Happy New Year

No run today but a quick post to say Happy New Year! As 2011 is now here I pray that in this coming year I will spend more time in prayer and learn to better live each day surrendered to God.  I claim Jeremiah 29:11-13 for my 2011 verse - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"  This is my hope and prayer for this new year.  What a great promise this holds - God has plans for me, which are hopeful.  He promises to listen to me and to be found when I seek Him... with all my heart (surrendered) 

I'll end the year with a blessing on my family and friends "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"

PS - 10-K in Gig Harbor tomorrow morning - hoping to be under 8:00 per mile avg pace

1,500 mile glide path

Hard to believe but I'm only 6-miles away from logging a total of 1,500 miles for the year.  Don't know what that looks like compared to others but it is more miles than driving from Seattle to San Diego, ok so it took me a year to do it but still - not bad I'm thinking.

Got a nice run in tonight while waiting for the ferry, although the forecast is for snow tonight and Wed, the evening was dry and mildly cold.  Got 3.5 miles (best estimate since my Garmin battery was dead) - pace felt good and the total time was 32-minutes so I'm guessing the miles conservatively.  Anyway, a good run and certainly mind clearing. 

Will register tonight for a New Year's Day 10-k in Gig Harbor - it's a fund raiser for Fire/Police and I thought this would be a great way to start off the new year.  After the run we'll grab brunch and then meander back home or to the indoor soccer fields in Bremerton where the boys will be playing in a fund raising tournament which benefits the Children of the Nations Orphanage - the boys and I have played in this for the last 6+ years, I'll do the 10-K and leave the multi-game soccer tournament to the young bucks.  A good weekend ahead and only 6-miles to go to attain 1,500

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all - celebrate the birth of our Lord & Savior.  We had a great morning with our gift exchange and enjoying a late breakfast.  The highlight gift for the kids was an Xbox Kinect with both a dance game and sports - we all played and I was rated as a "D" to "failure" in the dance game but held my own in bowling and ping-pong.  After that workout I did the real thing and got out for a 5-mile run in the neighborhood.  It was a great morning, temperature in the high 40's and dry.  Lot's of people out walking and we all exchanged holiday greetings.

As I ran I prayed and pondered.  It is really an amazing thing to think that God so loved the world that He gave His only son" and that God's perfect plan for our salvation started with a baby - I realized I have not really pondered that concept, I knew it and have accepted it but when I sit and think about the plan God used it is really amazing and all inclusive - if anyone accepts Jesus Christ as their savior and believes that he died for your sins, rose again on the third day they are forgiven and counted as sinless before God, all through the the plan that began on that first Christmas when Jesus was born.  My last thought on this run today was that God has a plan for each of us and as I meditated on my running verse found in Hebrews 12:1-2 it states that we are to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith" - if Jesus is the author of our faith that implies that He has written our faith story already and that he is providing us opportunities each day to fulfill that story through experiences that will grow our faith.  I pray that I have both the faith and courage to see those opportunities when they arise and step into them.  Merry Christmas and praise God

Christmas Tradition

Christmas traditions are great and I think we just started a new one. My sons and I ran the Kirkland 12K’s of Christmas yesterday and we had a blast. It is a highly recommended race and the 12K distance, for me, made it a bit more than just a fun run. Although 7-8 miles is a solid training run for me, getting into the race environment dials things up and I can’t seem to help pushing hard to pass the person in front of me, or catch the person on the next hill that just passed me! I was pleased overall with my time of 1:00:50 for the 7.5miles which my Garmin says was an 8:04 mpm. The first half of the course was more hilly than I expected so that was a surprise and drained me a bit, since I came out too fast expecting more of a flat course. The boys did great, and of course beat their old man by a long shot, my oldest son came in around 7:10mpm and my 17-year old son was around 7:30 mpm – well done boys. To make the day complete my wife and daughter came to cheer us on and although the forecast called for rain/snow showers that morning, we had cold but sunny weather. The ladies enjoyed the crowd, the sun, and some very warm cups of coffee and hot chocolate. After the race we headed over to Bellevue and had lunch and then shot over to the U-District to meet my nephew for coffee, we haven’t seen him in over 3-years so it was great to catch up and connect.

Father & sons

 

Resting today but have the remainder of the week off work so I’m looking forward to getting some sleep, enjoying my family, digging into the bible for some quality time in the Word and prayer, and getting some solid workouts in. My miles have slipped the last 3-weeks with long hours at the office and holiday events in the evening – I did feel that during the race, not so good. Hoping to get 35-40 miles in this week and get back on track. My wife got some fun pictures from the race – I’ll post those tonight. God has blessed me with a great family and three kids that are genuinely wonderful people and fun to be with – you know the kinda people I would want to be friends with even if they weren’t my kids – God is so good to me.



Ben going strong



Blake finishes

 










Old dog finishes at 1:00:50

New week - good start

Well - it ranined like crazy here all weekend.  Saturday was a solid rain all day and on top of a full day of meetings and events, I ended up at the gym at 7:00pm to get some treadmill work.  Got 7-miles done but was not happy to be on the treadmill - a necessary evil in my mind.

Today was absolute downpour all morning (5-inches overnight) and local flooding - even at church this morning.  A side-note, spent the first 20-minutes of the service digging a trench to drain water away from a conduit that was spilling into the building electrical room - that's a first for me!..Got home mid-day and the rain had slowed up so I got on my gear and hit the road.  Got 8.5 miles in with minimal rain and then was off to my daughter's symphony concert.  It was great to be on the on the road and actually moving somewhere with each stride I took versus Saturday on the treadmil.  Goal for the week is to get 35-miles to compensate for the lighter week just passed.  Need to factor in a rest day on Saturday though in planning for the 12-k race on the 19th.

Wet, Windy, Wednesday

It's 7:30 Wed evening and I'm just on the boat heading home - long day and a long week!  Missed the 6:20 so I though all care aside, put on the running gear and headed out in the wet and windy night.  After the day I had it felt great to get the heart rate up and some sweat going - tonight I needed some decompression.  Got 4.3 miles logged in a 33 minute run - felt really good and looking forward to a hot shower, a bowl of soup, and early to bed.

I declare God is good and is a God of power.  I had a committee meeting this morning with the Directors and it had multiple facets that could have become difficult - I was a bit concerned, well prepared but concerned none the less.  I prayed specifically for wisdom, courage, and clarity of thought this morning for myself and specific to the Director's I prayed that God would handle their mindset and emotion and that regardless of the outcome He would give me peace in knowing that I have been chosen and accepted by God through salvation in Jesus.  God answered my prayers and as I left the meeting and headed into my next meeting I was praising God for His faithfulness to me - In the book of John chapter 15 Jesus teaches us that if "we are in Christ (his own) and ask of God, He is faithful to give us what we ask for"  To clarify, God is not a vending machine but the foundation of this is that I am in Christ - I want to be more and more like Him and I want Him to be glorified through my words and deed - not for my glory but for His.  I praise God for His faithfulness and blessings which are new every day!

Tuesday rush

Well it’s Tuesday and the week is off to the races – big time. Got runs in on Sunday and a short run yesterday – nothing today. Sunday was really enjoyable as I ran with a new friend from church, a spontaneous phone call to him to see if he was free and it worked out. Met him at the high school and told him it was his call on the route and pace, I’m game for something new and different. A good run that took us out and through the Grand Forest on some trails and back – total miles here was 5.5. It rained a bit but hardly noticed as we hit the road and had some good conversation. As a solo runner usually, it took me a while to get my conversation in the flow of my breathing but did manage to get that down. We took the run at a nice easy pace, which felt good after logging 10-miles on Saturday. Once we parted company I jumped on the track at the High School and rounded out the total miles to 7 for the day – all very enjoyable and I look forward to running with Ruben again.

The “work-front” is going full power with lots going on as we gear towards the end of the year, it seems every day the stress level dials up another notch and other than some time off (which adds its own element of stress – being gone and knowing things have to get done) before Christmas work-life won’t slow down. I’m reminded more and more each day that my goals are eternal, not of this world. Yes, I want to do an excellent job in my vocation, I want to be well regarded, I want to be successful… BUT the things that are eternal all cover over the top of that – I want to have an impact on customers, team members, vendors, etc for my Lord and Savior. As Chip Ingram says, God has me in His “velvet vice” right now – not enjoyable but I do trust and have faith that the work He is doing in my life is for a greater plan and purpose. I need to rely on that knowledge and trust that He has plans to prosper me. Read in John 15 this morning the words of Christ to his disciples – very good words that “re-grounded” me in the purposes of Christ and what a promise that Jesus counts us as friends.

