This winter has been brutal.
There have been so many days I’ve wanted to go outside and run, but couldn’t because of the weather.
I know what some of you are thinking – suck it up and put on a coat. Well, I do that when the roads are not sheets of ice. I’ve fallen recently, and have no desire to put myself out of commission like that again.
So I’ve been on forced hiatus. Continue reading “#HalforBust – Just Do Something”
I am at my best physically when I am faithful in my running. I love the various aspects of being a runner – the health benefits, the gadgets and gear, the effect on my stamina and state of mind, getting outside. But my faithfulness wavered for a while when the weather turned cold.
Bottom line: I think I need a goal. Continue reading “#HalforBust”
I like to listen to podcasts of sermons during my morning run. It is the only time where I can listen with enough focus, and also when I desperately want to tune out the sound of me breathing.
Yesterday morning, I listened to Francis Chan preaching from Revelation. Francis is one of my favorite preachers, but opportunities to hear him are rare since he left Cornerstone, the church he planted in Simi Valley, California. But Cornerstone recently put his Revelation series in their podcast archive.
He preached on what Heaven is like.
As believers, I don’t think we ponder Heaven enough. It is a very real place, and is important to talk about.
At about the 27 minute mark, he talked about going outside, and said something very thoughtful about it…
Satan wants us surrounded by drywall.
He said that, as we spend time indoors, we constantly see man-made things, and admire what man can do. People see a video game and marvel at how real it looks. They vacation in Vegas and marvel at the hotels that put images of the sky on their ceilings, when they could just as easily go outside and look at the actual sky.
Admittedly, I’m just as guilty as most. But I do enjoy running outside, so much so that I don’t think I could go back to running on a track or treadmill. In addition to the exercise, it gives me the opportunity to breathe unfiltered air and see with non-fluorescent light.
When I was a kid, our house had a retaining wall in the front yard, about three feet high. It was my favorite spot in the world. I would go out and lay on that wall for hours, looking up at the stars. I would pray. Think kid thoughts. And WONDER.
I think we are losing that. So much has been discovered. There is so much that is known. We forget just how big God is, and how amazing He is.
As I continue my course as a runner, I am endeavoring to learn more about technique, fitness, nutrition, and the science of running. I am trying to read more about it, and as I do, I continue to find that many of the truths about running are applicable to everyday.
For instance, the other day, I read that the tendency for many runners is to look down while they run, While this may be perceived as a means of concentration, it actually results in contracted breathing. It is recommended for runners to look to the horizon in order to maintain good air flow, and as a way to stay motivated. Continue reading “Fitness With Apps – Eyes on the Horizon”
As I progress as a runner, I am learning that a good amount of my time is spent on injury management. Running really isn’t about whether or not you will get hurt… it’s about how badly you’ll hurt and what you do to push through it.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I recently had a birthday. Brian Regan once said that, once you reach a certain age, when you injure yourself, you pretty much need to get used to that pain in perpetuity. In the same vein, Matt Chandler once mentioned that it is actually possible to hurt yourself while sleeping. Continue reading “Stretching Out Spiritually for a Long Distance, Enduring Faith”
In my last post, I shared some pictures from my first 5K race.
Let me begin this post with the answer the question that no one has specifically asked, but that I have a feeling may be resonating in the #NoCamo readership…
Why are you talking about this so much?
Glad you asked. Or didn’t. Anyway, here’s three reasons… Continue reading “#5Korbust – Final Thoughts”
As promised, here are pics from my first ever 5K, the Midsummer Night’s Run 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky…
The walk from our parking place.
Water!
The line to get our shirts.
More runners getting ready.
Got my number on and I’m ready to go!
My friend, Jason Lail, and I just after finishing.
Lots of folks.
More folks.
And still more folks.
And more.
Where I thought about stopping for a post-race meal.
Where I actually stopped for a post-race meal.
Ran the race, got the t-shirt.
Next post: my reflections on the experience.
Well, my first 5K race is this evening. As I’ve written before, I am running in the Midsummer Night’s Run in Lexington, Kentucky this evening. I’m excited! I have been looking forward to this race ever since I decided to do it.
I’m not looking to win the thing. but I doubt I’ll be last, either. I’m just thankful that I am able to run. Please pray I have a fun, injury-free night! I’ll post pictures Monday.
As the day draws near to my first ever 5K race, I am getting nervous. And I’m not really sure why.
I have never been… well… fast. Ever. I was a slow runner as a kid, an artsy teen, and an obese young adult. Not fast.
I know in my head that I’m not “racing” in a couple of weeks, but I do know that I will be around a few hundred others that are. And though I’m in this 5K as an expression of my commitment to better health and stewardship of my body, I want to do well.
But is that prideful? I don’t mean for it to be. Continue reading “#5Korbust – Nervous and Not Sure Why”
I had something of a breakthrough in my 5K training today (check out the other Fitness with Apps posts here and here).
I’ve been semi-laid-up all week. Had the makings of a cold. Whenever I get a cold, it settles right on my throat and I can’t talk for a week. Since I spend my work day talking, I couldn’t really afford to be sick, so I’ve taken it easy for a few days, and that includes no running. As I am starting to feel better, I planned to run this morning.
And then it happened. Continue reading “Fitness with Apps Part 3 – Desire”
Not a Camouflaged Soul 