It's my favorite time of year again...time for vacation. Polly's family has been going to Thousand Islands on the Saint Lawrence River in upstate New York for many years. Polly and I have gone up there numerous times since we've been a couple, but last year was the first year we went up for the full week together. We shut off our phones and computers and just relaxed. We enjoyed the relaxation so much that we decided to do it again this year. This year marks a special family vacation, however, in that it will be our baby's first. This is our chance to set a precedence of setting aside vacation time as a family.
Last year when we went up, Polly and I decided to camp for a few days on Wellesley Island before we joined her family. Minus the ridiculous amount of spiders crawling on everything (literally thousands), it was an awesome time. Last year's vacation fell in the middle of marathon training so I didn't really have a choice but to run. I bought a hydration pack because of the trip. They were out of CamelBak's at the EMS I went to so I had to settle for a different brand. It was okay, but I exchanged it for the CamelBak upon my return from vacation. Wellesley Island was just over 8 miles of roads going across, so I had to run an out and back (total of 16 miles) while camping. I was committed, but I didn't have a choice...I needed to train, so I did.
So, how about this year? I'm not currently in the midst of marathon training (my next marathon is not until next May), just working toward getting in solid shape for when I do start. I can afford a week without running, right? Absolutely. There's no question that my body won't lose anything consequential physically if I opt not to run at all. But as you know if you read my post "searching for middle ground" from the other day, there's no way I could handle it mentally. I would feel like such a slouch if I took a whole week off from running. Good or bad, this is simply the reality.
I want to take a quick look at whether or not this reality is a good or bad thing. Is it bad that I wouldn't allow myself a break from running while I'm on vacation even if it's not critical? The answer: I don't think so. There are two major reasons that I'm completely okay with feeling this way:
1. Lifestyle - I mentioned in that post "searching for middle ground" that I am either all in or all out. If I take a break this coming week what's to keep me from taking a break the following week too. The same people who think it's okay to take a break from exercise during vacation are the same people who think it's okay to eat whatever you want while on vacation. The biggest problem with each of these mindsets is that you don't actually get to pause life and reality while on vacation. What you do on vacation will affect you once vacation is over. Being healthy and running is a lifestyle to me. As long as I'm living, these things need to be an active part of my life.
2. Relaxation - The biggest purpose of vacations (for me) is rest and relaxation. Vacation gives me an opportunity to unwind and decompress. The reality for me (though I realize this is not true for everyone) is that running is one of the main ways I relax, unwind and decompress. I think this is the reason I actually love running so much. Running is neither work nor a chore to me; it's a treat that I look forward to. I love either praying or just letting my mind fly freely in thought (about so many different things) while running. I also love the feeling of satisfaction when I've completed a good run. Physiologically, our body is releasing endorphins when we run, so that feeling of satisfaction is real and has purpose. Not to mention that I feel joy when I know that I have used an ability God has given me and let it glorify Him (I think Ryan Hall would agree with this, so I'll throw in a quick plug for his book "Running with Joy"). This is why I talk about running in His strength and for His glory. I want to glorify God in all I do.
Focusing on point 2 above a little more, I think there's a deeper truth here as alluded to in my subject. The transitive relation of equality teaches that if a=b and b=c then a=c. Follow this logic with me for a moment as I give values to a, b and c.
a=running
b=relaxing
c=vacation
With this values input into the equation, it would read this way:
If running = relaxing and relaxing = vacation then running = vacation.
The more I think about it the more I realize that this equation proves true for me. Every time I run it's like I'm on a mini vacation. Running really is that relaxing and enjoyable to me. Anyone else feel this way?
Anyway, since I will be on a week-long vacation starting tomorrow, it's worth noting that I will likely not be on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Blogger during that time. I'll talk to you all in a week!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
money well spent
Some people may think I'm cheap, but I like to think of myself as frugal. I mean, I'm no extreme couponer, but I hate spending money unnecessarily. Aside from the fact that I don't exactly have unlimited resources, I also just hate the idea of wasting while so many in the world live in such poverty. All that being said, running cost money...plain and simple.