Saturday

It was a busy week with work and evening meetings but still managed to get some runs in, although they were short. Today (Sat) was a beautiful winter day – frost on the roads this morning but sunny and cold as the day went on. I waited until later morning to head out so the frost and ice was gone and then got a great run in – the sun was out, my son came along, and it felt good to be out and know I was not under any time constraints. Got 10-miles done in about 1:20 so the pace was ok and I just enjoyed the time and workout.


I have also been watching closely the wildfire burning in Israel and praying for the people and communities that are being threatened. My wife and I were in Israel in 2007, spending 5-days in Haifa where we were blessed by attending a Shabbat service with a messianic congregation on Mt Carmel – we got to know many people there and saw that God is working in a mighty way through the people in this congregation – please pray for Or Hacarmel (the congregation) for the safety of its members and protection of the buildings and property. Last report I read was that with the international support of air-tankers, helicopters, foam and fire retardant the government was hoping to have the fire under control by tonight – we are praying for exactly that. I am reminded of Gen 12:3 – we need to stand in the gap for Israel and bless them. God told Abraham that He would bless those that blessed him and He would curse those that curse him. Personally I want to be blessed and see God’s chosen people and His promised land blessed and protected.

Running, Family, and Shepherds

Haven’t posted all week and here it is Thursday morning – life has been very busy between God, family, work, and running. As previously posted, got a 13.5 mile run in over the weekend – Monday night I had a board meeting so didn’t have time to run but I did get quick runs in on Tues and Wed in Seattle while waiting for the ferry. Tuesday night got 4.25 miles in and Wed got 4.15 miles – short runs but I was pleased with the pace I kept on both. Tuesday night I ran an avg pace of 8:06/mile and Wed night 7:52/mile. It’s nice to see some progress in pace, especially after a slower long run on the weekend. Also, I’m now about 3-weeks out from the 12-K race the boys and I will be running – my goal is to cover the distance with an average pace under 8-minutes/mile.

Most of my recent posts have been exclusively running – other things going on right now is my oldest son is in the process of enlisting in the Marines. We are very proud of him and the fact that he is choosing to serve. Of course as parents we worry but I am convinced that God will watch over this young man. Jeremiah 29:11 declares that God “knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper, not to harm” and I claim that for my son. My second son is a Senior in High School and he too wants to go into the Marines – which we honor as well. We have asked him to take 6-12 months after graduating to either work, take some college classes or do a short term mission trip. Mostly I am asking him to take some time, seek God’s direction, and then move in that direction. So, big things going on in our house to say the least.

Finally, God has been teaching me many things – I’ve realized my time praying has been lacking, I mean really praying; speaking, waiting and listening for God. I’m reading in the gospel of John right now and recently read in john chapter 10 the “Good Shepherd” – it is a beautiful picture of the love of Christ for us but I was also struck by the sheep. Sheep will follow the voice of the Shepherd they spend time with – they follow that shepherd because they know the voice and the only way to “know a voice” is to hear it repeatedly over time. In short, I want to hear God’s voice and I need to spend the time with him so I’ll hear and know His voice. It is my heart’s desire to live within His will and plans – I’ve proven to myself too many times what a mess of things I can make when I operate in my own knowledge. God’s word promises that He will hear our prayers and He is anxious to answer and be with us. I am encouraged and believe that God has some great and exciting things in store for me – God Reigns!

On the Road Again

Finally got off the treadmill and back on the road - yipee!  On Saturday started out on the road and felt really good so I opted to go a route that would get me 13-14 miles - roads were dry but still had piles of sand and tree branches on the shoulder so I treid to map my route that would give me the least traffic and the best chance of have a shoulder to run on.  Got 13.5 miles in and although it felt good, some of the hills on the route were steep and long and they did kick my rear at certain times.  If my Garmin is correct, the total elevation "ascent" was over 3,400' so the fact that my time was slightly over 2-hours won't bruise my ego too much.  It was good to get the road miles in and to get some distance logged.

Today I'll hit the gym with some cardio and some stretching to get the kinks outs - 

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

A great Thanksgiving is now in the books! I’m starting out by letting you know that we had the BEST dinner, sorry for the rest of you but my wife really did a great job and it was wonderful. The day started a bit rough though at 7:00am hearing a loud bang in the house pipes and then realizing a pipe had burst in the freezing temps earlier this week and had finally thawed! Nothing like starting Thanksgiving morning out in the house “crawl space” trying to patch a burst pipe – all the while knowing that dinner for 11-people hinged on success of the patch. We did get it patched and got the water back on, thank goodness. After that start to the day, I did head to the gym and got a 1-hour run in on the treadmill, felt good and primed me for lots of turkey and pie!

Friday(today), we were over to Seattle for the Macy’s Christmas parade, the weather warmed to a balmy low 40’s and the rain stayed away. After the parade, in which my daughter’s jump rope team participated, we wondered around the shopping district of Seattle taking in the sounds and sites of the Christmas retail season – it was a great way to spend the day. Got home late but shot off to the gym to get another session on the treadmill – felt good and then home for leftovers.

For those that don’t know Seattle, here is a link to show you how poorly Seattle and snow mix (see my post from earlier this week) – the video is 5-minutes but has plenty to see. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZCyQ3emQg ).  Now that the ice and snow is gone, hoping to get on the roads for a run this weekend if the weather cooperates.



Much to be thankful for!

Snowed in Seattle

Winter blast or winter bummer? Wow, what a day in Seattle! Freezing temps, snow all day long… getting home is the battle right now, no running, just trying to stay warm and get the old Volvo up the hills to Bainbridge. It took me 1-hour tonight to drive 3.5 miles (office to the ferry) I left at 4:20 and was fortunate that traffic on the boat was light so I did make the 5:30 – now to make it from the ferry to my home and I’m praying we don’t lose power. Forecast calls for night temps to be down in the 20’s but with 30-40mph winds, with the wind-chill temps will be 0-10degrees. Man, last year the weekend before thanksgiving I was mowing the grass.

Over the weekend I did get some decent runs in, on Saturday I did 8.5 miles and Sunday 7.4 miles. Sunday was cold and snowy, but fortunately the snow was not sticking to the ground so the run was kinda fun, at least until my running jacket got wet and the wind hit me, making the last 3-miles actually very cold – was glad to get home and into a hot shower. The runs were good but I did realize I need some winter gear, if nothing else some running pants – can’t do 30 degrees in shorts. So I start the week with a weather cancellation on the Monday run and most likely the same on Tues. Might get to the gym tomorrow if the power is on and the roads aren’t too icey, otherwise I’ll need to make up ground on Wed before Turkey day. This is not the Seattle weather we’ve all come to know, Wow.

PS – glad I’m sitting in my car on the boat, with winds at this speed we are really rockin-n-rollin – and I’m on the lower deck.

Thursday pothole?

A cool wintery day in Seattle – forecast for white rain possible over the weekend, I’m not ready for that yet. Getting consistent, but short, runs in this week, which is better than none but still looking to get some open road and miles into the log. Last night (Wed) hit the gym for a short 30-min run on the treadmill and got in 3.6 miles. Tonight I missed the 5:30 ferry so I headed out along the waterfront, got 35-minutes in for 4.4 miles. It was dry, breezy, and crisp – a great evening to run. I’ve now actualized one of the pitfalls of running in the dark… “potholes”. So I’ve got my headlamp and feeling pretty bullet proof, all things considered, but boy did I step right into one and rolled my ankle – the first thought that crossed my mind was “ oh, snap – I’ll miss the boat now”. Kept running for a few strides and realized I had just rolled it and could keep going – next thought was this better not become an issue and knock me off the training I’m doing. Perfectly natural thoughts, I believe, to a potential injury –all within 3-seconds of each other. Should be ok though now that I’m sitting in the car it’s a bit stiff – should be fine though.

