I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, and one that I can apply to my spiritual walk as well. It's important for us to remember that life isn't a sprint. It's not about going hard for 100 yards and then stopping. Life is about pacing ourselves, running the race as it is marked out for us.
Now, some people have different kinds of races marked out. Some have 5ks, some have 10ks, some have half-marathons, and some have full marathons. Even still, none of those are sprints or quick little runs. They take time. They take endurance.
That is what this whole thing has been about for me, building my endurance both physically and spiritually. Keeping focused on what it is I'm doing this for. For me, the physical endurance is about supporting causes I care about, it's about building my endurance up to play soccer again for a full 90 minutes without tiring, and it's about being physically fit and happy with who I am (not that I'm not).
But beyond that, it's about the spiritual endurance. It's about the focus, the determination, and the drive to finish what I've started. It's about gathering support for myself, and others, when we need it most. It's about growing in faith, and learning that when I can't, He can. And it's about learning how to run this race of life, and to do so effectively.
I thank you for joining me on this endurance building project. It means a lot to know I have friends and family who will read these posts and maybe get something out of them, too. It means a whole heck of a lot to have friends who are joining me in one part of this training or another.
Thank you, sis. Thank you, Jess. You two are inspirations for me.
Most of all, thank you Ellen. Keep pressing on in faith!!!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Week Two: Physical Training Three
Physical trainings for the week completed. Yay for that.
To be honest, this training was the toughest so far. I was tired to begin with, had just eaten a big meal at Casa Ole -- by the way, Mexican food, big meal, and running do NOT go well together --, and to make matters worse I ran full-out on the first jog interval.
Ninety seconds of running doesn't sound like much, but it broke my rhythm. It decimated my focus, too. To top it all off, it wore me out faster, because my body isn't used to sprints or full-runs yet. I've developed a certain rhythm, a certain pace, that works.
And I simply pushed too hard too fast, and I paid the price. I cut off early on a couple of jogs, but I made it nonetheless. I was extremely tired when I got home, but I made it in spite of the weariness.
The worst part of it all is that because I pushed so hard so fast, it threw off the entirety of the rest of my training for the thirty minutes. The music didn't help to refocus me. I couldn't stay focused at all on the goal, the target. I felt like all I was doing was running for the sake of running. It was hard, and I had to push through.
It was a good lesson, though, and one I am glad to have learned. It's not a 100-yard dash, it's a 5K run.
To be honest, this training was the toughest so far. I was tired to begin with, had just eaten a big meal at Casa Ole -- by the way, Mexican food, big meal, and running do NOT go well together --, and to make matters worse I ran full-out on the first jog interval.
Ninety seconds of running doesn't sound like much, but it broke my rhythm. It decimated my focus, too. To top it all off, it wore me out faster, because my body isn't used to sprints or full-runs yet. I've developed a certain rhythm, a certain pace, that works.
And I simply pushed too hard too fast, and I paid the price. I cut off early on a couple of jogs, but I made it nonetheless. I was extremely tired when I got home, but I made it in spite of the weariness.
The worst part of it all is that because I pushed so hard so fast, it threw off the entirety of the rest of my training for the thirty minutes. The music didn't help to refocus me. I couldn't stay focused at all on the goal, the target. I felt like all I was doing was running for the sake of running. It was hard, and I had to push through.
It was a good lesson, though, and one I am glad to have learned. It's not a 100-yard dash, it's a 5K run.
Pushing Forward...
Yeah...I seem to have a lot of trouble keeping up daily with this whole blog posting thing. I can't use the excuse of being overly busy. It's an issue of just doing it, and not being sidetracked or distracted by other things. Lots and lots of other things.
It's easy to be distracted in our walks. I remember once a youth pastor speaking on "putting the blinders on". He explained how racehorses would have these things placed over their heads that would prevent them from seeing anywhere except straight ahead. Apparently, horses have horrible times focusing straight ahead.
Does that sound familiar?
He spoke about how when the horse's would have the blinders on, they'd run straight ahead and not be distracted by the things outside the racing circle such as the crowd or announcers. Much in the same way, we as Christians need to put our spiritual blinders on so that we may focus on the race we are running.
