The 9:24 Project

90

2012-01-31T09:58:00.006-06:00

1:
Tue-CS: Rabbit hops finished me off. Skipped most pushups.

2:
Wed-CX: Skipped several vinyasas, and wrapped up with the squat run at the end. Flexibility low and stamina even lower.

3:
Thu-SA: Sloppy form, no bonus round, no ARX. Lots of progress to be made.

4:
Fri-YX: How much do I hate yoga? Let me count the ways! Horton loves it, though. It's in every week of the program. I bonked in 20 minutes this time around.

1/31/12: 217.7

Finished

2010-12-31T09:33:00.004-06:00

Day 365 of The Bible in One Year:

2 Chronicles 36:23 - "'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: '"The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up."'"

Malachi 4:6 - "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

And with those passages (also the finishing of the 2nd readings of Revelation and John) comes the end of my first complete reading of the Bible. Did I understand it all? No. But, I figure it's not my last chance. It'll be Day 1 again tomorrow.

2011

2010-12-21T12:12:00.003-06:00

Who's that guy?

It's fitness guru Tony Horton. AKA the guy who makes me look silly in front of my TV on a semi-regular basis. There are 12 months in 2011. Can I use 3 of them to do the guy's full 90-day plan? We'll see.

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Day ??? of My Pop-Free Existence: Did I really try to do this in 2010? lol

Day 355 of The Bible in One Year: It gets harder to do this when I'm not busy. Sounds weird, right? The fact is, I'm taking about a 3-week vacation over the holidays this year, and it's gotten infinitely more difficult to be productive during this time, and more difficult to even maintain my daily disciplines. I'm looking forward to being back to work again. Sick as that sounds.

Nearly there.

2010-11-27T15:12:00.005-06:00

Day 331 of The Bible in One Year: Reading 1 Chronicles and Micah for the very first time. Re-reading 1 Peter and Luke. Looking forward to doing this again next year.

Encouragement, anyone?

2010-03-17T13:50:00.002-05:00

I was shopping for a card the other day. It was for the general purpose of encouragement, thinking of you, etc. So I moseyed over into the massive card section at a local store. I looked for the encouragement section, and started getting flustered! Birthdays here...anniversaries there...congratulations there...thank yous over there...where was encouragement? I looked and looked, and at last, spotted two cards or so in the miniscule encouragement section, that certainly both left something to be desired.

So I kept wandering, and eventually found myself in the Christian section. Whew! Encouragement cards were everywhere, and I settled upon my choice.

What is it that's so special about being part of Christ's family? "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Day 74 of My Pop-Free Existence: I'm experimenting with a mixed fruit smoothie the next couple of weeks. Peaches, pineapple, strawberry, and mango all crowded in there with the banana and other staples. It's pretty good!

Day 76 of The Bible in One Year: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." -Proverbs 4:23

Second Chances

2010-03-08T09:41:00.007-06:00

This is Mom and Dad right after the 2nd Annual Shamrock Shuffle on Saturday. It was Mom's first Shuffle. Don't they look great?

As for me, there was a relatively small field (around 75 or so), so I finished higher than I ever thought I would. I was 13th overall, with a time of 26:10. I can't help imagining what would've transpired had I been in top form on this day, running in the 20s. I might have been able to win this thing! But alas, that's for another year. I'll take today's time as a great debut to a season.

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Day 64 of My Pop-Free Existence: 2 Dr. Peppers while watching KU embarrass MU on Senior Day. I've gotten to where I'm not really depending on pop, so that I can now enjoy the occasional pop on the weekends. Perhaps splurging every now and then will be more effective than a full-stop, in the long run.

Day 66 of The Bible in One Year: I'm right in the heart of Exodus right now. It's amazing to me how forgetful the Israelites are of God's goodness. Less than 3 days after God miraculously parts the Red Sea and destroys their Egyptian pursuers in the process, they're already grumbling against the Lord again, wishing they were back in bondage! Seriously, does that seem absurd?

Well, sure it does...until I remember that I tend to sometimes forget God's goodness in much less than 3 days. Heck, sometimes only 15 minutes have passed since He's demonstrated His power to me, and I've already forgotten about it. I'm a lot like those Israelite grumblers sometimes. It's good to know that God continued to give the Israelites second chances in Scripture, and that He'll do the same for me.

Limeades

2010-03-02T08:53:00.003-06:00

Day 59 of My Pop-Free Existence: Do strawberry limeades count as pop? ... I'm gonna go with no. I cannot do without strawberry limeades with the fam after a rough day.

Saturday's workout: 5 miles, 48 minutes.

Monday's workout: 3 miles, 30 minutes.

A Long Obedience...

2010-02-25T13:52:00.005-06:00

...in the Same Direction:

(Last week)
Monday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Wednesday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Saturday's workout: 5 miles, 51 minutes

(This week)
Monday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Wednesday's workout: 3 miles, 29 minutes

Day 56 of My Pop-Free Existence: Still rolling...
Day 56 of The Bible in One Year: Still an unbelievable blessing...

(Post title borrowed from the title of Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society.)

Play To Win

2010-02-18T08:07:00.005-06:00

Herm Edwards is a former NFL football coach most known for his speech where he boldly declared: "You play to win the game!"