Looking forward to the weekend, working from Kitsap tomorrow so my commute is done for the week, Yeah! As we come into the Thanksgiving week it is good to give thanks – Psalms says we are “enter into His presence with praise and thanksgiving” not just on the 3rd Thur of November each year. I have much to be thankful for, I have been blessed by God and can proclaim “The Lord has assigned me my portion and my cup, He has made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Ps 16:5-6

Happy B-day

Birthday number 44 arrives! Not all bad when you consider the alternatives though!! A good day with phone calls from family and a fruit tart pie at the office. Got a run in tonight waiting for the ferry and although it was still a bit windy, it was dry and nothing like the 60+ mph winds in the area yesterday. It was really good to be out on the road along the waterfront, ships lit up on Puget Sound, City lights on the other side, really a beautiful place to run. Did 4.6 miles in 37 minutes for an 8:15 pace – felt like I was doing better, which my garmin said I was. On the outbound 2.3 miles (wind at my back) I did an 8:05 pace but coming back (head wind) I slowed to 8:25 – doesn’t matter; I’m 44 and grateful to God for lungs, legs, knees, etc that all work great and allow me to enjoy this sport.

Finally, we have friends in process (as I type) of trying to complete an adoption of a 5-year old girl in Israel. This final stage of a 2-year process has been 3-weeks of traumatic meetings and emotional swings. I sent them an email this morning and as I typed it I felt like I was preaching to myself as well. Here is the content: As I was praying for you last night the parable of the persistent widow came to mind (Luke 18:1-6) and I thought of you. As children of God we are called to be persistent in the things he has placed on our heart and since God is a God of justice we need to be like the widow – “she kept coming” and “kept coming”, etc, etc In verse 7 it says “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night… I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” - this is my prayer for you today. I was struck that this should be our prayer every day for others and ourselves – God will see that they get justice, and quickly!

Windy & Wet - arghhh

The week begins and I wimped out and went to the gym instead of fighting through the wind and rain of this Seattle November day.  Treadmill work was boaring but I livend it up by doing intervals, still boaring but it was good to get a workout in under 40-minutes

Tonight I was listening to Chip Ingram while on the "mill" and he was very good, as is usual.  His comments were a great reminder that justice is an attribute of God that we skip over way to frequently.  I loved the way Chip commented on some people's response that "if God is good how can He send people to hell" - the response is that God doesn't send anyone to hell and has no desire that any should perish - (see John 3:16) - who goes to hell choses the road, we all must deal with Jesus, on way or the other.  He also reminded the listener that those that claim Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will also face judgement but we will be judged on what we have done with the gifts, talents, resources, money, relationships, etc. He has given to us.  I long to hear my Lord say someday "well done" - I have much to do for Him in order to receive those words but I strive to glorify my God and I'm grateful that "God so loved the world."

Weekend away

A good weekend full of family and “jump rope” tournament. My daughter had a jump rope tournament in Abottsford, BC this weekend and we all went to cheer her on. The great part of this was that my wife has two sisters in Lynden, WA as well as her Mom in Abottsford, BC so we were able to stay with them and have some catch-up time. The tournament was great and my daughter did very well in the speed events almost getting a PR in the 60-sec speed with a count of 137! Wow, I think I would be passed out on the floor myself!

The boys stayed with the Uncles and enjoyed Saturday, I went to the tournament and then got a very nice run in the afternoon. I don’t know the neighborhood and City well enough to simply go and explore, but I did find a nice long road that allowed me an out-and-back route that logged 9.5-miles. Held an 8:30 pace throughout which was pretty good but I could really feel it later that evening. I’ve been getting the weekly mileage in but with the time change and other scheduling issues have missed the 10-mile runs that I got on summer weekends – well, I paid the price last night and needed to get the foot massage ball out. It also didn’t help that I’m tired and need to get more sleep each night. Well – it was a good run that I thoroughly enjoyed. Got 6-miles in tonight, back at home, on the treadmill so it was productive while on the road.

Finally, the boys and I are registered for a 12K in Kirkland in mid-December, that will be fun to do with both the boys. The race is called the “12-k’s of Christmas” and we are going to run in our “Santa hats” – if they’re not too hot.

Quick post - long day

Long day today - 7:05 ferry this morning and the 7:20 tonight...  Good day though and got a lot accomplished which always make the days worth while.  I've been meditating on a great Psalm this week - read Psalm 73, especially vs 23-28 "But as for me, it is good to be near God."

I got a decent run in tonight, almost 5-miles in 40 minutes, getting use to running in the dark with the headlight, tonights pace of 8:12 is not too bad for me!  Off the next few days so hoping the weather cooperates and I can get a couple of long runs in without time pressure.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day - take time to thank a soldier!  These are great men and women who have served our Country and defended the freedom we enjoy every day - THANK YOU all!!

Physical and Spiritual Training

This was a full and incredible weekend! Greg Laurie held a Harvest Crusade in Seattle this weekend and we attended 2/3 nights, it was really great and I’ll touch on that below. Our church, Island Church also hosted RT Kendal and we heard him Sat and Sunday morning and had a chance to meet with him Sat over lunch – if you ever get a chance to hear this man, make the effort, you will be blessed.

Between all of that I did get to the gym late on Saturday and did 30-minutes on the elliptical and 30-minutes on the treadmill and then on Sunday the sun was out so I hit the road for a quick 7-miler before catching a ferry into Seattle and that felt really good. The challenge I’ve got right now is that I’m still getting 30-miles per week in but because I’m increasing pace, I’m getting the miles in with shorter workouts and that is actually working against my weight, kind of. I say “kind of” because I’ve gotten a bit careless on what and when I’m eating, a few too many treats late at night that has resulted in 5-lbs added to my not so lean physique… my goal this week is to get back some discipline in both workout minutes and calorie intake. Nothing insurmountable but I need to get in front of it.

So a few quick comments on the Harvest Crusade (http://www.harvest.org/) – the time of worship was as close to heaven as I think we can get here on earth! To hear an arena of 15,000 plus singing praise was simply awesome. Last night Greg was speaking on hope and he had a guy named Nick Vujicic, who was born with no arms or legs, there who gave him testimony – it was really amazing to hear the hope and joy this guy has which is driven by his faith and trust in God (http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/). His testimony is powerful and I’m getting his book – Life without Limits. Greg’s messages were great and I believe many lives were touched and changed in the Seattle area by these three nights.

So a good weekend that was full of encouragement and connection. (7/1259)

Great Fall weather

We've had some increadible weather the last few days - sunny and in the high 60's.  I've been fortunate to get some good runs in along the waterfront, intentially skipped the 6:20 boat last night to get a longer run in and did around 7-miles, that felt good.  Tonight got just under 40-minutes of running in and logged 4.75 miles so I'm feeling good about the training this week. 

I have really enjoyed the new Matthew West CD "Story of your Life" http://www.matthewwest.com/ and it's been great to see, and hear, God speak though these lyrics in two (2) songs - "Strong Enough" and "One Less".  We have some dear friends that are in the final stages of adopting a young girl from Israel and the mom flew over last weekend expecting to complete paperwork and final governement interviews.  Well, to say the least it has not gone as expected with some major roadblocks thrown up - we've been praying and I would ask that you too pray for Sissi and the entire adoption process.  I've been specifically praying that God will work in a supernatural way and clear and level the path and that the Mom is encouraged and strengthened in God through the emotional roller coaster she is going through and in all this that she will stop relying on her own strength and wisdom and rest in the promises of God, that she will be be lifted up as if on the wings of eagles and will run and not grow weary - please pray along with us for this situation.

Monday rush

A short run today but an interesting one.  I left the office right at 5:00 tonight hoping to catch the 5:30 ferry and be able help moving kids between jump rope, drivers-ed, and orchestra and then reverse the drill to pick everyone up at the end.  Well it was a good plan and full of high hopes, got to the ferry fine but it was already full – so I changed into my running clothes and headed out.  What was interesting was that the guy in the car next to me did the same and after we both returned from our respective runs we chatted for a few minutes and he indicated he has been doing the “wait for the ferry run” for 15-years!  Wow, I’m not as original as I thought – what does Solomon say in the Bible; “there is nothing new under the sun”  So my run was short as I only ended up with 25-minutes to run but I did get 3-miles in and was plenty wet from the rain by the time I got back.   A good run, met someone new, and still got home in time to do the “pick-up runs” of the kids.

Running, Gutters, and spiders

A good weekend all around. Workouts consisted of 7-miles on the treadmill Saturday as the skies opened and the rain came down – literally all day. The treadmill was ok and I used the interval speeds to liven things up a bit. Today, had a great morning at church and met someone who is new at the potluck who is a runner too – looking forward to getting to know him better and maybe learn some of the track work techniques. Got home and the weather was till dry so I hit the road and got 8.5 miles in, only scattered rain but a good run.