Stay focused on the goal. Use your spiritual blinders to fend off distractions. And run the race to the finish.
It's easy to be distracted in our walks. I remember once a youth pastor speaking on "putting the blinders on". He explained how racehorses would have these things placed over their heads that would prevent them from seeing anywhere except straight ahead. Apparently, horses have horrible times focusing straight ahead.
Does that sound familiar?
He spoke about how when the horse's would have the blinders on, they'd run straight ahead and not be distracted by the things outside the racing circle such as the crowd or announcers. Much in the same way, we as Christians need to put our spiritual blinders on so that we may focus on the race we are running.
Stay focused on the goal. Use your spiritual blinders to fend off distractions. And run the race to the finish.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Week Two: Physical Training Two
About half way done with the week already. Wow, how time flies!
Today was interesting. I had intended to start my run earlier than I did, but my dad needed some help up at the office. Somehow, my jog happened at about 7pm or so. Pretty late for me. But the weirdness didn't stop there.
After the first two jogs, on the third jog interval, my music stopped out of the blue and right as the timer had switched over to a new jog interval. It's so hard for me right now to do 90 seconds of jogging without music. The music really helps to distract my mind, and yet keep me focused on the task at hand as well. Either way, that ninety seconds was the hardest ninety seconds I've had this week. Then it got even more interesting...
Somehow, in turning the music back on, the C25K App stopped timing, and reset itself back to the beginning of the workout. So I was three jogs in, warmup walk done, and the darn thing acted like I still had the whole series to do.
I thought about it for a second and decided to do another 5 minute warm-up walk to try to keep my heart pumping and my muscles loose. Unfortunately, at the four minute mark, I had slowed down enough my body began to relax. I began to feel my muscles tightening and I became more sore. Even worse, my energy level was diminishing quickly. Then the timer went off for my jog, and I had to push myself hard to get it done.
But I got it done. Then I did the walk. Then the next jog. Then the next walk. I began the next jog, and I had to stop about 5 seconds short. Same with the next jog. I did one more jog, and I simply could not continue.
I checked the time I'd done for the second workout. The timer showed I'd been through 19 minutes of the training, which was a total of 30 minutes (two 5 minute walks on either end of 20 minutes alternating jogs and walks). That meant I'd done 14 minutes out of 20, leaving about 6 minutes left. That meant I had two jogs according to the timer, left.
I'd already done them, however, and so I realized I'd made it. It was kind of refreshing, and I gave a good chuckle at the result. I didn't cramp up like I had previously, and even now my muscles aren't too sore.
All in all, it was a good workout, even in the midst of my frustrations...funny thing about frustrations, they make us forget what we were focusing on.
Today was interesting. I had intended to start my run earlier than I did, but my dad needed some help up at the office. Somehow, my jog happened at about 7pm or so. Pretty late for me. But the weirdness didn't stop there.
After the first two jogs, on the third jog interval, my music stopped out of the blue and right as the timer had switched over to a new jog interval. It's so hard for me right now to do 90 seconds of jogging without music. The music really helps to distract my mind, and yet keep me focused on the task at hand as well. Either way, that ninety seconds was the hardest ninety seconds I've had this week. Then it got even more interesting...
Somehow, in turning the music back on, the C25K App stopped timing, and reset itself back to the beginning of the workout. So I was three jogs in, warmup walk done, and the darn thing acted like I still had the whole series to do.
I thought about it for a second and decided to do another 5 minute warm-up walk to try to keep my heart pumping and my muscles loose. Unfortunately, at the four minute mark, I had slowed down enough my body began to relax. I began to feel my muscles tightening and I became more sore. Even worse, my energy level was diminishing quickly. Then the timer went off for my jog, and I had to push myself hard to get it done.
But I got it done. Then I did the walk. Then the next jog. Then the next walk. I began the next jog, and I had to stop about 5 seconds short. Same with the next jog. I did one more jog, and I simply could not continue.