As much as we football-types like to make fun of Herm for this, I think there is a bit of truth there. Let's stick with football a second. One of the most frustrating things about some football games is watching your team get ahead by doing all of the right things: being aggressive, executing well, and making plays...and then watching them stumble late in the game by becoming tentative. We've given that phenomenon a name in football fan circles: "Playing not to lose." And what usually ends up happening? Your team loses, not necessarily because they're not better, but because they lost their swagger. It's terrible to watch.

Some days, I find myself not being that assertive, proactive type of person that I know God made me to be. Rather, I become a passive, excuse-laden guy who is "playing not to lose." Today, I stand on 2 Timothy 1:7 (YLT): "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Uphill Both Ways!

2010-02-14T18:04:00.002-06:00

Friday’s workout: Just your basic 3-miler after a rough day. Finished it off by hitting 6 free throws in a row. Not nearly my record (34), but it’ll do for now. 3 miles, 33 min.

Saturday’s workout: Official training start for the River Run 10-K. Weekend long run, so I set out to try 5 miles. Started at 10-minute pace, and was already gassed at 2.5. So I slowed to 12-minute pace, and decided at mile 3 that I’d keep going until I fell over. It was right about then that I glanced down at the “2%” that was flashing across my treadmill’s dial every so often. It took me that long to realize: I was going on a 2% grade the whole time. Uphill. Naturally, that motivated me even more. I kicked it back up to 10-minute pace after mile 4. I’ll never forget the feeling I had at mile 4.13, with David Crowder roaring in my ears, “There is no one like you…” I realized it for the first time all day: “I’m going to make it!” 5 miles, 55 min.

I don’t really put a whole lot of stock into the caloric readouts on the treadmills I use. But still, doesn’t 818 sound like a lot of calories burned?

Joseph

2010-02-12T08:30:00.003-06:00

Day 43 of The Bible in One Year: Joseph might be my favorite character in the Bible. He was hated, betrayed, sold, deceived, sold out...and yet the Lord gave him success in all that he did, wherever he was. His attitude toward God never changed from its child-like naivete, as if to say, "How could I even think of doing wrong against God?" God rewards him greatly in the end, and gives him a chance to bless those who had betrayed him earlier in his life.

We generally consider child-like obedience a bad thing in our culture. I think we should reconsider.

An Exercise in Simplicity

2010-02-09T08:58:00.010-06:00

Day 40 of My Pop-Free Existence:

6-8 oz. filtered water
6 oz. natural plain yogurt
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup frozen blueberries (pictured) or strawberries or oranges or whatever you fancy
1 banana
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil (optional, and I'm out of this right now)

Nothing fancy...just a bunch of fruit and a bunch of protein that's 10 minutes, start to finish. It begs the question: "Why haven't I been doing this all along?"

Good, Better, and...

2010-02-05T11:55:00.014-06:00

I've really got to work on the whole Monday thing. When I worked out on Saturday, I felt like R. Kelly. "I believe I can fly..."

And on Monday? I felt a little more like Weird Al Yankovic, circa 1987:

Monday's workout: 2 miles, 22 min.

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Day 34 of The Bible in One Year: I started Job today. Not sure I'm ready to have my life thrown into the harsh perspective that Job offers whenever I read it, but it's next!

Day 36 of My Pop-Free Existence: Smoothies...these are good. I need to ridiscover them this weekend. I'm a staple guy, so I'll toss a banana and some natural plain yogurt in every one, combined with either fresh strawberries, blueberries, or even mandarin oranges. Vanilla protein powder tops it off, and some flax oil for Omega-3s. 10 minutes, start to finish. What am I waiting for?

Cliffhangers

2010-01-31T09:50:00.004-06:00

Saturday's workout: Like night and day. I was full of energy, and felt my body saying it could have gone even longer and even faster than it did. Years of experience told me to call it good with what I'd planned. 3.11 miles (5 km), 33 minutes

Click here for a link to the Shamrock Shuffle entry form. It's my next race of the year.

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Day 31 of My Pop-Free Existence: My energy level is returning. My former "need" for pop is disappearing. Rapidly.

Day 31 of The Bible in One Year: I'm just finishing the book of Esther. I haven't read it in a long time, so there have been multiple cliffhangers in the process of reading this book only one chapter per day! I may or may not have cheated at least once in this book, by reading the next day's chapter ahead of time...

And...we're back!

2010-01-25T18:18:00.004-06:00

Monday's workout: 25 days off + a busy gym + an unfamiliar (and dead) iPod + 3.5 hours of sleep = a long, ugly evening on the treadmill. 2 miles, 22 min.

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Day 25 of My Pop-Free Existence: One of the coolest finds of 2010 for me comes in the form of my new favorite pop substitute...

I got a 174.

2010-01-24T22:58:00.003-06:00

Day 21 of The Bible in One Year: The reading of names in genealogies can tend to get a little mundane. That is, until you reach a verse like Genesis 22:21. That's what you named your boys...really?!?

Day 22 of My Pop-Free Existence: I drank a Dr. Pepper while bowling, marking my first pop of the year. But it was for a good cause.

The Brutal Truth

2010-01-20T13:06:00.005-06:00

The numbers don't lie. Ouch! I mean, 8.3% bone mass?!? Come on!

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Day 14 of The Bible in One Year: ...the first day I blew it, and didn't get my reading in. The good news? 1. I'd already been to Bible study at 6:30 that morning. 2. It created an opportunity for an unusually rich Friday in the Word--which I seized as I made up the ground, in addition to my regular reading.

