Back to Blogging

Well, 2012 has not been off to a good start for my blogging career but other than my lack of posting, there are plenty of events that have kept me busy.  Son shipping out to Navy Boot Camp and then graduating last month, another son shipping out to Boot Camp in mid-May, daughter finishing her freshman year in HS, bank being acquired and merged, started a Run for God Class at our church... so just a few things to keep busy with!

With all that going on I've still been running and getting decent miles down.  My next race is 2-weeks away, running the Snoqualmie, WA Half on 5/5, training has been a bit light but got a decent 11-mile run in last weekend with a good time of 8:03mpm - that would be great to hit at the race.  The course is flat so if I do things right in the next couple of weeks I could have a shot at a new PR for 13.1 - we'll see.

On the running front I'm having the most fun with starting a Run for God class in our church.  The program is a 5-K challenge and is geared to move runners from the couch to the finish line in 12-weeks.  We have about 30 runners in the class, none of whom are runners and an age range of 6 to 65!  The program is designed for both the physical training but also has a book and class time so we can study and see the correlation between our physical conditioning and our spiritual condition.  This element is the piece that most inspired me to start this - I've posted in the past that my running has been a great venue to meet and talk with God - my prayers are less distracted and for some reason I can hear Him speak more clearly on the road - I know it's not Him, it's me but in the solitude of a run, my mind is less cluttered and I can praise, worship and pray.

Posting will get better - praying for my family, my church, the people I work with, ... just got a call re: a friend who I've learned tried to end his life this afternoon, please pray for Mark and his family, no details so just please join me in praying.

Not lost just busy

Wow, what a year and it's only early March.  I'll update more this weekend

Happy New Year

Here we are on the last day of 2011 - what a year it has been.  5-funerals, 2-weddings, 2-powerful Hineni events, son graduating high school and going into the Navy with a SWICK contract, my bank being sold and merged, 6-running races, and completed my first marathon... pretty full year.

I know I haven't posted thoughts yet on the marathon race/training but wanted to get a quick post on the race I did on 12/18/11 with all my kids - the Kirkland, WA 12-K's of Christmas.  The boys and I ran the 12K and my daughter ran the 5K, it was a fun morning and great to have a true family event.  (Alyson is the official family photographer).  It was "PR's" all around for the guys;  Blake ran a 7:02mpm, Ben ran 7:21mpm, and I ran a 7:44mpm over the 7.5-mile course - we celebrated with lunch at Red Mill Burger in Ballard!  Here is a pre-race picture of the family.

The guys ran in these blue shirts which are Run to Remember - a living memorial to the soldiers who are currently serving or have lost their lives in service of our Country http://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/  With both the boys going into the service it was a great way to honor those that are serving.  Also of note, the back of the shirts list the names of soldiers lost from joint-base Lewis/McChord here in Tacoma - on the back of the shirt is the name of Joe White, a family friend of Alyson and the kids from their home school group who lost his life in Iraq two years ago.

In closing, a book recommendation to close out the year, two thumbs up here and a highly recommend;