I checked the time I'd done for the second workout. The timer showed I'd been through 19 minutes of the training, which was a total of 30 minutes (two 5 minute walks on either end of 20 minutes alternating jogs and walks). That meant I'd done 14 minutes out of 20, leaving about 6 minutes left. That meant I had two jogs according to the timer, left.
I'd already done them, however, and so I realized I'd made it. It was kind of refreshing, and I gave a good chuckle at the result. I didn't cramp up like I had previously, and even now my muscles aren't too sore.
All in all, it was a good workout, even in the midst of my frustrations...funny thing about frustrations, they make us forget what we were focusing on.
Spiritual Training Week Two
I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday. I frankly just got sidetracked by a hundred different things, and just never got to it. I could sit here and make a hundred and one excuses, but I've begun to realize with this blog if I can't be honest with myself, how can I expect to be honest with God?
So here I am typing this post up as my buddies are in the other room playing poker with about 20 other guys, maybe more. I'm amazed at how blessed I've been with the friends I have.
I can honestly say that my friends have helped me through the worst times in my life, when I felt I had nothing left to give. And that's something that's had me thinking lately. God doesn't always speak to us directly, sometimes He chooses our friends to speak to us.
I can remember a time when one of my buddies and I were in the car driving somewhere, and he told me about a dream he'd had. At the time it didn't make sense to him, nor did it to me, but nonetheless there was a message in there. I look back and see God pointing at a part of me that I simply could not comprehend at the time. Now, here I am, reflecting upon that, and realizing how awesome that friend has been.
Sure, there are times we all want to tell our friends off for this or for that, but frankly, we couldn't survive without them. I know, at least, I couldn't. Every friend is in our lives for a reason, for a purpose, and if we just take the time to listen we maybe will just find out what that is.
I hope you are as blessed by your friends as I am by mine.
So here I am typing this post up as my buddies are in the other room playing poker with about 20 other guys, maybe more. I'm amazed at how blessed I've been with the friends I have.
I can honestly say that my friends have helped me through the worst times in my life, when I felt I had nothing left to give. And that's something that's had me thinking lately. God doesn't always speak to us directly, sometimes He chooses our friends to speak to us.
I can remember a time when one of my buddies and I were in the car driving somewhere, and he told me about a dream he'd had. At the time it didn't make sense to him, nor did it to me, but nonetheless there was a message in there. I look back and see God pointing at a part of me that I simply could not comprehend at the time. Now, here I am, reflecting upon that, and realizing how awesome that friend has been.
Sure, there are times we all want to tell our friends off for this or for that, but frankly, we couldn't survive without them. I know, at least, I couldn't. Every friend is in our lives for a reason, for a purpose, and if we just take the time to listen we maybe will just find out what that is.
I hope you are as blessed by your friends as I am by mine.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Week Two: Physical Training One
Well, I made myself get out there and run, and I enjoyed it. The system for the second set of trainings is 5 minute brisk walk, alternating 90 second jog and 2 minute walk for a total of 20 minutes. The C25K App follows all that with a 5 minute cool down walk, which helps a lot.
There were a few things that stuck out at me about this training/workout in particular. The first is that I keep getting cramps. I'm going to have to stretch longer and better, and work on my breathing techniques (and drink more water less soda!!!). The second is that the program works really well. I noticed that before I started I could barely run 30 seconds without getting winded, now I can run 90 and I barely get winded. The third is that I have a horrible time keeping track of which jog interval I'm on.
Once again I thought I was on the second to last one, and when I finished it and had walked for two minutes and the timer didn't go off I checked to find that I had finished. Now that was a terrific feeling.
I had one moment that will remain etched in my mind, however, and is kind of cool piggy backing on the featured post from my friend about Autism. I've decided, and have mentioned, I am running for specific causes. This has a couple of reasons. One, it keeps me accountable, and two, it gives me something to focus on while running so I don't just give up.
Well, today while running I was feeling tired. I don't know what run it was. Maybe the 4th or 5th interval. I was running pretty decently, but I was tired. I was breathing deeply and the cramps were starting to hit again. Then, from out of nowhere, I thought about Aidan's latest meltdown and how much that must be a struggle for him.