New Mills

2010-01-07T18:24:00.004-06:00

The 24-hour fitness center at my new home. Starting tomorrow.

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Day 7 of The Bible in One Year: The words of Jesus in the beatitudes in Matthew still convict me after all these years. Amazing.

Square One

2010-01-05T21:17:00.003-06:00

And...here we go again.

Don't get me wrong, I look good. It's just...*sigh*

Maybe I can make it to the 10-K level by River Run time this year. Just maybe.

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Day 5 of My Pop-Free Existence: I drank sugar-free lemonade today. Maybe that's like people chewing gum when they're trying to quit smoking.

2009 Bank of America River Run

2009-05-10T00:22:00.008-05:00

Saturday's workout: 2 mi. run

Bank of America River Run, Wichita, KS

21:33, about 10:45 pace

The home stretch...

2009-05-07T14:04:00.004-05:00

Tuesday's workout: 2 mi. run
Wednesday's workout: 1.5 mi. run

We've almost arrived. The River Run is only days away, and I've completed my final workouts leading up to the race. It's been awesome to see my running redevelop in my life, and I'm hoping that it's here to stay.

I've enjoyed sharing this journey with you guys who have been faithfully reading, and with those of you guys just "popping in" for a visit.

The blog will be complete with a River Run post this weekend. Thanks for hanging around, and I'll see you again if new inspiration arrives...

Feel free to keep in touch! Click here to email me.

Jason

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Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24

"I do believe; Help me overcome my unbelief!"
Luke 9:24b

Yep, I still lost two pounds!

2009-05-04T12:54:00.006-05:00

Monday weigh-in: 187 lbs. (-2)

Sunday's workout: 2 mi. run

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:
Jason: 4
Lindsay: 5
(9 weeks completed)

I know. Life's not fair when Jason does one run all week, eats an entire Idaho Nacho (pictured) and Jason's Deli baked potato over the weekend...and still loses two pounds. It's good to be a guy.

Three Generations

2009-04-30T08:48:00.006-05:00

In this photograph, you are looking at the past, the present, and the future.

The past: The Asics Kayano 11, the first top-of-the-line running shoes I ever purchased. I bought these in the spring of 2005, during training for my first marathon, and they carried me through all three marathons that I ran in the 11-month span from May 2005 to April 2006.

The present: The Asics Kayano 12, the successor to the previous shoes. I bought these to replace the old ones, as I was far past due. However, this also occurred just as I moved to Wichita, and saw my whole running life turn upside down. I gave up the sport for nearly three years, until I began running again in December 2008.

The future: The Asics Cumulus 10. During my most recent running, I started to develop serious shin pain, even after the initial start-up pains. This got so intense that I have been on about two weeks of (forced) rest to heal my shins. During this time, I reevaluated my choice of footwear, and through an intense analysis of my stride by some running experts, and careful examination of all choices available for my foot, I chose this new model to better suit my stride.

(For anyone interested, here's the breakdown: 1. My old shoes were too small, causing my feet to tense up and put extra pressure on my shins. 2. My old shoes provided massive arch support...which I do not need, due to my pronation tendencies and high arches. The extra arch support exacerbated my leg problems. 3. My shoes had aged for 3 years, causing the foam in the soles to harden up. 4. There were too stinkin' many miles on the old shoes!)

So, if you're a GR junkie (and I know you're out there!), this is the best explanation for my nearly-two-week hiatus from posting to this blog. I'll be back at it this weekend and next week, looking to make a mighty push toward the Bank of America River Run, where I will have my dad and many of my friends running 2 miles with me.

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No workouts this week.

Monday weigh-in: 189 lbs. (+1)

No Biggest Loser results available this week.

"Help me overcome..."

2009-04-20T13:53:00.003-05:00

"21 Jesus asked the boy's father, 'How long has be been like this?' (possessed by a demon) 'From childhood,' he answered. 22 'It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'

23 '"If you can"?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'

24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'"

Luke 9:21-24 (NIV, parenthesis added by me)

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There is a new 9:24 in my life these days. You're looking at it right here. The father of a possessed boy seeks healing from Jesus, and realizes that it's not that he doesn't believe in Jesus, it's that he suffers from the same fallen nature that the rest of humanity does. He acknowledges his unbelief, and asks for help to overcome this unbelief.

Doubt and unbelief are real emotions that take hold of us from time to time. But are they really signs that our faith is weak? I'd say this passage tells us that the opposite can be true if we simply realize that we, as humans, are prone to disbelief! We need help to continue believing what we know to be true, and that's that Jesus is capable of everything he says he can do.

In this passage, Jesus orders the demon from the boy's body immediately after the boy's father asks for help with his unbelief. 1 John 3:21-22 says, "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."

It is Jesus' desire to give me what I ask for. I need only approach him with confidence, and not with the debilitating self-doubt that the enemy continuously whispers into my heart.

It feels pretty freeing to rediscover this stuff today.

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Saturday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Link4Life 5K, Wichita, KS

26:17, 8:27 pace

Monday weigh-in: 188 lbs. (+2)

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason: 2

Lindsay: 7

Shaun: 28

(7 weeks completed)

Look at 'em go! 9 combined pounds lost for Shaun and Lindsay this week. As for me? I'm in neutral, and fighting off a slight leg injury that's had me on the shelf for about five days, minus the race--another vast improvement over my previous best time this year (over 2 minutes faster than my Shamrock Shuffle 5K performance). I'm not giving up. It's a long time until September!