Some money you need to spend is easier to understand and rationalize than other money. For example, if you want to sign up for anything from a 5k to an ultra marathon (not that I know this one personally...yet), you can expect to pay an entry fee. But when you consider the cost of the operation to put the run together like the water and energy products, the police details, the t-shirts, the prize money, the awards, etc. it's easy to see the necessity of that money. Also making it easy for most 5k's is the fact that all proceeds typically go to a specific cause. I have never complained about paying an entry fee. Of course, if I wanted to be cheap/frugal here I could be. I could simply run on my own and never participate in events.
If you are a runner, however, then you know that the biggest running expense is not an entry fee to a race. No, the biggest expense for running is the equipment...sneakers. And, in my opinion, no matter how much they may cost, this is money well spent. Running shoes is an area that I will never attempt to go cheap on, and for good reason. Before I explain why, let me tell you how this topic came to mind.
I was at a cookout after church on Sunday. I was sitting at a table with a group roughly my age (they were in college and I am nearing 30, but I like to pretend that I still belong). I brought up running (as always) and one of the girls (she will remain nameless, but let's just say that her name could be defined by Webster as "a variable color averaging a dark orange yellow") told me that she was excited that she just bought a pair of running shoes, and GOT A GOOD DEAL. Uh oh. As an avid runner, I was immediately concerned. I asked her where she bought them. "Marshalls!" Oh no. I was afraid she would say something like that. The next question was an obvious one. How much did she pay? "$20!" Oh boy. I hated to be the bad guy here, but I said what needed to be said. I told her that it was a good thing that she hadn't paid so much because she was going to need to turn them into regular wearing out shoes and buy herself a real, good pair of running shoes. I then went on to explain to her what I will explain next.
Running is fun. Running is relaxing. Running is awesome. But running also has a risk of injury that comes with it. Our knees don't necessarily appreciate the constant pounding that running puts on them. Sometimes, neither do our shins, ankles, feet, etc. In order to reduce that risk as best we can and keep our lower body (and potentially our back) happy, we need to ensure that we have the proper equipment. And no piece of equipment is more important that our shoes. We need to ensure that our body is properly supported. (In fact, some people have recently jumped on the band wagon of minimalist shoes like 5-toed and such. I've yet to be convinced, but I am listening.) Running shoes is not the thing to get a GOOD DEAL on. I mean, if you can get a good pair cheaper, by all means, do. But don't just look for the cheapest running shoe that looks "cute."
There are plenty specialty running stores these days since the popularity of distance running has increased over the last couple decades. At these stores, staff are at the ready to analyze your gait (whether or not you pronate, etc.) and work hard to fit you into the right shoe for you. The truth is that the shoe that works for you may not work for me. In fact, I've been running in the newest model of the same series from Asics for quite some time now as they are simply the best shoe for me. The best thing about this evaluation is that it's free. You are committed to buying any shoes, but the price is the regular retail price (unless there's a sale) which means you're not overpaying comparable to what you would pay for that same shoe elsewhere.
If you are planning to start running or if you run and have never had an evaluation done (and especially if you feel any weird twinges in your body when you run) then I heavily recommend going to the experts. I promise that it's the best decision you can make as a runner and it will be money well spent. (It's also worth noting that now that I know what shoe I need, I shop around and buy it the cheapest I can...hey, I'm still frugal.)
Completely off topic for a moment, I will say that the best piece of running equipment I ever purchased though didn't need is my Garmin GPS watch. I heavily recommend them to serious runners. A close second is my CamelBak for really long runs (I ran my second marathon with it).
So, just remember, though it's okay to be frugal, don't ever let it blind you from recognize areas that is money well spent!
Some money you need to spend is easier to understand and rationalize than other money. For example, if you want to sign up for anything from a 5k to an ultra marathon (not that I know this one personally...yet), you can expect to pay an entry fee. But when you consider the cost of the operation to put the run together like the water and energy products, the police details, the t-shirts, the prize money, the awards, etc. it's easy to see the necessity of that money. Also making it easy for most 5k's is the fact that all proceeds typically go to a specific cause. I have never complained about paying an entry fee. Of course, if I wanted to be cheap/frugal here I could be. I could simply run on my own and never participate in events.
If you are a runner, however, then you know that the biggest running expense is not an entry fee to a race. No, the biggest expense for running is the equipment...sneakers. And, in my opinion, no matter how much they may cost, this is money well spent. Running shoes is an area that I will never attempt to go cheap on, and for good reason. Before I explain why, let me tell you how this topic came to mind.