That's when it happened. "What are you doing? There's Aidan, who perseveres in the face of Autism, when a lot of people count him out, and you can't even push yourself another 30 seconds?" So I did. Aidan became my inspiration, and it was a moment I truly will never forget.
He's an amazing little boy, and I pray God blesses him mightily, and his momma, too.
There were a few things that stuck out at me about this training/workout in particular. The first is that I keep getting cramps. I'm going to have to stretch longer and better, and work on my breathing techniques (and drink more water less soda!!!). The second is that the program works really well. I noticed that before I started I could barely run 30 seconds without getting winded, now I can run 90 and I barely get winded. The third is that I have a horrible time keeping track of which jog interval I'm on.
Once again I thought I was on the second to last one, and when I finished it and had walked for two minutes and the timer didn't go off I checked to find that I had finished. Now that was a terrific feeling.
I had one moment that will remain etched in my mind, however, and is kind of cool piggy backing on the featured post from my friend about Autism. I've decided, and have mentioned, I am running for specific causes. This has a couple of reasons. One, it keeps me accountable, and two, it gives me something to focus on while running so I don't just give up.
Well, today while running I was feeling tired. I don't know what run it was. Maybe the 4th or 5th interval. I was running pretty decently, but I was tired. I was breathing deeply and the cramps were starting to hit again. Then, from out of nowhere, I thought about Aidan's latest meltdown and how much that must be a struggle for him.
That's when it happened. "What are you doing? There's Aidan, who perseveres in the face of Autism, when a lot of people count him out, and you can't even push yourself another 30 seconds?" So I did. Aidan became my inspiration, and it was a moment I truly will never forget.
He's an amazing little boy, and I pray God blesses him mightily, and his momma, too.
Featured Post of the Week
This post comes from the blog Aidan's Autism Adventures written by a friend of mine whose son has autism. This post in particular comes from way back on April 8th, 2010. I wanted to highlight this specific post as a good jumping off point for those unaware of Autism, what it is or what it means, and what it means to those who have it. Remember most of all: Autism does not define the child.
April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm both excited and saddened that we get our own month now. It's great that we have a chance to educate people and gain support for our cause, but it's sad that Autism Spectrum Disorders are common enough for us to get an entire month dedicated to our children. In honor of the month I've gathered some information for those of you who don't necessarily know all the in's and out's of autism. My information comes from the CDC and Google Health, but you should also check out Autism Society of America. Don't forget to join us Saturday morning for our Autism Walk - or find one in your own hometown if you aren't in Huntsvegas!
And to all of you who have given us so much support since Aidan's diagnosis, thank you!
Prevalence
- It is estimated that between 1 in 80 and 1 in 240 with an average of 1 in 110 children in the United States have an ASD.
- ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, yet are on average 4 to 5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. However, we need more information on some less studied populations and regions around the world.
- If 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 36,500 children will eventually be diagnosed with an ASD. Assuming the prevalence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that about 730,000 individuals between the ages of 0 to 21 have an ASD.
- Studies in Asia, Europe and North America have identified individuals with an ASD with an approximate prevalence of 0.6% to over 1%.
- Approximately 13% of children have a developmental disability, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism.
Economic Costs
- Recent studies have estimated that the lifetime cost to care for an individual with an ASD is $3.2 million.
- Individuals with an ASD had average medical expenditures that exceeded those without an ASD by $4,110–$6,200 per year. On average, medical expenditures for individuals with an ASD were 4.1–6.2 times greater than for those without an ASD. Differences in median expenditures ranged from $2,240 to $3,360 per year with median expenditures 8.4–9.5 times greater.
Signs of Autism (there were a lot of "a-ha!" moments the first time I read these after Aidan was diagnosed)Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is age 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in:Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.
- Pretend play
- Social interactions
- Verbal and nonverbal communication
People with autism may:The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe.