Yum.

2009-04-13T14:10:00.002-05:00

Monday weigh-in: 186 lbs. (+1)

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:
Jason: 4
Lindsay: 1
Shaun: 25
(6 weeks completed)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T09:18:00.005-05:00

Greetings everyone, and I hope Easter has been a weekend of relaxation and reflection on the love of a Savior that gave all He had for us, even when we were still (and are still) sinners.

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Saturday's workout: 6.22 mi. run

Easter Sun Run, Wichita, KS

52:39, 8:22 pace

Pictured above is our crew that ran the races, left to right, back to front: Kevin, Brandon, Shane, Jennifer, Janel, myself, and Allen. Kevin, Brandon, and I ran the 10-K (I took 3rd amongst us!), and Shane, Allen, Jennifer, and Janel ran the 2-mile race. Jennifer and Janel both set personal records. Not pictured is Nathan Newby, who WON the 25-29 age group in the 10-K race. (His time was down in the low 30s.) I'm convinced he snuck away when it was time for the picture!

Great day for a run, and it was a blast hanging with all of the competitors.

Thanks, Matt.

2009-04-08T18:24:00.008-05:00

"I don't want to go through the motions,

I don't want to live one more day

Without your all-consuming passion inside of me.

I don't want to spend my whole life asking,

'What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?'"

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Tuesday's workout: 3 mi. run

Wednesday's workout: 35 min. tempo run

Thursday's workout: 3 mi. run

Song: Matthew West, The Motions

Forcing myself...

2009-04-06T12:44:00.001-05:00

"If you [really] love me, you will keep (obey) my commands." -John 14:15 (Amp.)

What is love when the emotion is gone?

The answer: it's a decision. This verse does not talk about a feeling. This verse talks about the things you do to demonstrate how you feel. It talks about obedience.

You see, the last few weeks have (privately) brought me such frustration that the last thing I have felt like doing is obeying. It's taken me places I didn't want to go, and made me ask questions that I did not want to ask. This verse even convicts me about how much I actually love the Lord.

I think of a scene from A Beautiful Mind, the brilliant film based on the life of Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, played by Russell Crowe. His wife, Alicia, is played by Jennifer Connelly in the film. She goes for a walk with a friend and work associate of Dr. Nash, Richard Sol. John suffers from severe schizophrenia, and Sol checks up on how they're doing. The scene plays out like this:

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Sol: So, Alicia, how are you holding up?

Alicia: Well, the delusions have passed. They're saying with medication, and low-stress environment...

Sol: No...I mean, how are you?

(pause)

Alicia: I think often what I feel...is obligation. Or guilt, over wanting to leave. Rage...against John, against God. But...then I look at him, and I force myself to see the man that I married. And he becomes that man. He's transformed into someone that I love. And I'm transformed into someone that loves him. It's not all the time, but...it's enough.

Sol: I think John is a very lucky man, Alicia.

---

I love this movie. It speaks of love more faithfully than most Hollywood films ever could. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you rent it, and watch the things Alicia sacrifices, and the things Alicia does for her love for her husband, Dr. Nash. Alicia shows us in this scene, that love is about more than feeling like it. Love is a decision, and sometimes, a transformation.

These days, I end up forcing myself to see Jesus as I once did, and honor Him with my actions. Then I'm transformed into someone that loves Him. It's not all the time, but...it's enough.

Bringing back the Bible verse: I decide to love Jesus, even when I don't feel like it, and so I will obey His commands. Period.

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Thursday's workout: 3.16 mi. run

Saturday's workout: 6.01 mi. run

Monday weigh-in: 185 lbs. (-1)

Lowest weight: 181 lbs.

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason: 5 (+1)

Lindsay: 6 (-1)

Shaun: 25 (+2)

(5 weeks completed...positive numbers are pounds lost)

It was a bit of an odd week for all of us. But it's a long contest!

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Has this ever happened to you?

2009-04-01T11:26:00.002-05:00

5:45 a.m. - "Grrrgrgrrrrgrrgrgr...humph!" (zzz)

5:54 a.m. - "Man...it's too early! And I'm cold!" (zzz)

6:03 a.m. - "Is it really still dark outside?" It was. (zzz)

6:12 a.m. - (zzz)

6:21 a.m. - "It's getting kind of late..." (zzz)

6:30 a.m. - "There is no WAY I'm getting up and running today!"

Then, I got up and went.

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Wednesday's workout: 3.09 mi. run in Ashland, KS

Blown away!

2009-03-30T19:59:00.003-05:00

Before we get to the scoreboard tonight, I have a few words.

I'm a very competitive person. I hate to lose. Even if it's a friendly game of cards with people I love, I can still get bent out of shape if I'm not playing competitively.

Which is why I'm confused about my current happiness.

As you will see later in the Biggest Loser scores, I'm getting blown away right now. But, as I said, I'm happy about this. I think I'm going to try to explain. I think my happiness is less of an emotion now than it is a decision. You see, if I'm losing the race...that means that someone that I'm competing against is winning. And in this case, I'm competing against people I love. So, like playing against a sibling at tennis, you can't really be all that upset that you're losing, because it means that someone you care about is getting their due! In fact, I've seen several people connected to this blog (and not connected to this blog) do better than me in things...and it energizes me! Some examples:

- My dad: he picked up his running habits while I was still marathoning. But he then continued his running while I had quit for 3 years and gained my weight. He's the instigator of my current running habits.