I was at a cookout after church on Sunday. I was sitting at a table with a group roughly my age (they were in college and I am nearing 30, but I like to pretend that I still belong). I brought up running (as always) and one of the girls (she will remain nameless, but let's just say that her name could be defined by Webster as "a variable color averaging a dark orange yellow") told me that she was excited that she just bought a pair of running shoes, and GOT A GOOD DEAL. Uh oh. As an avid runner, I was immediately concerned. I asked her where she bought them. "Marshalls!" Oh no. I was afraid she would say something like that. The next question was an obvious one. How much did she pay? "$20!" Oh boy. I hated to be the bad guy here, but I said what needed to be said. I told her that it was a good thing that she hadn't paid so much because she was going to need to turn them into regular wearing out shoes and buy herself a real, good pair of running shoes. I then went on to explain to her what I will explain next.
Running is fun. Running is relaxing. Running is awesome. But running also has a risk of injury that comes with it. Our knees don't necessarily appreciate the constant pounding that running puts on them. Sometimes, neither do our shins, ankles, feet, etc. In order to reduce that risk as best we can and keep our lower body (and potentially our back) happy, we need to ensure that we have the proper equipment. And no piece of equipment is more important that our shoes. We need to ensure that our body is properly supported. (In fact, some people have recently jumped on the band wagon of minimalist shoes like 5-toed and such. I've yet to be convinced, but I am listening.) Running shoes is not the thing to get a GOOD DEAL on. I mean, if you can get a good pair cheaper, by all means, do. But don't just look for the cheapest running shoe that looks "cute."
There are plenty specialty running stores these days since the popularity of distance running has increased over the last couple decades. At these stores, staff are at the ready to analyze your gait (whether or not you pronate, etc.) and work hard to fit you into the right shoe for you. The truth is that the shoe that works for you may not work for me. In fact, I've been running in the newest model of the same series from Asics for quite some time now as they are simply the best shoe for me. The best thing about this evaluation is that it's free. You are committed to buying any shoes, but the price is the regular retail price (unless there's a sale) which means you're not overpaying comparable to what you would pay for that same shoe elsewhere.
If you are planning to start running or if you run and have never had an evaluation done (and especially if you feel any weird twinges in your body when you run) then I heavily recommend going to the experts. I promise that it's the best decision you can make as a runner and it will be money well spent. (It's also worth noting that now that I know what shoe I need, I shop around and buy it the cheapest I can...hey, I'm still frugal.)
Completely off topic for a moment, I will say that the best piece of running equipment I ever purchased though didn't need is my Garmin GPS watch. I heavily recommend them to serious runners. A close second is my CamelBak for really long runs (I ran my second marathon with it).
So, just remember, though it's okay to be frugal, don't ever let it blind you from recognize areas that is money well spent!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
searching for middle ground
I don't know about you, but I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to life. I'm either all in or all out. I don't do very well with the in between. This can be either good or bad for me. Let me explain.
When I was busy gaining weight in college, I never even thought about exercise or a healthy diet. I sat my lazy butt down in my chair and played Madden. The only exceptions to this were when I hung out with friends (and for a couple of years, my girlfriend Polly Skidmore), over-reacted to a Nintendo version of Jeopardy, or investigated restricted areas around the campus. Oh yeah, and my late night McDonald's, Taco Bell, Taco Express or Andy's Frozen Custard runs. I was committed to being lazy. I was all in. Hey, gaining weight was hard work for me.
When I finally decided to change my ways and lose weight a couple of years ago, I was also all in. I barely ever ate anything for dessert, ate no junk food, exercised constantly, weighed myself daily, etc. I had simply gone from one extreme to the next. Leading up to the second marathon was much of the same.
In the two winters following my marathon runs, I have run a combined total of maybe 10 miles...maybe. After each marathon, I decided to shut it down. And when I shut it down, I shut it down completely. I often joke that it's my winter hibernation. I eat whatever I want and do not even think about exercising.
It took me longer to get back on track this year with the new little addition to our family, but now that I'm back on track, I'm on board completely. I am back to eating completely healthy and exercising constantly. I'm either all in or all out. There is no middle ground for me. And that's where the problem lies.