- Be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste (for example, they may refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become distressed if they are forced to wear the clothes)
- Have unusual distress when routines are changed
- Perform repeated body movements
- Show unusual attachments to objects
Communication problems may include:Social interaction:
- Cannot start or maintain a social conversation
- Communicates with gestures instead of words
- Develops language slowly or not at all
- Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at
- Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")
- Does not point to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life)
- Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials
- Uses nonsense rhyming
Response to sensory information:
- Does not make friends
- Does not play interactive games
- Is withdrawn
- May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact
- May treat others as if they are objects
- Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
- Shows a lack of empathy
Play:
- Does not startle at loud noises
- Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
- May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
- May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
- Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects
- Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain
Behaviors:
- Doesn't imitate the actions of others
- Prefers solitary or ritualistic play
- Shows little pretend or imaginative play
- "Acts up" with intense tantrums
- Gets stuck on a single topic or task (perseveration)
- Has a short attention span
- Has very narrow interests
- Is overactive or very passive
- Shows aggression to others or self
- Shows a strong need for sameness
- Uses repetitive body movements
Oops...
Well, with a busy past couple of days I managed to miss out on posting (however I still did the personal time with God on Monday and it was good). So I'm going to go ahead and post all three catch-up posts today.
Last post I mentioned how we sometimes lose sight of or seem to forget how far from the finish line (or goal) we are. This holds true in our physical lives as well as our spiritual ones. We are called to run this race of life, as marked out according to our Savior Lord Jesus Christ.
I kind of chuckle at that part of the verse because it says to run with perseverance. To me, that would signify a race that is not short nor is it easy. After all, sprinters don't really have to persevere when it's only 40 yards. Long-distance runners have to persevere. They have to push past the body's desire to slow down or stop to allow their body a chance to catch up. Much like our sinful nature causes us to slow down or stop in our spiritual races.
When we look ahead at the goal, the finish line, as it is marked out for us we may find it easier to persevere. After all, our lives are but vapors in the wind. Here today, gone tomorrow. Keep pressing forward, the race, after all, is one step closer to being finished.
Last post I mentioned how we sometimes lose sight of or seem to forget how far from the finish line (or goal) we are. This holds true in our physical lives as well as our spiritual ones. We are called to run this race of life, as marked out according to our Savior Lord Jesus Christ.
"...and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b
I kind of chuckle at that part of the verse because it says to run with perseverance. To me, that would signify a race that is not short nor is it easy. After all, sprinters don't really have to persevere when it's only 40 yards. Long-distance runners have to persevere. They have to push past the body's desire to slow down or stop to allow their body a chance to catch up. Much like our sinful nature causes us to slow down or stop in our spiritual races.
When we look ahead at the goal, the finish line, as it is marked out for us we may find it easier to persevere. After all, our lives are but vapors in the wind. Here today, gone tomorrow. Keep pressing forward, the race, after all, is one step closer to being finished.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Week One: Physical Training Three
Let me just start off by saying that heat and humidity and high ozone and high pollen makes it extremely hard to breathe deeply when trying to run. Even still, I've completed my third physical training of the first week of this journey.
It's funny, too, because I lost track of the number of times I had done the intervals and which interval I was on. I thought I was on the seventh interval, and I was hurting to get the breaths I needed to continue the jog. I kept thinking, "I still have another jog after this one to finish. I'll never make it. I can't get the deep enough breaths." Lo and behold, the app binged at me to inform me the final jog was over and I was into the cooldown walk.
Obviously, that stunned me. Here I was struggling with the next to the last jog of the day, barely making it to the end of it (okay, I was short by like 5 seconds)...and it was actually the last one. I had become so overwhelmed by having one more to go I didn't push that little bit extra I know I could have.
It's interesting how that can tie into our spiritual walks as well. But more on that tomorrow...
P.S. -- I've noticed I am really not sore at all after this workout. So yay for marked improvement!!!
It's funny, too, because I lost track of the number of times I had done the intervals and which interval I was on. I thought I was on the seventh interval, and I was hurting to get the breaths I needed to continue the jog. I kept thinking, "I still have another jog after this one to finish. I'll never make it. I can't get the deep enough breaths." Lo and behold, the app binged at me to inform me the final jog was over and I was into the cooldown walk.
Obviously, that stunned me. Here I was struggling with the next to the last jog of the day, barely making it to the end of it (okay, I was short by like 5 seconds)...and it was actually the last one. I had become so overwhelmed by having one more to go I didn't push that little bit extra I know I could have.
