being healthy and in shape.

Something New

With the Utica 5K on my calendar for this weekend, I'm trying to log some endurance miles early this week, so I put in 7 miles after work today in Des Moines. The temperature was low 90's and humid, and I only took a 10 oz bottle of water. Duhhh!

Luckily there was a "Stop and Rob" just up the street from the hotel. I wrapped up my run there and purchased a Propel Water, a Gatorade, and an Accerlerade.

I downed the Accelerade as soon as I stepped out of the store....

This is the first time I had seen it in the store. My only other knowledge of it was that some well known endurance/ultra marathoners/tri-atheletes were part of the marketing efforts. Accelerade supposedly advances the sports drink by adding Whey Protein to create a drink with a 4:1 Carb to Protein ratio. This is a frequently touted mixture for consumption after a run to aid in muscle repair.

Other than the protein, the nutrition numbers are comparable to Gatorade. Those of us who have consumed Protein shakes in the past will recognize the slight after taste, but it isn't bad, just not the same sweet taste of Gatorade. As with any other gel, bean, or drink it poses the risk for gastrointestinal issues. I didn't experience any of consequence, and what little I had was just as likely to have been a result of the exertion, not the drink.

If you're considering some endurance training or a hard day of pick up basketball, it is worth consideration and trial.

....I felt instantly better, I had found the nectar of the gods. OK, I was just glad to have something cold to drink, and the shot of sugar was a welcome jolt to my depleted body. I'll give it a try on a long run and see how it does compared to my tried and true Gatorade. With the aforementioned 5K coming up, I'm shooting for a mid-week 10 or 12 miler (if I can get up early enough), I'll let you know the results.

Check out the new Poll, more interactive fun...now if I can just figure out how to download the coloring sheets and picture pages. (Any Captain Kangaroo fans remember Picture Pages??)

Corrections

1) The pictures of Duluth are from my January visit, not my April visit. It was colder in January, but less snow. For those of you who voted winter running in the poll, how does 13 degree high temps and 0 degree lows, with wind chills at minus 9 sound to you. I think 9 degrees was the coldest I ran in. I typically ran after work, so it had warmed up some.

2) I left Portland, OR off my list. I remembered today that I had gone for one outdoor run while there for a conference.