See, what I need is some balance. I mean, I want to eat healthy and not feel guilty about having an occasional sweet. I want to take a day off from exercising (God even designed us to work six days and then rest on the seventh, so it's clear why there's value in it) without feeling guilty and like I'm a lazy sluggard. I need to find that in between. I need to know that rest is not only okay but necessary. And it's not that I don't ever take the day off to rest...it's that I feel guilty when I do.
I don't want to lose my obsessive nature in all things. After all, God has used that to draw me near to Him and into His service as a pastor. No, I don't want to lose my passion in my walk with God, but I do hope and pray that I will find this middle ground and balance when it comes to all other aspects of my life.
When I was busy gaining weight in college, I never even thought about exercise or a healthy diet. I sat my lazy butt down in my chair and played Madden. The only exceptions to this were when I hung out with friends (and for a couple of years, my girlfriend Polly Skidmore), over-reacted to a Nintendo version of Jeopardy, or investigated restricted areas around the campus. Oh yeah, and my late night McDonald's, Taco Bell, Taco Express or Andy's Frozen Custard runs. I was committed to being lazy. I was all in. Hey, gaining weight was hard work for me.
When I finally decided to change my ways and lose weight a couple of years ago, I was also all in. I barely ever ate anything for dessert, ate no junk food, exercised constantly, weighed myself daily, etc. I had simply gone from one extreme to the next. Leading up to the second marathon was much of the same.
In the two winters following my marathon runs, I have run a combined total of maybe 10 miles...maybe. After each marathon, I decided to shut it down. And when I shut it down, I shut it down completely. I often joke that it's my winter hibernation. I eat whatever I want and do not even think about exercising.
It took me longer to get back on track this year with the new little addition to our family, but now that I'm back on track, I'm on board completely. I am back to eating completely healthy and exercising constantly. I'm either all in or all out. There is no middle ground for me. And that's where the problem lies.
See, what I need is some balance. I mean, I want to eat healthy and not feel guilty about having an occasional sweet. I want to take a day off from exercising (God even designed us to work six days and then rest on the seventh, so it's clear why there's value in it) without feeling guilty and like I'm a lazy sluggard. I need to find that in between. I need to know that rest is not only okay but necessary. And it's not that I don't ever take the day off to rest...it's that I feel guilty when I do.
I don't want to lose my obsessive nature in all things. After all, God has used that to draw me near to Him and into His service as a pastor. No, I don't want to lose my passion in my walk with God, but I do hope and pray that I will find this middle ground and balance when it comes to all other aspects of my life.
Monday, July 18, 2011
every big tree started as a little seed
I'm going all out in my training for my marathon next May, so I want to make sure I enter my training in good shape. As a result, I've decided to throw some speed workouts into my regular running regiment. And what better speed workout than running hills?
I have to be honest here...I haven't "run hills" since my 2000 cross country high school season. The reason: I have never really been a fan. Having asthma doesn't help, but honestly, I'm just lazy. But, I have decided to push myself and train properly. So, I can't skip running hills.
I did my first hills workout a couple of weeks ago. Within 3/10 of a mile from my house is a 1/4 mile hill with a pretty good grade. For those of you who might not be familiar with hill workouts for runners, a 1/4 mile stretch is ideal. Running hills is pretty much what it sounds like...you run up the hill at a good pace and then jog back down. You can repeat this as often as you like. For my first one in 10 1/2 years, I opted to run the hill 3-5 times. And even though I wanted to quit after 3, I pushed through and completed the 5.
So, when I went out for my second workout last week, I was feeling pretty confident. I decided to just do the 5 again. It didn't take me very long to realize that 5 wasn't going to happen on that particular day, however. I had been doing intense workouts all week and my body was getting mad at me. I was afraid that overdoing it might be unsafe for me and could lead to over-exhaustion or injury. So, on my second trip up the hill, I decided to cap this one at 3 and run a little extra normal running after to complete my workout for the day.
Halfway up the hill the third time, I wanted to start walking. "My lungs will feel much better is I walk," I thought. There was probably some good logical truth in that thought. But thankfully the opposing thought spoke up, "You know, what you do on July 14 will impact what you will do on May 27th next year." That thought really stood out to me. After pushing through the remainder of that final hill, I contemplated that thought further. The more I chewed on the thought, the more it made sense.