It's interesting how that can tie into our spiritual walks as well. But more on that tomorrow...
P.S. -- I've noticed I am really not sore at all after this workout. So yay for marked improvement!!!
A little late...
But only in posting up the fourth day.
Yesterday as I thought about the first three days of the journey, I thought about the journey ahead. One thing I've noticed is a very large difference in my pacing and drive/determination when looking down at the ground at my feet and ahead a bit to where I want to be. I suppose in some ways it is kind of like our walks with God.
If we are constantly looking at our feet and where we are right now, in this moment with God, we'll never move beyond that spot. Which means we'll never grow any closer, but hey, we won't fall further away either, right? I guess I'm just starting to see the true correlation between running and our walks as Christians.
The walk is just the beginning, and if we can just push ourselves to take that next step closer...we'll find out just how awesome our God is.
Never give up. Never give in. Press on. Don't quit. But most of all, remember...
I can't, but He can.
Yesterday as I thought about the first three days of the journey, I thought about the journey ahead. One thing I've noticed is a very large difference in my pacing and drive/determination when looking down at the ground at my feet and ahead a bit to where I want to be. I suppose in some ways it is kind of like our walks with God.
If we are constantly looking at our feet and where we are right now, in this moment with God, we'll never move beyond that spot. Which means we'll never grow any closer, but hey, we won't fall further away either, right? I guess I'm just starting to see the true correlation between running and our walks as Christians.
The walk is just the beginning, and if we can just push ourselves to take that next step closer...we'll find out just how awesome our God is.
Never give up. Never give in. Press on. Don't quit. But most of all, remember...
I can't, but He can.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Week One: Physical Training Two
Okay, so I've ditched the watch, for now. After reading over on Road Runner Wannabe about Robert Ullrey's Podcasts for Running I began searching for something similar for my MyTouch 3G Android Phone.
It didn't take long because what I was looking for was linked directly from the c25k website. I followed the link to the C25K Android App and then downloaded it on my phone.
The way it works is pretty simple. It has the times for each training set in as intervals. When you are supposed to change from one interval to the next, it mutes all sounds for a couple of seconds and emits a good volume beep so you know to change pace. It worked great, and better yet, I can play my music in the background while I go through my sessions.
This is a true win-win for me, and I noticed an improvement right away. I was able to focus less on the actual running and more on spending time with God while following a little regimen. Personally, I like upbeat worship music and good praise music while I'm doing my training, but I bet dance music or anything that's got some good tempo would work fine, too.
I noticed the real improvement around the third interval for jogging, when last time I felt it and this time I made it to 60 seconds and looked around like "that's all?" It was a great feeling.
As I hit the 5th and 6th intervals I noticed I was wearing down some, but I kept reminding myself "I can't but He can." He pushed me through the next two intervals, and I believe I could have made the eighth and final interval if not for my phone receiving an email notice, which caused me to stop my momentum and broke my focus. I thought it was the beep.
I'm fairly certain I'll be changing my notifications ringtone to something very different so I know when stuff is coming in versus the C25K App beeps.
All in all, it went really well. I feel far better at the end of the training than I did at the end of the first training. Looking forward to hanging out with friends and relaxing tonight. Be blessed!!!
It didn't take long because what I was looking for was linked directly from the c25k website. I followed the link to the C25K Android App and then downloaded it on my phone.
The way it works is pretty simple. It has the times for each training set in as intervals. When you are supposed to change from one interval to the next, it mutes all sounds for a couple of seconds and emits a good volume beep so you know to change pace. It worked great, and better yet, I can play my music in the background while I go through my sessions.
This is a true win-win for me, and I noticed an improvement right away. I was able to focus less on the actual running and more on spending time with God while following a little regimen. Personally, I like upbeat worship music and good praise music while I'm doing my training, but I bet dance music or anything that's got some good tempo would work fine, too.
I noticed the real improvement around the third interval for jogging, when last time I felt it and this time I made it to 60 seconds and looked around like "that's all?" It was a great feeling.