After the run I had the privilege of cleaning gutters – man do I hate doing that! So not only am I up on a ladder 20’ plus in the air but I’m pulling slimy goop and getting the occasional leg spasm… oh the joys of homeownership in the Pacific NW. Oh yeah, also had my hand in the gutter and got bit by a spider – had this sharp pain in my little finger, thought at first it was a pine needle stuck in my hand but the pain got worse. As I was looking at my hand to see if something was stuck in it, then looking in the leaves to see what poked my, there was this little white spider, just ticked off as can be; up on his back legs with front legs waving at me as if to say “come on man, bring it on” – tough little dude! The little finger is sore and swollen but nothing too big – gutters are clean in preparation for a couple of real wet weather fronts expected this week. Need to get some extra miles in this week if I can but enjoyed the weekend.

Friday run

I've been trying to figure out for quite some time how to get a lunchtime run in at work since we don't have a shower at the office.  I've seen the "runner wipes" and thought that unscented baby wipes would be cheaper and do the same thing so I've been carrying them in my gym bag hoping to give it a try.  Well, today was a beautiful day and the forcast for the weekend is nasty/rainy so I thought I would give it a go and take advantage of the sunshine.  (note: I did go later in the afternoon in the event the experiment failed-didn't want my co-workers to suffer!)  So I headed out in Poulsbo and quickly learned how steep Lincoln Rd really is, wow that's a hill!  Got a bit over 5-miles in over the 40-minute workout and felt really good, the last couple of hours at the office were very productive, it is a good thing to re-oxygenate the blood stream.  So a good experiment and a good run on a great fall afternoon.

We met some dear friends for dinner tonight who I hadn't seen in a really long time and they are very Godly people that are a joy to be with.  I was encouraged and blessed by them and hopefully they were blessed too.  Need to get some good mileage in this weekend but will get the gutters cleaned and spend some good time with the family.

Running in the dark

I can tell I truly have the “running bug” – although my wife would say she could have told you that 1-year ago! So over the weekend the weather was really foul so I opted to go to the gym to get some miles done on the treadmill, been doing that for a long time but this trip to the treadmill was different… I thought I was going to go crazy running in place. I listened to two podcasts of Chip Ingram, great messages and helpful to engage my mind but still I ran for 50-minutes and never go anywhere!!

So off to the running store I go, talked to the folks there and I came away with a “headlamp” and safety vest. Now most aren’t familiar with the roads of Bainbridge Island but two points clarify the challenge I face; (1) no street lights and (2) no sidewalks and limited shoulders. So in the daylight in can be dicey enough on many of the roads but add in the dark and I told the sales guy, I want to be lit up like a Christmas tree. Ok, so we didn’t go that far but the headlamp and safety vest were deemed to be a good choice. So tonight I got home at 6:45 and put on the new gear for a “run in the dark”. I was really surprised, the headlight gave plenty of light to see the road and any hazards (branches, potholes, roots, etc) as well as serving as a light for oncoming traffic. The safety vest must have been very visable as many cars slowed way down 50+ yards in front of me as the driver was trying to figure out what the heck was on the road, as they got closer they realized, Wow it’s an old guy running in the dark! So I’m pretty pumped that the gear worked so well, I look forward to getting many more night runs in during the fall and winter. The interesting notes from the “first run in the dark” were that it was hard to judge pace, my field of vision was limited to about 10’ and no peripheral vision, trail running was hard to see small rocks and roots in the leaves (fortunately my 5-mile route only has about 100-yards of trail), and finally I’ve got to adjust the headband – kept it tight to hold it in place but could feel my head pounding towards the end of the run – yes a bit too tight. In closing, would give the night running experience a solid “two thumbs up”

Week recap & Fog

A good weekend and an extra day to enjoy, taking Monday off – yipeee! Because of work schedule and family meetings my last run was Tuesday and I was anxious to get on the road this weekend. Actually the stress load had gotten to me and I woke up Sat with very tight shoulders and a headache. Worked on getting the headache gone and hit the road early afternoon. It was rainy but I enjoyed being out and put in 10-miles, it felt great. Today (Sun) did another 7-miles in a mix of rain and sun – don’t mind the rain anymore, just enjoy being out and running. After a great morning in Church I had lots to think and pray about so it was a good run all around. Tomorrow my son and I are heading to the running store, he needs shoes and I’m getting a head-lamp so I can run in the dark, looking forward to a morning with him.

Riding the ferry to work Thursday morning, the sky was brightening with the sunrise and as the ferry turned out of Eagle Harbor I found we were running parallel to a low fog bank – I could see the sunrise in the East  over the top of the fog but the ferry was running 50yds outside the fog bank, to get to my destination I knew we needed to turn into it, if we didn’t turn into it and fully commit, we would not have gotten to the destination –So, I wondered, if I was driving the boat would I be worried or cautious about going into the fog or anticipatory with the mystery and wonder? The thought came to me that my comfort place would likely be where I could see the sky, what lies in front of me, and the life around me, not in the fog bank. In the fog bank the world around me disappears and I am fully engulfed in the presence of the fog – at that point my progress becomes dependant on tools, not my sight or my instincts. I recalled that when God led Israel He was a cloud by day – once I pictured the fog as an image of God it became very inviting and the thought of being totally “enveloped” by the fog/God was wonderful. The fog limits my vision but God has given me the compass/radar to Navigate safely – the bible and his Holy Spirit – if I trust in both of those I am promised that I will get to my destination safely. This was just a great reminder to me of how God loves us so much, He uses simple things like a fog bank to drive my thoughts back to Him and His faithfulness (by the way, once the ferry got over to Seattle it was sunny and clear, a beautiful morning reflecting the gift of a new day and the goodness of God.)

A new week = new opportunity

After a couple of decent runs this weekend (8.4 on Sat and 9.0 on Sun) back to the work routine and a shorter run tonight - felt good and got 4-miles in on another beautiful evening in Seattle.  Only a couple of weeks left before the time change and I'll be running in the dark or hitting the treadmill in the gymn each day - so I'm grateful for the nice evenings we've been having and will take everyone that's given!

I was thinking this morning that each day is so packed full of opportunity but I rarely chose to see it that way.  All to often the focus of my day is on what needs to get done/accomplished and who I need to meet with.  Yes, that is all true and important but each task I need to complete and each person I meet with is an opportunity as well... they could be "divine appointments" if we chose to view them that way.  Is there a word of encouragement, a word of wisdom, a listening ear, a testimony that can be offered in each meeting?  When I go into the day and each meetings with that frame of mind it is amazing how my perspective shifts - it really moves away from what "I need or want" to "what can I do for this other person" - food for thought, it certainly was for me.

Father & Son Run

What a great day it was! A beautiful fall day with the sun shining but a briskness in the air that is nothing but Autumn. It was cool with a high in the low 50’s so a perfect running day for me. Started the morning walking to the coffee shop with my wife and then down to the beach to talk and pray together, a very peaceful place to be and much needed time together before our God.

As I’ve mentioned before, my second son is a senior in High School and since we homeschool he has opted for a running program for his PE credits this year. Our Bellingham races were the first test, he passed the 5K with flying colors so now needed to start pushing up his mileage in preparation for the next “exam”, a 10K. I wanted to get some decent miles in and had decided on a route that would provide 8 – 9.5 miles in total. I asked my son if he wanted to come and to my pleasant surprise he said, “sure”. He has done a max of 5.5 miles before so this was going to be a good stretch and test for him which he of course passed with flying colors. The last mile of almost any of my “neighborhood routes” is a 1-mile hill that is a 200’ climb in elevation. So 7.5 miles in I’m plodding up that hill and my son takes off at easily 1-minute per mile faster pace (yes, he asked “if I was ok with him going on ahead”-ohh to be 17 again but I appreciated him asking!) and he finished strong and well ahead of me. It was a great run, enjoyed doing it with my son, we had a perfect day to be together, it couldn’t have been better (except me being able to keep pace with him at the end, dream on huh?)

After the run we headed over to Silverdale to upgrade his phone (the highlight of the day for him I’m sure), spend time waving political signs for credit in his US Government class, get the oil changed in the car, and then watch my other son play in indoor soccer game. So a full and very enjoyable day.