- My buddy Brandon: You'll remember me talking about this guy at the Shamrock Shuffle, his first ever 5-K race. He beat me by 4 minutes. On his first try. On almost no training.

- My new buddy Nathan: He's a lifelong cross-country runner, who holds the current 10-K record at Friends University. He ran his first marathon recently...in 3:05. Qualified for the invitation-only Boston Marathon. On his first try. He's trying to break 3 hours.

- My friend Lindsay: Do I talk about her a lot? Yeah, I guess so. Here I think I've got an interesting and fascinating blog...and along comes Goodbye, Martha!

- My friend Shaun: You'll be introduced to this guy's feats later in the scoreboard. This guy is a missionary who doesn't need to be told to go: he just does. He works at Koch on the side. And he's on a quest to cut pounds that puts mine to shame! And he's really doing it! (You'll see.)

These people are all amazing, and I love being able to brag about how much better they are doing than me. To me, that's what this blog is all about: encouragement.

On to the scores...

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Sunday's workout: 5 mi. run (cold...snow...puddles...mud...and no chicks.)

Monday weigh-in: 186 lbs. (+0.5)

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason: 4

Lindsay: 7

Shaun: 23

(4 weeks completed)

What? 23 pounds? Where did this guy come from? That's Shaun, and let me bring you up to speed. He started the same time we did (March 2), and lost the following amounts in the subsequent weeks: 9, 6, 4, and 4 this week. This guy is awesome, and we have only seen the beginning.

Together, we have lost a total of 34 pounds. That's as much an average-sized turkey! Bon appetit!

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You may be thinking: I want in on this!

If so, you're invited. No weights are posted (except for mine), only pounds lost. Just let me know in the comments, or send me an email at jhamlin121@gmail.com.

Maybe we can lose enough combined weight to equal a cornish game hen! Or maybe a gorilla? What about a small automobile?

Darkness

2009-03-28T13:17:00.005-05:00

Settle in. This one's a little long.

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On Wednesday, I went for a jog to introduce myself to Coldwater, KS.

As an auditor, you stay busy pretty much from the crack of dawn until you hit the pillow during busy season. So, if I was going to run, it needed to be first thing, so that it didn't get pushed out of the way. So, it was 5:30 a.m. What was it you called that, Amanda? Freakishly early?

Anyway, Coldwater isn't very big. And so after giving myself the on-foot guided tour of the main drags in town under the street lamps, I had only made it about a mile and a quarter. And 3 miles were on the schedule. So...I needed to trot into a neighborhood. Out from under the lamps. I didn't want to. It was so dark that you literally could not see what was ahead of you. I've never been afraid of the dark, but on this morning: I felt fear!

Why did I feel fear? Was it the dark? Really? I'm not thinking so. I think it was not knowing what was coming. I couldn't see far enough ahead of me, so I didn't want to go somewhere I couldn't see. However, I gritted my teeth and headed into the neighborhood.

I'll never forget the feeling that came over me once I was in the dark, under that dark country sky. An intense sense of...awe. Like fear and wonder mixed.

(Let's pause. City kids: you may not know about this. Country kids: you already know about this very well. Hybrids: (like me) We have the wonder of having both experiences. Let's continue.)

A sky that black...It's something you simply cannot see with light around. So immense...so massive...it makes you feel like it's drawing you in, like it could reach down and swallow you up. That's awe: you're afraid, but you're drawn in at the same time. I turned Jon Bon Jovi off in my ears and just tried to take it all in...trying to catch what I thought God was speaking to me through His creation. I think it went a little something like this (JIV):

"You weren't going to see this under the street lights. You needed to be away from what you knew. You needed to not be able to see where you were going to get here. You needed darkness. Look at these stars. Look at this sky. I did this. I made darkness, and it is good. When you follow me, there will be darkness. But you will see things you'd never have seen if you simply followed what you knew, in the light."

It's not as easy as that when you have to actually live it. But it's great to have a God who speaks to you, even when you're doing your best not to listen.

(And that was the Jason International Version, by the way.)

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Wednesday's workout: 3.32 mi. run

Friday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Saturday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

On the road...

2009-03-23T21:49:00.014-05:00

Good evening from sunny Coldwater, Kansas!

You're looking at the Timberwolf Cafe and Inn in said town, where I am currently working on a financial audit of the Comanche County Hospital. Among the highlights of my trip so far:

- The Lazy T: It's the local watering hole...which we were so looking forward to hanging out in tonight...if only it weren't closed for undisclosed reasons.

- The tumbleweed: I hadn't seen one of these in years! Then, on our tour of the hospital this morning, there it was! In the drive-up to the ER.

- The boots: I'll simply say this. I'm not sure tight, faded jeans, a beat-up white t-shirt, a ballcap, glasses, and giant cowboy boots outside the jeans would get you the chicks in Wichita that it gets you in Coldwater.

And so begins my 3-week tenure in small-town Kansas.

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Sunday's workout: 3 mi. run

Monday weigh-in: 185.5 lbs. (-6.5)

Say wha?!? Over six pounds gone in only one week? That's right! Except that it wasn't me working harder. It was me working smarter: putting my scale on a hard floor for the first time. It made an 8-pound difference. In fact, it makes my "loss" a little misleading. If you're keeping score at home, that actually qualifies me for my first gain in a while: (+1.5).

Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason: 4.5

Lindsay: 6

(3 weeks completed)

Enjoy it while it lasts, hon. You're going down!

In all seriousness, though: that's 6 REAL pounds less of Lindsay in one week. Get on over to Goodbye, Martha and congratulate her!

We also have the possibility of more contestants in our little game in the near future. Stay tuned!

We're getting smaller!

Anybody chafed?

2009-03-21T14:43:00.007-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to BodyGlide! This is a substance that is applied much like a deodorant, but is intended to prevent chafing on certain parts of your body due to friction and drying of sweat on your skin. This substance saves long-distance runners many a painful shower after a long run.

As you can see, I own two sticks of BodyGlide. This is because (as any veteran distance runner will tell you) there are two primary areas of your body where the most painful chafing occurs. To keep a PG rating on my blog, I'll simply refer to these areas as: upstairs...and downstairs.

Why the two sticks? I think you can figure that one out on your own.

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Saturday's workout: 5.01 mi. run, 46:29, 9:17 pace

Longest run in three years. Feeling like a million bucks. Also had a revelation on the scale today, which shall be revealed in full on Monday.

Hint: don't put your scale on carpet.

Smelling good!

2009-03-18T07:00:00.003-05:00

Call it corny, call it what you will, but I think it's fun to have a body wash named after one of my hobbies. My body wash (I'm not kidding) is called Zest Marathon. So not only is it the best smelling stuff I can find, but it's also cheap motivation every day when I shower!

The motto is easy:

Going the distance to keep you smelling fresh!

Working hard to fight your odor for the long haul!

(Insert cool, athletic catch phrase here)

It got me thinking...what if my body wash were named after something else? Say, my occupation?

Zest Auditor

Tracking that odor to within an immaterial difference!

Or, how about one of my other pastimes?

Zest Ping-Pong

Smashing that odor over behind the endtable, under the piano, over where no one can find it and you gotta move everything...okay, you get the point.

Or how about this one?

Zest Facebook

Wasting an inordinate amount of time chatting and catching up with your odor before bidding it TTYL!!!

Dude, this is almost too much fun. If you've got any other doozies for funny body washes, feel free to regale us all in the comments. For now, I'll stick with my cool-kid body wash.

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Monday's workout: 45 min. doubles tennis, 15 min. singles

Tuesday's workout: 15 min. doubles tennis, 45 min. singles

That's right, tennis. Two nights straight. Hasn't been the highest heart-rate exercise, but have you SEEN these last two nights? Perfect!

For the guys.

2009-03-16T12:50:00.003-05:00

Guys: You'll relate to this.

Ladies: Take a quick glimpse into the heart of a man.

My Sunday run is usually an easy-does-it "around the block" run. I was on this run yesterday, heading south down Rock Road to 21st Street, west to Woodlawn, back up north to 29th St., and home to 29th and Rock. All of a sudden, as I was running: there they were...

Three young, pretty ladies were walking in the opposite direction when I was heading south on Rock in the first mile of my run. I stopped my iPod long enough to run by, say hello, and head on my way (without breaking stride, of course).

Gentlemen, since we were all about 12 years old, we know this is true: there is something about the opposite sex that just drives us batty. Captivates us, if you will. It's a different manifestation for every man, but a very similar feeling. For those of us who have found "the one" (and gotten her to marry us), it manifests itself with one beautiful woman...the one who owns our earthly heart. For those of us single men, we're still enthralled with the ladies as a whole, admiring from afar what a wonderful job God's done with creating them.

Fast forward to mile 3.5 of my run. I'm heading down the home stretch, from Woodlawn back east to Rock Road when I hit "the wall." For one reason or the other, 3.5 miles is about as far as my body wanted to go on this particular day. My legs hurt, I was wheezing for air, and even considering slowing it down to a walk to finish my workout. I was done! And then...

...there they were. Again.

The same young, pretty ladies I'd seen before had been going in the opposite direction, but had followed the same path, walking around the block. Since I'd also gone around the block, I met them a second time.

The pain? The tiredness? The slowed pace? Gone. Suddenly, I was ready to remove my neatly pressed white dress shirt to reveal the bright red "S" emblem on my chest! Ready to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Ready to take off the horn-rim glasses and turn from Clark into Superman! (Can I get an amen, gentlemen?) I picked up my stride, put a smile on my face, and said, "Hello again, ladies!" as I passed them for a second time. This time, they were smiling too.

Lest this all sound inappropriate: understand what I'm trying to say here. There is something in the heart of a man that stirs when a woman is around. On this day, it was nothing more than three random ladies on my running path, but it really spoke to my heart, and made me say a quick thank you to the Lord for how WELL He has done with the ladies, and what a gift they are to us men.

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Sunday's workout: 4 mi. run

Monday weigh-in: 192 lbs. (-2)

Lowest weight: 190 lbs.

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Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason: 6

Lindsay: 0

(2 weeks completed)

Lindsay and Mr. Elliptical just gotta get on the same page, that's all. Then she'll be making a game outta this!

Shamrock Shuffle 2009

2009-03-15T16:24:00.004-05:00

Saturday's workout: 5K race

Shamrock Shuffle, Haysville, KS

28:20 (-4:02 from last race)

It's been a while since I've posted a picture up here! It's me and dad again, and I must say that it's been such a blessing to be able to race with my dad. I'd been doing this for years when I lived in Missouri, but had never been able to do it so close to family. This has been a rare treat.