Running is full of teaching moments for me. And the cool thing is that it's not always just about running. It's usually applicable to life as well. This was one of those moments for me. I mean, when expanded a little, this thought really does apply to life in general. Let's take a closer look and let me know if this makes sense to you too.
The decisions that we make today affect the decisions we will make tomorrow. This can be either good or bad. For example, if I decide to cheat on a test today, I'm more likely to cheat on my next test as well. This is what I like to call the law of depravity. The more we open ourselves up to doing something, the more we're likely to do it without even thinking about it. On the opposite side of that is this example: if I choose to live with integrity today, I'll be more likely to live with integrity tomorrow.
As I was thinking about this thought, the analogy of a tree came to mind. All big, strong trees started as tiny little seeds. If you look at a seed, it may seem quite inconsequential, but it's not. In the same way, one decision made today could seem completely inconsequential to you, but the reality is that it might turn into a big, strong tree someday. This is why every decision in our life matters, whether with regards to our jobs, school, families, faith, etc. It may seem like a simple little choice, but each choice also represents a direction that your heading.
We will all inevitably make bad choices, but even that lends to another choice: how we respond. We can also thank God for his grace that He offers us when we make choices we shouldn't. But we still have to choose to change.
I want to challenge you to take a little extra effort and time as you make your choices today and see if it doesn't benefit you more in the long run (no pun intended).
I can promise you this...I was really happy with myself for making the decision that I did the other day to keep running up that hill. That decision didn't just mean that I got a better workout on July 14th, it built character toward my marathon on May 27th as well!
I have to be honest here...I haven't "run hills" since my 2000 cross country high school season. The reason: I have never really been a fan. Having asthma doesn't help, but honestly, I'm just lazy. But, I have decided to push myself and train properly. So, I can't skip running hills.
I did my first hills workout a couple of weeks ago. Within 3/10 of a mile from my house is a 1/4 mile hill with a pretty good grade. For those of you who might not be familiar with hill workouts for runners, a 1/4 mile stretch is ideal. Running hills is pretty much what it sounds like...you run up the hill at a good pace and then jog back down. You can repeat this as often as you like. For my first one in 10 1/2 years, I opted to run the hill 3-5 times. And even though I wanted to quit after 3, I pushed through and completed the 5.
So, when I went out for my second workout last week, I was feeling pretty confident. I decided to just do the 5 again. It didn't take me very long to realize that 5 wasn't going to happen on that particular day, however. I had been doing intense workouts all week and my body was getting mad at me. I was afraid that overdoing it might be unsafe for me and could lead to over-exhaustion or injury. So, on my second trip up the hill, I decided to cap this one at 3 and run a little extra normal running after to complete my workout for the day.
Halfway up the hill the third time, I wanted to start walking. "My lungs will feel much better is I walk," I thought. There was probably some good logical truth in that thought. But thankfully the opposing thought spoke up, "You know, what you do on July 14 will impact what you will do on May 27th next year." That thought really stood out to me. After pushing through the remainder of that final hill, I contemplated that thought further. The more I chewed on the thought, the more it made sense.
Running is full of teaching moments for me. And the cool thing is that it's not always just about running. It's usually applicable to life as well. This was one of those moments for me. I mean, when expanded a little, this thought really does apply to life in general. Let's take a closer look and let me know if this makes sense to you too.
The decisions that we make today affect the decisions we will make tomorrow. This can be either good or bad. For example, if I decide to cheat on a test today, I'm more likely to cheat on my next test as well. This is what I like to call the law of depravity. The more we open ourselves up to doing something, the more we're likely to do it without even thinking about it. On the opposite side of that is this example: if I choose to live with integrity today, I'll be more likely to live with integrity tomorrow.
As I was thinking about this thought, the analogy of a tree came to mind. All big, strong trees started as tiny little seeds. If you look at a seed, it may seem quite inconsequential, but it's not. In the same way, one decision made today could seem completely inconsequential to you, but the reality is that it might turn into a big, strong tree someday. This is why every decision in our life matters, whether with regards to our jobs, school, families, faith, etc. It may seem like a simple little choice, but each choice also represents a direction that your heading.
We will all inevitably make bad choices, but even that lends to another choice: how we respond. We can also thank God for his grace that He offers us when we make choices we shouldn't. But we still have to choose to change.
I want to challenge you to take a little extra effort and time as you make your choices today and see if it doesn't benefit you more in the long run (no pun intended).