As I hit the 5th and 6th intervals I noticed I was wearing down some, but I kept reminding myself "I can't but He can." He pushed me through the next two intervals, and I believe I could have made the eighth and final interval if not for my phone receiving an email notice, which caused me to stop my momentum and broke my focus. I thought it was the beep.
I'm fairly certain I'll be changing my notifications ringtone to something very different so I know when stuff is coming in versus the C25K App beeps.
All in all, it went really well. I feel far better at the end of the training than I did at the end of the first training. Looking forward to hanging out with friends and relaxing tonight. Be blessed!!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Spiritual Training: Day Two
When I woke up this morning, I'll admit, I was tired. I was sore. I felt it in my legs more than anywhere. All in all, I felt like I'd been beat up. Battered, broken. Bruised a little. But I feel great at the same time.
With God's grace I made it through the first physical workout, and by God's grace I'll make it through the rest of them. When I sat down today to think about what I wanted to reflect upon, it didn't take me long to really grab hold of something.
The Cross
I've said to a few different people lately that the Cross is an interesting symbol in Christianity. It's not just the place Jesus was crucified, nor is it just something to grab our attention. Someone at life group a few days back mentioned the Trinity and how we, as humans, could not fully grasp the concept of the Trinity. Three-in-one that whole deal.
Then he brought up the Cross. It made me think. Some of us use the Cross when we speak the words, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit", but has anyone really thought about how the Cross is four points, not 3?
I had, and began to make an interesting connection, and I want to share that here:
The Cross, is the Crucifixion of Jesus, and at the foot of the Cross we must come. Right? Well, think about that. That puts us, the human, at the bottom of the Cross. The whole of Christianity isn't "just" about God sending Jesus for us, and His love, it's about that personal relationship with Him.
Well, then the Cross becomes a symbol of our connection to the Father through His Son, Christ Jesus. After all, it was Jesus who said, "The only way to the Father is through Me." It is our bridge, and I've heard that analogy before, but it is also our position in the relationship.
We cannot be the head of the Cross without pushing Him out of the way. If God is in control and at the head of our Cross, then He can steer us, lead us, guide us to where we need to go.
Tomorrow is workout day two. Looking forward to it!!!
With God's grace I made it through the first physical workout, and by God's grace I'll make it through the rest of them. When I sat down today to think about what I wanted to reflect upon, it didn't take me long to really grab hold of something.
The Cross
I've said to a few different people lately that the Cross is an interesting symbol in Christianity. It's not just the place Jesus was crucified, nor is it just something to grab our attention. Someone at life group a few days back mentioned the Trinity and how we, as humans, could not fully grasp the concept of the Trinity. Three-in-one that whole deal.
Then he brought up the Cross. It made me think. Some of us use the Cross when we speak the words, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit", but has anyone really thought about how the Cross is four points, not 3?
I had, and began to make an interesting connection, and I want to share that here:
The Cross, is the Crucifixion of Jesus, and at the foot of the Cross we must come. Right? Well, think about that. That puts us, the human, at the bottom of the Cross. The whole of Christianity isn't "just" about God sending Jesus for us, and His love, it's about that personal relationship with Him.
Well, then the Cross becomes a symbol of our connection to the Father through His Son, Christ Jesus. After all, it was Jesus who said, "The only way to the Father is through Me." It is our bridge, and I've heard that analogy before, but it is also our position in the relationship.
We cannot be the head of the Cross without pushing Him out of the way. If God is in control and at the head of our Cross, then He can steer us, lead us, guide us to where we need to go.
Tomorrow is workout day two. Looking forward to it!!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Something More Than Me
Running for something more than myself
As I began work on this blog, I felt a strong urging to look at potential causes to support. It didn't take long to come across one of my favorite and most treasured causes, To Write Love On Her Arms, and thanks to Blogger you can all help me support them as well!
Really, though, I have two causes I'm going to support through this journey. TWLOHA, as I mentioned before, and also another cause I will link shortly. Thanks for keeping up!
Also, feel free to check out Aidan's Autism Adventures, the blog of a friend whom has a child with autism. This...is her journey.