I need to give a shout out to my friend Brandon, who also ran this race. He smoked us (he was around 23-24 minutes) on his first try at a 5K! I knew he had it in him.

Dad knocked 2 full minutes off of his prior time, finishing in 30:02. Well done!

And to April: we ran by your mom's house on the route. :)

Radio's off!

2009-03-12T07:26:00.000-05:00

The radio that blares into my workout center was either off or broken on Wednesday, instead of pumping its usual loud country music. In its place was silence.

So, I turned off my iPod, and decided to take advantage of the rare opportunity for silence on the treadmill. It's amazing what God will tell you/show you when you turn off everything around you and just listen. In no particular order:

- Stay with me. Today. Not ahead of me, not behind me. Get out of yesterday, and get out of tomorrow. Stay here, today. Step for step.

- You know how you feel when you prepare a surprise for someone, and then they ask about it? You just smile, and shake your head. You delight in the fact that they ask, because that means that they're anticipating something good! But you're not going to tell them a thing. Not until it's time. It's sweeter that way, because they'll really appreciate what they get, even if it's not quite what they expected. My plan for you is good. Don't worry. *smile*

- One more thing: you don't need to worry about impressing people down here. Just do your best, like you're working for me.

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Wednesday's workout: 3.11 mi. run
Thursday's workout: 3.11 mi. run (radio still off!)

Slow...sluggish...early...yep, that about sums it up. I need new shoes. Good thing I was distracted.

(Updated on Thursday, March 12.)

A new song!

2009-03-09T12:28:00.002-05:00

I have amazing and talented friends. They:

…design and maintain fascinating blogs
…plan and execute unique and wonderful social events
…lead us consistently and wonderfully in worship
…teach the Word and lead discussions in small groups and large ones
...defend our country every day by serving in our Armed Forces

...encourage me when I'm down in the dumps
…write songs that speak to my heart

...and there is more...much more that I'm blessed to watch people do that I'm proud to call my friends.

But it’s that last one on the list that’s bouncing around my head this week. The words “Lord Jesus, you are all I want” have been rolling through my mind, and have been so appropriate for where I am. The best part? It's a new song I heard, and it's so beautiful and well-written that it’s been no effort at all to remember the words, and make them a part of my life in recent days.

If you are otherwise uncommitted for any part of this Sunday morning (March 15), I want to encourage you to drop in at Central Christian for either the 8:45 or 10:30 services and hear the first-ever public singing of “You Are All I Want” by Brooke Skinner. It's a unique opportunity to hear the debut performance of a true worship song that I hope will bless many hearts, as it has already blessed mine.

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Saturday's workout: 3.01 mi. run

Sunday's workout: 3 mi. run

Monday weigh-in: 194 lbs. (-4)

Lowest weight: 191 lbs.

Lowest weight is a new category I've thrown in, inspired by my discovery of the encouragement that can come by making my scale say things it hasn't said in a while! If I weigh myself right after a run (when I'm 2-3 lbs. lighter due to water loss), it can be a boost to my mental state. My regular weight will still come back, but I figure any way I can get some encouragement in this process, I'll take it!

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Biggest Loser Scoreboard:

Jason 4

Lindsay 0

(1 week completed)

Yep, I'm ahead to stay!

Random

2009-03-06T08:06:00.001-06:00

"Hehehe...I wanna see it again!" -me, yesterday

I can't remember the last time I said that in relation to stepping on a scale. I did a little informal mid-week weigh-in to check progress, and actually started giggling! To be sure, I'm still a good 50 pounds overweight. But...the poundage is coming off fast in the past 3 or 4 weeks, and so I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing!

It's all about perspective. Am I:

- 50 pounds overweight?

or...

- 22 pounds lighter than I was at Thanksgiving?

I know which one I'm going with!

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What the heck is an oboosso?

Whatever it is, I had to type it to make a sly smack-talk comment on my friend Lindsay's new blog. You know, she really thinks she's gonna win our little "Loser" wager!

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Wednesday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Thursday's workout: 4 mi. run outdoors (around the block on a pretty day...the body said push the pace and the distance, and I obeyed!)

Biggest Loser

2009-03-02T22:17:00.007-06:00

Hello, Biggest Loser participants!

Our scoreboard is always updated on Mondays. However, since the titles of the posts don't usually have anything to do with our game, the old scoreboards can be a little difficult to find. This page is designed to track our scoreboards. This will be updated periodically, so you can have the latest on the contest.

Plus...it's not a bad way to introduce yourself to the blog, and see the types of things we talk about around here.

The posts: (scoreboards will appear at the bottom of each post)

March 2: Momentum!

March 9: A new song!

March 16: For the guys.

March 23: On the road...

March 30: Blown away!

April 6: Forcing myself...

April 13: Yum.

April 20: "Help me overcome..."

Momentum!

2009-03-02T06:46:00.000-06:00

Sunday's workout: 4.06 mi. run

Monday weigh-in: 198 lbs. (-4)

Goal #1 is now accomplished. I have arrived at a Monday wherein I no longer weigh 200 pounds. I have actually been under the 200 mark for several days now, and have been a little nervous about making a sudden jump in weight on the weekend to humble me in front of all of you! If it seems like a small goal to be under 200, then I agree with you. But that's the way this is done. One step at a time.

And...I remember when I weighed 216 pounds back around Thanksgiving. So, if we're looking at it that way: 18 pounds off in about 3 months. Not bad.