End of the week run

After a very full week I headed out of the office at 4:30 in hopes of making the 5:30 ferry - no such luck, still ended up on the 6:20.  It did allow for a run and after taking Thur off, I felt great and had a very nice run.  Did 5-miles at an 8:06 pace, very good for me and I'm pleased to have put 4-training sessions together all under 8:10/mile.  The evening was very brisk which I enjoyed, actually cool enough that I ran in a light jacket - I do like the cooler temps and will keep that in mind for the spring marathon my son and I are targeting.  Looking forward to the weekend and getting a couple of longer runs in.

Missing the long run & blessings

Well, I've partially answered my question from my post yesterday - how can I run faster and increase my pace?  Answer: Go too far out on my evening run and have to race the ferry to the dock!  So I now also understand "negative splits" 8:10 pace for 2-miles going out, then 7:58 and 7:50 for the 2-miles coming back - wow, what a run.

So glad to be getting the sanity-runs in and I'm happy I've been able to enjoy the good weather in the evenings, according to the forecast that is about to change for the worse.  I have missed the longer runs this week though and hope to get a 10-12 mile run in over the weekend if time permits.  Thankful for a healthy body that allows me to run - it's these things that we take for granted each day but I was reminded tonight as I ran past a young women pushing a friend along the waterfront in a wheelchair, we each have much to be thankful for each day, often it is being aware of the blessings that we are lacking, not blessings themselves.  The wisdom of the old church hymn "count your blessings, count them one by one, count your blessing see what God has done..."

October Sky

So I need to find out how much of a pace “swing” other people have when they run a hilly course versus flat. Last night I ran in the neighborhood, and it is hilly. I ran 5-miles in 44 minutes so that worked out to an 8:54/mile pace, certainly nothing to write home about. Tonight I ran in Seattle, very flat along the waterfront, and got a bit over 4-miles done in about 33-minutes resulting in an 8:11/mile pace. So, moving from hills to flat cut 43-seconds per mile off, wow. I must be doing something wrong on running hills, which is every time I run on Bainbridge!

Now that I’ve ranted – tonight was a good run, sunny in Seattle and a perfect October coolness in the air. Lots of people out along the waterfront enjoying the evening and preparing to watch the sun set over the Sound and the Olympic Mtns – it was a beautiful sunset. I was reminded of the Psalm I read this morning that was a prayer of “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Ps 51:10) – this would be a good prayer to start each day with.

Family visit weekend

Had a great weekend with my parents who were in town for the weekend. It was great to have them with us and I am reminded how blessed I am to have parents like this. They genuinely love us and care about what we are doing, how we are doing, and most importantly are praying daily for each of us – what a great example they are of my Heavenly Father who is “interceding” on my behalf all the time!
Did get some running in this weekend although Sat was in the gym and on the treadmill. Did manage to get 30-miles in last week and started this week off with a solid 9-mile run during the afternoon on Sunday. That run felt really good and I could have kept going so I know now that I’m recovered from the race. What is interesting to me though is that my pace does seem to be 15-20 seconds off earlier training times, I need to research that a bit and see if that’s normal or something to focus on. Getting home early today so I’m looking forward to a run on the Island before dark.

Finally, I need to share and proclaim a miracle! A local Seattle Christian radio personalty’s wife had a massive heart attack in mid-July. I was praying for her and sent the husband an email proclaiming God’s protection and specifically seeking a complete healing and restoration of her heart and I know many others in the Seattle area were praying the same way. Well they found out last week that the recent tests are the heart shows no damage nor any scar tissue on the heart – AMEN to that and praise God for this miracle!! I suggest reading Psalm 40:10 to understand why I am posting this but I will again say that God is good and He gets all the praise and glory for restoring this woman’s heart!!

Fall in Seattle

What a great evening this was in Seattle – sunny, mid 60’s temp – a perfect evening for a run! Got a quick 4.5 miles tonight waiting for the ferry, I know I’ve said this before but what a perfect way to de-compress from a busy day. This is the first run in 10-days that kinda felt normal, which is great. Quickly fell into my stride and held an 8:20 pace, not fast but comfortable, got the heart rate up and just felt like I was “in the groove”!

As I ran I reflected on God’s faithfulness. This morning I had a 3-hr meeting that I was very anxious about, a mental marathon, and I was praying for clarity of both word and thought. Although the meeting was very tense and not easy by any stretch of the imagination, it did go well and God was faithful, giving me clarity and wisdom – even to the point of when to hold my tongue, thank you God for your faithfulness. I was further reminded of this in a debrief with a friend on a difficult meeting he had today as well, I had been praying for both him and the employee he was addressing and God positively directed their conversation as well. What a great assurance that God is not only interest in our Salvation (not only… poor choice in words as this is paramount and eternal) but also in our daily activity and work. In Jeremiah He promises that He “knows the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you” and I was also reminded that we are promised in the Holy Spirit that He will put the words into our mouths if we are seeking Him and asking for direction – we must be listening though, right? So a good end to a hard day but I am grateful to God for His grace and faithfulness.

Half Marathon - completed!

It’s official – I’ve now completed 13.1 in a race. Lots of thoughts and comments on it but first want to comment on how well the event was organized – recommend the race to anyone that is considering it next year. The race started right on time, parking was easy, lots of staff and volunteers, etc. Now I’m not a veteran racer but it would be hard to imagine an event that could go better.

So race day; we woke up to a good steady rain in Lynden, where we spent the night with family, but by the time we got to Bellingham that rain had stopped and had transitioned into a typical WA mist… by race time though it was dry and the rain generally held off through the entire race. The course was relatively flat (by Bainbridge Island standards) but had some extended hills around mile 4”ish” and then a few at the end that felt bigger than they were. A highlight was around the 11 mile mark where we ran along an elevated pier out over the water – that was cool.

Results were ok – missed my revised goal of finishing in the mid-to high 1:40’s with a completion time of 1:52 and an average pace of 8:29. Not bad but leaves lots of room to improve in the future. Oh yeah, one highlight I missed above was a Dad that ran pushing his handicapped son – the crowds cheering for him almost brought a tear to my eyes (literally) – it was really cool to see this guy cruising (yes he passed me) pushing a large jogger and hearing the people along the route cheer him on – really great. www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/09/23/1634612/bellingham-bay-marathon-father.html

Finally, my 17-year old son also raced in the 5-k; his first race too. He had a blast and finished 3rd in his age group at 22-minutes and a pace just over 7-min/mile; oh to be 17 again!!!  It was a fun run and weekend made all the more special by being with my son and daughter (didn’t race but had fun hangin with her cousin). Now back to the local roads, work out some of the tightness, and see about improving my pace!

Rest Day(s)

Taking today as an off-day to begin the "pre-race" rest period - if time permits I'll try and get a light workout in tomorrow evening but want to make sure I'm feeling rested for the weekend race.  We have a bit of a "bug" going around the house and my son has it now but is still focused on doing the 5-K on Sunday.  Now I'm hoping I miss the bug all together - that would be a real dissapointment after all the preparation and mental "hype" I've put myself through.  Did get a short run in yesterday (Wed) waiting for the ferry, 3.5 miles so I've logged in 20-miles week-to-date which should set me up for Sunday...I hope.

One final thought I will post is that I was convicted earlier this week about all my focus, energy, excitement, and thoughts on the upcoming race - why don't I have that same level of expectation in my walk with God?  Each day is a new race with it's individual challenges, opportunities, and hurdles.  If I spend the same amount of time and energy preparing for each coming day with God, the way I do for this race, what would my life look like?  I'll answer that it would look very different, I do spend time each day in God's word and praying, but honestly, not to the same extent that I do in any of my training runs.  Just as I set aside time on the weekend to get my "long run" in and  commit 2-hours of time to the run, why do I struggle doing the same time in prayer and seeking God - I know for a fact my week will look different if I was committed to setting that time aside on a Sunday afternoon or evening.

Well, it is good to prepare and train - both physically and spiritually, in  I Timothy 4:8 the apostle Paul even says that exactly, BUT he does emphasize that the latter is more important than the former.  So food for thought for all of us...

Great Day

4-days and counting to the “big day”, my first Half! I’m pretty sure I’m not doing this “taper thing” right but I don’t want to go into the race without some training miles for the week under my belt. So for better or worse I did 3.5 miles last night on the treadmill in 25 minutes – my thinking was to get some intensity (yes, all things are relevant and that pace is ‘intense’ for me) while still getting the workout. I also did 25-minutes on the elliptical so not a bad workout for that day.