I can promise you this...I was really happy with myself for making the decision that I did the other day to keep running up that hill. That decision didn't just mean that I got a better workout on July 14th, it built character toward my marathon on May 27th as well!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
running deflated
We have three strollers for Genevieve...a travel system stroller, an umbrella stroller and a jogger. And to be completely honest, the only one I've been excited about from before she was born is the jogger. A little over a week ago, I decided it was finally time to use it.
I was so excited at the prospect. I called my wife on my way home from work and asked her to prepare the baby for her first run. I came home, changed really quickly and took the freshly sun-screened baby and headed for the door. But I had forgotten one minor detail...the tires didn't have any air in them.
Back when I assembled the jogger, I knew it would be quite some time before I would actually use it. With that knowledge in mind, I knew it would be better for me to wait to add the air, as it would deflate from sitting idle anyway. What I hadn't accounted for was that I would forgot by the time I was ready to use it.
I looked for our hand pump. It was nowhere to be found. That's right! It broke last time I inflated the tires on my bike. No big deal...our friends have one! This was true, but one slight problem, it wouldn't fit the jogger's tire. With no other solutions in mind and Genevieve's nap time creeping up on her, I decided just to go without filling the tires. We were ready to go.
I was only planning a 2.2 mile run, so no big deal anyway, right? Boy, don't I wish that were true. The reality: running with the jogger was tough. I was 2 minutes off the pace I have been running as of late. It was a challenging run (especially up the hills) that I definitely underestimated.
The other day, I took Genevieve out for her second run in the jogger. Only this time, the tires were inflated. I discovered two things: 1. running with inflated tires makes a huge difference (lowered my pace by just about a whole minute) and 2. running with a jogger is still challenging.
Regardless the challenge, I will keep running with my daughter. We have a 10k together in September, so there's not much choice anyway. But training for the 10k aside, I still want to run with Genevieve. One reason is that the added challenge will only make me stronger. The more important (and less selfish) reason, however, is that she really seems to enjoy it. She doesn't complain at all and just looks all around. I will guarantee one thing though...I'll be sure to ensure the tires are always inflated before we go.
I was so excited at the prospect. I called my wife on my way home from work and asked her to prepare the baby for her first run. I came home, changed really quickly and took the freshly sun-screened baby and headed for the door. But I had forgotten one minor detail...the tires didn't have any air in them.
Back when I assembled the jogger, I knew it would be quite some time before I would actually use it. With that knowledge in mind, I knew it would be better for me to wait to add the air, as it would deflate from sitting idle anyway. What I hadn't accounted for was that I would forgot by the time I was ready to use it.
I looked for our hand pump. It was nowhere to be found. That's right! It broke last time I inflated the tires on my bike. No big deal...our friends have one! This was true, but one slight problem, it wouldn't fit the jogger's tire. With no other solutions in mind and Genevieve's nap time creeping up on her, I decided just to go without filling the tires. We were ready to go.
I was only planning a 2.2 mile run, so no big deal anyway, right? Boy, don't I wish that were true. The reality: running with the jogger was tough. I was 2 minutes off the pace I have been running as of late. It was a challenging run (especially up the hills) that I definitely underestimated.
The other day, I took Genevieve out for her second run in the jogger. Only this time, the tires were inflated. I discovered two things: 1. running with inflated tires makes a huge difference (lowered my pace by just about a whole minute) and 2. running with a jogger is still challenging.
Regardless the challenge, I will keep running with my daughter. We have a 10k together in September, so there's not much choice anyway. But training for the 10k aside, I still want to run with Genevieve. One reason is that the added challenge will only make me stronger. The more important (and less selfish) reason, however, is that she really seems to enjoy it. She doesn't complain at all and just looks all around. I will guarantee one thing though...I'll be sure to ensure the tires are always inflated before we go.
Friday, July 15, 2011
i am a writer. i am a runner.
I am not new to writing. I am not new to running either. However, this blog is the first time I am combining these two passions. Well, at least publicly. (I journaled during a marathon training season once.) For my first post on this new blog, I thought I would share briefly about each of these passions.
I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. I have ranged from short stories to poetry to song lyrics to articles to blogging. And I love blogging. My last two blogs were polar opposites of each other. "such is life" was packed full of random musings. "in His strength. for His glory" was serious Bible studying. Each lacked good balance for me. This blog is a bit of a hybrid of the two. This blog will offer me a good forum to write about random things with a sometimes serious twist.