As I began work on this blog, I felt a strong urging to look at potential causes to support. It didn't take long to come across one of my favorite and most treasured causes, To Write Love On Her Arms, and thanks to Blogger you can all help me support them as well!
Really, though, I have two causes I'm going to support through this journey. TWLOHA, as I mentioned before, and also another cause I will link shortly. Thanks for keeping up!
Also, feel free to check out Aidan's Autism Adventures, the blog of a friend whom has a child with autism. This...is her journey.
Training Numero Uno...
Feeling the "I Can't"
I began the first training April 28th, 2010. I'm so glad this training program is gradual, or I might collapse from exhaustion. Heck, even this simple introduction to let my body adjust was tough, and required all I had to keep going. Then something amazing happened...
As I was jogging the 5th one minute jog of the 8 total, I began to chant to myself a Bible Verse I'd heard numerous times. It became something that I used to focus myself and push myself with each time I heard "I Can't" pop into my head. The verse can be found at the top of the blog under the title.
When I got home after a nice cool-down walk that lasted about 5 minutes or more, I hopped in the shower. It was then I began to connect the verses in the Bible written by Paul about "running the race marked for us", and the journey I was just beginning. As such, I've decided to do something else with this blog, this journey, this growth experience...
I'm going to write on the off-days, which are every other day plus one extra day after the third training jog/run, about "running the race marked for us" and my own journey and training to run that race to my fullest. I hope you will join me as I push myself through this journey, and I ask that you not only hold me accountable but keep me pressing on.
Thank you in advance!
I began the first training April 28th, 2010. I'm so glad this training program is gradual, or I might collapse from exhaustion. Heck, even this simple introduction to let my body adjust was tough, and required all I had to keep going. Then something amazing happened...
As I was jogging the 5th one minute jog of the 8 total, I began to chant to myself a Bible Verse I'd heard numerous times. It became something that I used to focus myself and push myself with each time I heard "I Can't" pop into my head. The verse can be found at the top of the blog under the title.
When I got home after a nice cool-down walk that lasted about 5 minutes or more, I hopped in the shower. It was then I began to connect the verses in the Bible written by Paul about "running the race marked for us", and the journey I was just beginning. As such, I've decided to do something else with this blog, this journey, this growth experience...
I'm going to write on the off-days, which are every other day plus one extra day after the third training jog/run, about "running the race marked for us" and my own journey and training to run that race to my fullest. I hope you will join me as I push myself through this journey, and I ask that you not only hold me accountable but keep me pressing on.
Thank you in advance!
The Journey from I Can't...
So what is this journey exactly?
The journey began April 27th, 2010 with a decision to increase my physical endurance by preparing my body to be able to run a 5k, aka 3 miles.
A friend of mine over at Road Runner Wannabe Blog had worked her way through a training program from http://www.c25k.com/ where over the course of about nine weeks, and as I watched her progress I have to admit I was pretty inspired.
So I began thinking, "Why not me?" All I kept hearing in my mind was, "I can't." After a few weeks of struggling with this response, I decided to just push myself to do it and silence the "I Can't". That day was April 27th, 2010, the first day of the journey. I looked at the training program, did some research, and planned out my first week of training jogs/runs. After some thought and looking at the calendar, I decided I would begin my first training jog/run the next day, and that is where the real journey from "I Can't to He Can" began.
The journey began April 27th, 2010 with a decision to increase my physical endurance by preparing my body to be able to run a 5k, aka 3 miles.
A friend of mine over at Road Runner Wannabe Blog had worked her way through a training program from http://www.c25k.com/ where over the course of about nine weeks, and as I watched her progress I have to admit I was pretty inspired.
So I began thinking, "Why not me?" All I kept hearing in my mind was, "I can't." After a few weeks of struggling with this response, I decided to just push myself to do it and silence the "I Can't". That day was April 27th, 2010, the first day of the journey. I looked at the training program, did some research, and planned out my first week of training jogs/runs. After some thought and looking at the calendar, I decided I would begin my first training jog/run the next day, and that is where the real journey from "I Can't to He Can" began.
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