Today (Tues) was just too beautiful a day not to run – skipped the 6:20 ferry for a nice run in the sun along the waterfront – pace felt good, legs felt good, and got 6.5 miles at an 8:19 pace – if I can do the race on Sunday at that pace, which feel is do’ able, I’ll be happy. That aside, wow! What a beautiful evening and a great reminder that when the weather is good in Seattle, the weather is GREAT in Seattle.

Much blogging these days on the runs and build up to the race but God is doing some great things in my life and in my family – we are really blessed. I continue to pray for wisdom and perseverance in my walk with God and He remains so very faithful to me each and every day. A quick example, yesterday morning I was prompted to call and pray for my wife during my ferry ride into the office – I called her and prayed with/for her, some relationships she is working through, and her day with homeschooling our kids. It was good but God had a real blessing in mind for both of us – about an hour later she called at the office to say that they had just read a chapter in their morning book and it had confirmed and affirmed what I had prayed for her. Some might say, hey – what a great coincidence – NOT ME, God is faithful in meeting our needs and I know that He prompted me to call her and pray with her knowing that these words would be confirmed for her shortly thereafter. He is a good God and he “knows the plans He has for you/me” – we are just blessed to be able to participate in His plans when we are obedient to his directions and promptings.

Had a good finish to the week with some treadmill work on both Thursday evening and Friday at lunch. Friday I was working on this side of the pond and had time between meetings to hit the gym versus eating lunch and got 50-minutes of running in for 6-miles. Doing those mid-day runs sure helps my productivity the rest of the afternoon! Saturday ended up being sunny and humid versus the forecasted rain so I hit the roads in the morning and got 5.5 miles in – I did my 5-mile loop in reverse and added a bit but was amazed at the different workout it provided. Total elevation didn’t change but the hills I typically go down are steeper and shorter than the ones I usually run up – really did change the feel of the workout. Today, got 8-miles in on the Island with only a little rain drizzle, overall a cooler and less humid day so the run felt good – it helped to mentally knock these runs out feeling strong at the end of each - good preparation, I think for my first ever Half next weekend. Starting to get a bit nervous and although I’ve told myself it’s not about the time, I just want to finish, I’m still looking for a sub-1:45 in the back of my mind. It will help next Saturday to drive the route and see what the elevation changes look like.

Church was really good this morning with the message from James 4:1-10 – overall the message was on conflict and I was reminded that conflict stems from competing desires; either between people, countries, or even within myself. James reminds us that we are called to seek after God and His desires become our desires as we grow and mature in our relationship with him. If God’s desires become my desires and other believers have God’s desires as their own, conflict goes away – we still have personal preferences and opinions but conflict should be mitigated. It was a very good reminder to me that I need to seek God, always, and pursue the desires He has. Well, it was a good weekend and ready for the week.

Cool/Wet Running

So I can’t tell you how good it feels to be back on the road and getting some miles logged! After my “bummer run” on Sunday I took Mon and Tue off completely and was determined to get back in the routine today. All was looking good until about 3:30 when I look out the window and the clouds had rolled into Seattle and the drizzle rain started coming down – hmm, great excuse to skip today, plus I’m late getting away from the office and I don’t want to hit the gym and do treadmill work… So I fought the "evil wimp" and made up my mind to run, rain or dry at the ferry – boy I’m glad I did. Put on a rain jacket, left the iPod in the gym bag and headed out and it was a great run in the rain, really just a good generic Seattle drizzle with spouts of rain! Got 7.5 miles done in 1- hour so my pace was good and I felt really strong at the end (actually ended up chasing the ferry back so my last mile was the 3rd fastest split). That’s where the only bummer comes in – missed the 7:20 boat so I had to sit in the car, wet and stinky, for the 8:10. Makes for a late night and I miss the time at home with the family but a good run today and I’m mentally back in the game for the Sept 26th race.

Parting comment – I admit I’m a bit of a fair/dry weather runner, which is really hard to do in Seattle in the winter, but I get my “weekday winter miles” done at the gym on the treadmill and do road work on the weekends. That being said – I really enjoyed the peacefulness of the rain tonight – still lots of bikes and runners out but there was just a prevailing “calmness” in the city with the rain, it was very enjoyable. I think I’ll do more of this.

Weekend woe's

Today was a bummer of a run. After getting a good 8.5-miles in on Saturday I headed out this afternoon shooting to get 10+ miles in since it was a sunny afternoon and the Seahawks appeared to have the game under control. I arranged for my wife to pick me up at my Poulsbo office and headed out for the run. I knew I was in trouble early as I just didn’t feel “in synch” but thought I would push through it and get the miles down. I got to the bridge and was feeling pretty tired and at the 7.5 mile mark, my wife went driving past with a quick “honk-n-wave” – I waved and then quickly adapted and changed the "wave" to a “flag down” hoping she was looking in the rear view mirror. She kept on going so I stepped back up and headed down the road another ½-mile when I saw her car coming back towards me, oh happy day! I gave up the ghost at that point which was 8-miles, well shy of what would have been an 11.3 mile run. Don’t know what the issue was, too much lunch, not hydrated, etc, etc but it was a deflating run. I guess that happens and 8-miles was better than 0-miles but it shook my confidence a bit leading up to my first Half Marathon in 2-weeks.

I’ll rest tomorrow and then get back into the drill – I also think I’ve over-trained and not balanced my work with too much straight running and not enough rest days. I’ll dial that in over the next couple of weeks and hope to get the Half done in 1:45 or less.

Rest tomorrow as we get to meet a dear friend for dinner here on the Island. God bless and may the wind be at your back!

Back at work & Seattle evening runs

Back in the saddle at work, it is good to be back and even better to have been missed (consider the alternative). Lot’s to do and the rapid pace does not take long to get back into but it is a great group of people I have been blessed to work with. Got Seattle runs in both yesterday and today. Only had 30-minutes for each but did 3.66 miles on Tues (8:18 pace) and 4.05 today (7:58 pace) – not bad for an old guy that is still working out the kinks from Sunday’s 13.1 mile run.

I’ll also briefly share, hoping it encourages others, that last week I ended up in a bit of a “funk” or some would say slight depression – don’t know why but I was there none the less. It was really great to see God’s faithfulness in drawing me back to Him. I went to the gym Monday to do a light workout on the elliptical and while doing that I listened to Chip Ingram, a podcast from early August – He spoke on depression and Psalm 77; it is a great reminder that we all hit “low points” in our lives and that a promise from God is that if we “willfully” seek to draw near to Him, even when we don’t feel like it, He is there. The Psalm also directs us to “remember” (verses 10-12) the things He has done for me. It actually walks us through the steps of (1) think. (2) remember the deeds, (3) remember your miracles, (4)meditate on your works, and (5) consider all your mighty deeds. I did actually walk through these and when I was done it was really clear that I have a big God who is more than able to handle my “big problems/concerns” – I need to trust and have faith. My God is able to exceedingly more than I can imagine when I trust and act in faith.

1,000 miles logged!!

Wow, hard to believe that in 8-months I’ve now logged over 1000 training miles!! I’ve now registered for the Bellingham Half-Marathon so I thought I would get a long run in on Sunday afternoon. When I left the house I thought maybe 9-10 miles but as I got going I thought, I bet I can do 13 miles in under 2-hours. The only other time I’ve run 13-miles was back in February and I was over 2-hours so the weather was good and the afternoon schedule clear so I went for it. Completed 13.1 in 1:53, which is slightly over an 8:35 pace – for me that was pretty good. My goal for Bellingham in 3-weeks will be to finish under 1:45. I was a bit sore and tired that evening but woke up this morning feeling pretty good so I've got my goal for the race on 9/26/10

Jumping back to the 1,000 mile marker. I think to myself that if that had been a goal in January, it may have been overwhelming. Not because I couldn’t math it up and break it down into manageable pieces but that is a lot of miles at 5-8 miles per run. This ties back to my Hebrews 12:1-2 verse (I have it as a daily reminder on my “RoadId” bracelet) that we are to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..” I’m reminded that when we fix our eyes on eternal things and approach each day with diligence and perseverance the bigger issues are accomplished and attained by being faithful in the smaller, daily, things. Large goals, or long-term plans, are reduced in size and don’t seem so overwhelming when my eyes are fixed on my Lord and Savior Jesus. I realize this is really simple, big deal, you ran 1,000 miles so far – I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is a great reminder to me to be diligent and obedient in what today holds -yes plan for the future but execute well the plan for today.