I fell in love with running my junior year of high school (spring of 2000). I joined the track team because a few of my friends were doing it. During tryouts I couldn't finish one lap around the track. My coach saw potential though so I made the team. I was turned into a distance runner. During my final 1600 (mile) of that season, I ran a 5:17 mile, which is still my fastest mile ever. I was the recipient of that season's Coach's Award. Unfortunately, however, I never did the work to get better. I ran all three seasons the following year. I graduated at 160 lbs (25 lbs more than my fastest mile running weight). By my sophomore year of college, my running days seemed over. Laziness took over. I went seven years before I would look to run seriously again.
In the Spring of 2009, I had finally had enough. I was 215 lbs of pure junk food eating couch potato. I decided to get back into shape. The only thing I knew I was capable of was running. So I did what most people would do...I signed up for a marathon that fall. I was down to about 175 lbs by the marathon, but I had undertrained (which may be an understatement) and had a tough time on the hilly course. My final time was just under 5:30 hours, which was disappointing, but better than not running. More than that though, I was hooked. I had fallen back in love with running. I ran another marathon in 2010 with much more consistent training leading into it. I wanted to finish between 4:00-4:20 but ended up a little under 4:30. I had still shaved over an hour off my previous pr. I also ran my first 5k since high school with a time just over 22 minutes.
With Genevieve coming in January of this year, I opted to take the year off. I took way too long to get back into the swing of running so it was the right choice. I ran the same 5k as last year with a time of nearly 3 minutes slower, but considering how out of shape I was, I can't complain. I am running a 10k with Genevieve in the jogger this Fall. The truth is, however, that I'm having marathon withdrawals. I've already decided to run the Vermont City Marathon next Memorial Day Weekend.
I've had my ups and downs in running and writing alike. But the fact remains that deep down I love them both and they have both taught me so much. With this blog, I'm hoping these two passions combined can help teach you all something too.
I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. I have ranged from short stories to poetry to song lyrics to articles to blogging. And I love blogging. My last two blogs were polar opposites of each other. "such is life" was packed full of random musings. "in His strength. for His glory" was serious Bible studying. Each lacked good balance for me. This blog is a bit of a hybrid of the two. This blog will offer me a good forum to write about random things with a sometimes serious twist.
I fell in love with running my junior year of high school (spring of 2000). I joined the track team because a few of my friends were doing it. During tryouts I couldn't finish one lap around the track. My coach saw potential though so I made the team. I was turned into a distance runner. During my final 1600 (mile) of that season, I ran a 5:17 mile, which is still my fastest mile ever. I was the recipient of that season's Coach's Award. Unfortunately, however, I never did the work to get better. I ran all three seasons the following year. I graduated at 160 lbs (25 lbs more than my fastest mile running weight). By my sophomore year of college, my running days seemed over. Laziness took over. I went seven years before I would look to run seriously again.
In the Spring of 2009, I had finally had enough. I was 215 lbs of pure junk food eating couch potato. I decided to get back into shape. The only thing I knew I was capable of was running. So I did what most people would do...I signed up for a marathon that fall. I was down to about 175 lbs by the marathon, but I had undertrained (which may be an understatement) and had a tough time on the hilly course. My final time was just under 5:30 hours, which was disappointing, but better than not running. More than that though, I was hooked. I had fallen back in love with running. I ran another marathon in 2010 with much more consistent training leading into it. I wanted to finish between 4:00-4:20 but ended up a little under 4:30. I had still shaved over an hour off my previous pr. I also ran my first 5k since high school with a time just over 22 minutes.
With Genevieve coming in January of this year, I opted to take the year off. I took way too long to get back into the swing of running so it was the right choice. I ran the same 5k as last year with a time of nearly 3 minutes slower, but considering how out of shape I was, I can't complain. I am running a 10k with Genevieve in the jogger this Fall. The truth is, however, that I'm having marathon withdrawals. I've already decided to run the Vermont City Marathon next Memorial Day Weekend.
I've had my ups and downs in running and writing alike. But the fact remains that deep down I love them both and they have both taught me so much. With this blog, I'm hoping these two passions combined can help teach you all something too.
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