Vacation is a good thing!

Well, I’m certainly enjoying the second week of vacation. This week of vacation is at home spending time with the kids and friends over coffee – a pretty good life if you ask me!

Today the boys and I went out for opening day of grouse season, we had a blast (literally). No birds to cook for dinner but the weather was great, we flushed 7-birds and missed them all, but it was a good day together and we did get to shoot the guns, although we were all behind the bird every time, a bit rusty. Here are a couple of pictures that captured the day.

It is impossible to be out on a day like today and not be thankful to God, my heavenly father. His creation is so spectacular, from the rising sun to the fog nestled in the valleys it cried out His love for us and that He wants good things for His children and He wants us to enjoy the pleasures he has created and given to us. I think the greatest reminder that I saw today in His creation is that He is really big – much bigger than I frequently invision Him and the really wonderful thing is that this really big God is really, really interested in me. He hears my prayers, He hears my cry to Him, and He answers and speaks to me – that is just awesome.

I did get home and then got to the gym with my daughter. Logged 3.5 miles on the treadmill which helped loosen up my legs from all the hiking, and the n the 2-hour drive home. I was really surprised by the workout from the hiking, packing 10-15lbs (guns, boots, ammo, vest, etc) on rocky and un-even abandoned logging roads for 6-hours, I was really tired and it was hard to get those 3.5 miles done. Hoping to get a good long run in either tomorrow or Fri and then start to get dialed in for the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon on the 26th.

Oregon Coast Vacation

We had great week away at Cannon Beach and the conference center. Dr. Palau was wonderful and spoke on Jonah and Paul; “The Reluctant Prophet and the Joyful Apostle”. A great compare and contrast between these two men and a reminder that God’s plans will not be thwarted, we can choose to participate and be joyful or we can resist and find our lives full of “belly of the fish” experiences – I know what I want. I’ll take joy in chains over rebellion and the belly of a big fish!! With these messages I felt a great renewal within my spirit and a confirmation of God’s love, acceptance, and joy in me as His son, if I can stay focused on that and not let the troubles of this world overcome me (parable of the Sower Matt 13:1-23) I can move and rest in the power of God and the promises He has given – TO ME!

Workouts were as great as I had hoped. The weather was incredible, better than we’ve seen in the last 7-years! Got over 40-miles in during the week and although I ate way too much, and generally not real healthy (too much ice cream and “Bruce’s Candy”), the running kept me sane! The first day I got up early at 6:00am and ran at low tide, this opened the beach up forever so I did 9-miles on the beach which was fantastic. Day-2 I dropped to 7-miles on the beach but later that day I had some “twinges” in the bottom of my feet that made me nervous over plantar fasciitis which hammered me last year (see my July 30, 2010 post for a bit more detail). The rest of the week I ran the roads which felt good and also provided some “hill” work but I did miss running the beach and marveling at the beautiful setting. I had to soak the beach up walking and watching the kid’s skim-board and wave-jumping – also not too tough of duty, but hey someone’s got to do it!

A good vacation away and looking forward to this week at home getting some “honey-do” list tackled and enjoying being around the house with the kids. Here are a few pic’s of my two favorite ladies on the beach.

Stress release

Nice to have a very full day done, complete, in-the book, etc, etc! I don’t know if it’s Murphy’s Law or what but things just always seem to get “nuts” before you go on vacation. A combination of trying to get everything organized and completed, if possible, is kinda like pushing string uphill with a fork! Ok – done with my pity party  I’m blessed and glad to have a great job that is challenging, provides an opportunity to work with some really great people, and is for a company that operates with integrity.

So the stress was building all day and was firmly settled into my shoulders providing the beginnings of a tough “stress headache” by the time I left. Got away a bit before 6:00 so was pretty sure I wasn’t going to make the 6:20 – I was right. So went for a nice run and got 7.5 miles in. Like last night, a beautiful evening and got to enjoy running the waterfront. Unknown to me, this weekend is “hemp-fest” and they were setting up the booths for about 1.5 miles of the waterfront park – oh yea, that’s worth pondering…. Some people, were already celebrating according to my nose – What a sad commentary on our society today that people feel the need to celebrate a substance that dulls the senses and emotions – I guess it’s the escapism that makes this attractive to some people. On the other hand, there is so much in life that we should want to experience in to the fullest – good food, God’s creation, friends, wonderful music, etc – why do we need to dull that? As I ran through the area I prayed for the people that would be attending the event – specifically that they would realize they are trying to fill a void that can only be filled by God.

A complete and full day – a good run, and looking forward to a good evening. Finally, noticing I’m edging closer to 1,000 miles since the first of the year. I’ve been running for 4+ years but that would be a first for me.

Cool(er) Running

So I’ve now confirmed I run so much better in temperatures below 80 degrees! Caught the 6:20 ferry tonight and got home for a run in the neighborhood – temp was around 70 at that time, the sun was getting low and it was a beautiful evening. Thanks to my Garmin, I started a wandering run and enjoyed every minute of it. Ended up getting a 1-hour run completed for 7-miles and just beat the dark in returning home. Now that was a rude awakening, I’m not ready for fall yet and shorter days mean Fall is around the corner!


Still debating on whether to go for the full Marathon or the Half in Bellingham on Sept 26th – I know I can knock out the 13.1, if I did it I would be going for a time of 1:45 or under. I’ve never run either but my son and I are putting a race calendar together for the coming school year that we want to culminate with a Marathon, it would be great to do a “first” together. It is also his senior of high school so we might look for one that would be fun to travel as a bit of a Grad present. So, as I type I’m talking myself out of the marathon and focusing on a Half. In the meantime we’ll be building the race calendar over the next week and I’ll add it to the site.

Two days to go until we head out for vacation in Cannon Beach, OR – looking forward to the down time together with my family and just being able to relax. Hoping the weather will be decent for walks on the beach with my wife, long runs, good food, and a good book!

Image via Wikipedia

Weekend in review

Running on the weekends is certainly my favorite – little to no time pressure allowing me to lengthen or shorten my run as the urge hits me. Saturday morning was a nice run, shorter after my high heat, 8+ mile run on Friday afternoon, but still very enjoyable before the day got too hot. Did a 5-mile loop in the neighborhood which has a great stretch along the water offering a spectacular view of Seattle and Mt Rainier, before hitting the 1.25 mile uphill slog. Ended the run at our neighborhood feed store/general store/nursery/coffee shop (Bay Hay & Feed) where I met my wife for a cup of coffee while sitting in the shade of the garden in the nursery. This is such a great spot to sit, talk, and see people from around the Island. I believe this is one of the best spots and places on Bainbridge!

Sunday was a cooker – I wimped out and did my workout in the gym but got 7-miles on the treadmill (in the AC) to start off the weeks mileage. Enjoyed this further because my son and daughter came and all three of us were lined up on the "never ending loop machines"! Hey they serve a purpose but it’s rare that I’m on the treadmill due to heat, usually it’s darkness or rain. Well, a good weekend all around and got some good workouts in. Short run today (Mon in Seattle) while waiting for the boat. Only had 30 minutes but got 3.7 miles logged and that took the edge off from the day.

Early start to the weekend!

An incredible day today in the great Northwest, sunny and temps in the upper-80's,!  Took the afternoon off from work to enjoy more of the weekend (and get a jump on the ferry traffic).  Got down to the ferry at around 1:00 and the line was already backed up, BIG TIME - so got the car in line and went for a run.  I knew I had a 2-boat wait so I got a decent run in along the waterfront and then into the Inter-bay area, got 8.5 miles in.  I did underestimate the heat though and didn't take any water, big mistake.  The last mile there are a variety of sidewalk cafe's I run past and I was almost to the point of stopping to ask for a glass of water.  Don't know how that would have gone over with the waiters but it was a very attractive idea at the time.  Made it back to the car without the water stop and got some fluids in me just fine but I don't think I'll forget next time!  Had plenty of time to cool down before finally catching the boat - the 3:00 which left at 3:30....

Feeling good now and ready to settle into the weekend

21st Wedding Anniversary!

A quick note for the day to celebrate 21-years of marriage to the most wonderful woman in the world.  I have been truly blessed to have this lady in my life over the last 21-years plus the 2-years we dated!  She has brought much joy, happiness, and encouragement into my life and has been both loving and forgiving in many ways.  Thank you God for giving me such a wonderful friend, help-mate, partner and wife.

NOTE: since I'm in a marriage mindset a book recommendation is Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas - a must read.  Also, if you've read or heard Gary speak he is wonderful.  He will be speaking at Island Church on Bainbridge Island in October- more to come on that or check out the calander at http://www.islandchurch.org/

Long Day

Ok -so last night I blew it!  Was going to balance the workout at the gym but ended up running the whole time on the treadmil.  Got 7-miles in and the hip felt better but still pushed a bit too far I think, it was a touch sore this morning.  To compound it, had a 5-hour meeting today so I was pretty stiff after that.  So tonight, a short workout on the eliptical and then home.  The kids are all off to their respective youth groups so it will give me a bit of time with my lovely bride to catch up.

 Lots of "life" going on right now and boy am I tired.  The runs and workouts are a sanity check and balance but I'm in serious need of some R&R which is coming, just not fast enough.  It's too easy these days to simply put my head down and plow through work, instead I'm being convicted that I'm called to the workplace to be "light" and to steward the people and assets God has brought under my influence.  I like the way I heard one man say it "I don't manage people, I manage peoples hearts"  Everyone has dreams, hopes, goals, objectives, fears, and concerns - all of which stem from their heart.  As a Christ follower, I need to be most concerned with the heart of the people that work for me and with me - realistically behaviour and work product will follow suit if I can lead by "managing their hearts".  Isn't that what Christ did as he ministered here on earth?  Yes there was teaching and practicle examples but ultimately He was speaking to, instructing into, and touching the hearts of those that came to Him.  Easy to say but I am praying the words of the Brandon Heath song which says "give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see, everything that I keep missing,...give me your heart for for humanity" - don't know if I could truly handle that, but I will trust that He will give me a soft heart and eyes that see.

New Week - new opportunity

Made the 6:20 tonight and will hit the gym for a balance of treadmill work and eliptical.  Appear to have pin-pointed the muscle strain, its actually in my hip and I was shown a great stretch for this yesterday.  I could immediately feel the muscle stretch so I think I've got the right area focused on.  I'll continue to hit the gym until it feels better.  Maybe a run on the roads mid-week and then see how that feels before getting a long run in over the weekend.

Also looking forward to some vacation time at the end of the month.  We have a week planned at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast and I love the runs along the beach there, so peaceful and relaxing - just have to make sure I don't push my mileage too far since that was when the plantar faciatis started last year.  I significantly bumped my miles (hey I was on vacation and had plenty of time for long runs, not needing to "squeeze" a run in) coupled with running on the wet sand supposedly was a bad mix.  We get to hear Dr. Palau (sp?) this week and we are all looking forward to the week with him and his family, they are great people and his teaching is great.  For now though, got to continue focusing on the job at hand - almost forgot; my daughter got her braces off today after 2-years of wearing them, she in anxious for me to see and I'm excited to see how they look.  (she's most excited about getting to eat salt-water taffy on vacation, while I'm most excited about finally having all 3 of the kids done with the orthodontist - yippeee)

Rainy weekend

Friday and Saturday had me in the gym for some cross training and lighter workouts.  I've developed a small "strain" in my upper thigh / hip that I can run through but is very uncomfortable, especially the first 3-minutes of my runs.  So, hit the gym and got some work done on the eliptical and some light running on the treadmill - my hope is to keep the cardio going but give the legs and joints a bit of rest.

Today my 13- year old daughter joined me at the gym and we worked the machines side-by-side, it was fun to be together and share the workout.  I commented in an earlier post that my 17-year old son is starting to run a bit now too.  He will be going into his senior year of High School and since we homeschool we talked about his PE requirement being filled through running this coming year.  We will pick 3-5 races through the school year, each progressively longer.  The "final exam" of either a Half or full Marathon is still under review but this will be a lot of fun and if we get the races picked in August we'll have the goals mapped out.  I think he is excited about this and I'm honored that he wants to do this together.  Being a father is a real blessing and helps me get greater insight into the father-heart of God, just as I get real joy from my child wanting to spend time and be with me, I see how God enjoys and finds His joy when I spend time with Him; reading His word and praying - I'm reminded of 1Timothy 4:8 which says "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Friends - old and new

Had nice evening meeting our new neighbors.  My wife invited the neighborhood over for an evening "ice cream social" to meet the new neighbors.  She has such a gift of making people feel welcome and is always very thoughtful this way.  I was reminded as everyone left how great it is to be in community with nice people, and we do have very nice neighbors.  What struck me later was that during my run tonight in Seattle I was thanking God for all the great people He has brought into my life,  if we would each take 40-minutes, or 5-miles, and consider the people we know and then think back on how and when the connection happened, it's really easy to see the hand of God in many of those relationships.  God's provision for each of us is all inclusive, but I tend to focus more frequently on the tangible provisions/needs and lose track of the emotional and spirit directed provision He is also providing each day through Godly friends.

Both the boys said they ran today so we may have something going here after the Torchlight 8-k.  I'll look around and see if there is a 5-k sometime soon that all three of us can participate in.  This will now give me the opportunity to be outrun by both my sons - I guess it's a Dad thing to be fully OK getting outrun by others (but only if there my boys!)

A good day!

Days like this are why we chose to live in the great Northwest!!  What a beautiful day and a great 7.75 mile run along the waterfront to cap it off and burn time until the 7:20 boat.  Still a little stiff from the race this weekend, not used to the pace I kept and now I pay for it.  That said, tonight was good - a steady 8:22/mile pace with a slight cooling breeze off the water and  a very manageable 78 degrees.

I feel very blessed these days.  God is working in wonderful ways in my life, I am learning to pay attention - it's amazing what He does every day that frequently I miss simply because I'm not looking for it.  Have you ever stopped to think about all the people that have come into your life or may simply cross your path each day?  When we ask God to give us His heart, His eyes, and His hands we will start to see things different - a real time example was Monday.  I had run up to Costco to pick up a few things and grab a "cheap & quick lunch" and was heading back to the office.  As I pulled into a parking space I notice flashing lights behind me that happened to be attached to a State Patrol car!  Wow, I'm quickly trying to recall if I was speeding, missed a stopping completely at the stop sign... what?   Ends up I had forgotten to put my seat belt on and that was my crime.  In short, as the officer s back in his car with my license, registration, and insurance it came to me to pray for this guy - when he came back with my $124 ticket, I took it and then thanked him for serving the community and I told him I appreciate what he does.  No, I was not trying to "suck up " and get out of the ticket, I had already taken it and told him "I understand the ticket".  It was interesting to see the officer try and process my comment, he was polite but it was clear he was caught off guard.  I did chuckle at times the rest of the day when I thought about what he must have thought.  I'm sure it had some positive impact on him in some way - I guess what I'm trying to say is that God enjoys making us happy and providing nice surprises or words of encouragement to us but do we stop to notice and if we do notice are we thankful.  Thanks for hearing me out -  It's good to be in the presence of the Living God who wants good things for each of us, He doesn't change, we just need to watch more closely

Weekend Events

A great evening on Sat running the Seafair 8-k with my son. I was happy with my time 38:30 / 7:45-pace (official race results - Garmin showed a bit faster time), more to comment on that. On the flip side, my son did a 6:48 mile and didn't train at all - well done Blake! The whole family came over to cheer us on and then we had a celebration dinner at Red Robin. A great evening all around with some good pictures to remember.

One of the things that strikes me is the significant improvement in my pace/time in a race environment vs routine training. The energy and excitement coupled with being surrounded by people with the same interest and passion often brings out the best in us, in any circumstance. In this instance I realized I focus on what I'm doing, don't get distracted or weighted down, simply concentrate on the task at hand and push hard - in one sense I play off the strength and pace of those around me. It is a lot like our walk with Christ and being part of the church. We are called to be of "one mind in the things of Christ" and I'm struck with Hebrews 12:1 which says "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles..". This is very much like what it means to be a Christian and part of the church - we should all be encouraging each other, the strong/mature pulling and motivating the others along, all the way down the line. We as people are not meant to operate alone, we thrive and grow in community, be it the church or a race, and that is how God has created and designed the world. A great picture and one that should be an encouragement to all of us.