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"Jason, your face looks a little thinner!" -a friend this weekend

I'm telling you, it only takes one of these to make me feel like I'm getting somewhere with my appearance! I'll take it!

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And the competition begins...

I have a friend, Lindsay (who is also following this blog), who is on a mission to cut some weight, just like me. Her reasons are different, but we're in the same boat. Not terrible, but needing to shed as many pounds as we can so we can get back to where we were. We will be doing a little wager between now and when we attend the wedding of our common friend, Becky (also a follower!), in September. In chatting, we decided we're doing our own little version of...BIGGEST LOSER! So, along with my weekly weigh-ins, I'll now also post the scoreboard, where we score points based on pounds lost. (i.e. 1 pound lost = 1 point scored) This makes it simple: whoever loses the most...(which will, of course, be me)...wins! We'll use our own personal weigh-ins today as our official starting point, and we'll score our first points this week. Without further ado:

Jason: 0

Lindsay: 0

(0 weeks completed)

Good advice

2009-02-27T08:07:00.000-06:00

Excerpt from an exchange between my dad and my brother last Sunday:

Joel: "I can't stand buying clothes and then losing weight! Then all my clothes are baggy, and I have to go buy new ones. Then I gain weight again, and my clothes get tight, and I have to go buy clothes all over again!"

Dad: "So, what's the answer?"

Joel: "...Don't wear clothes!"

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Wednesday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Friday's workout: 3.11 mi. run (195 lbs. afterward...stay tuned on Monday!)

So long, self!

2009-02-23T07:36:00.000-06:00

"Don't take this wrong, but you are wrong for me

Farewell, oh well, goodbye, don't cry..."

I, for one, am glad to have seen something of a musical resurgence from a band called MercyMe. They have broken their own mold a little bit and gotten into some musical styles that they've not explored before. It's made them a richer, more interesting listen, and the lyrics above are from a song that spoke to me in a new way this weekend.

It's got all of those famous break-up cliches in it, but spun in a whole new way: breaking up with yourself. It occurs to me that my struggles are made less heavy when I don't spend all the time in the world focusing on myself in all of my pain and strife. Rather, I figure out how to reach out to someone, make someone else's day. That takes the focus off of my own heart, and puts it on someone else's heart.

Granted, it doesn't make pain in our lives simply go away, but we can take comfort in being pleasantly "distracted" from ourselves so that we can tend to the others the Lord has put in our path today.

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Monday weigh-in: 202 lbs. (+1)

It was a really rough week, but without a big weight gain. I'll count myself fortunate on that circumstance. I normally try not to weigh myself on off-days, but I do like to step on the scale sometimes after a long run, to see what I weigh right after I've sweated off some water weight. Gives me a little mental boost. In that vein: after my 4-miler yesterday, I stepped onto a scale that read 198 lbs. It was my first dip below 200 in this whole wild ride. So, even though my regular weight is still a little ways up there above 200, I am confident that I'll eventually see sub-200 numbers at times other than after a long run.

It has begun.

2009-02-22T13:02:00.005-06:00

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Thursday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Saturday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Sunday's workout: 4.05 mi. run outdoors, 38:10, 9:26 pace

Excuses

2009-02-12T19:20:00.004-06:00

I'm tired...I worked late...I'm clumsy today...I ate a lousy lunch, resulting in heartburn at run time...I'm sore...(too sore)...my iPod's headphone wires are tangled...my towel has entangled with them as well...I tripped over my power brick at home...I have no clean headband, and am left to mop off sweat with one overworked wristband...I'm not losing any weight yet, resulting in discouragement...I have someplace to be right after my run and I'm falling behind, causing me to get there late...my tooth fell out again today!...did I mention being tired and sore?...

And yet...

Thursday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

...it still got done.

Playtime's over!

2009-02-10T23:39:00.003-06:00

Saturday's workout: 3.01 mi. run

Sunday's workout: 3.14 mi. run

Tuesday's workout: 3.11 mi. run

Times on these runs ranged from 28:35 (Props to my boy Brandon for pushing the pace on Saturday...) to 32:00. Tuesday was tempo, at 10-8:30-10-12 pace. The mileage is going up. It's time. Monday weigh-in was disappointing (207, +4), and I'm starting to get frustrated. I'm doing at least 3 miles and 30 minutes at each run from here forward all the way to May. My endurance is fine, and this will mean 12 miles per week on average. I'll be changing up my food intake and increasing my water consumption (as always) in the next couple of weeks as well, to try to offset the fluctuating weight. I've gotta turn this boat around! I'm tired of carrying this weight!

Making it hurt

2009-02-05T06:52:00.004-06:00

***I've returned from the black! I didn't like it that much, did you?***

Monday weigh-in (1/26): 204 lbs. (+3)

Monday weigh-in (2/2): 203 lbs. (-1)

Stuck!

Saturday's workout: 2.25 mi. run

Sunday's workout: Wii Fit and "battle of the sexes" touch football (who ever said you can't get exercise on Super Bowl Sunday?)

Wednesday's workout: 2.5 mi. tempo run, 12-10-8:30-10-12

When I was doing this tempo run, I did something I don't often do: I held back. I was originally going to go a mile at 8:30 pace, but it was already hurting at the 1-mile mark to be going at 10:00 pace, since I hadn't been as consistent with my workouts in the prior week and a half. So I stayed at 10:00 for an extra 1/2 mile, and made myself do 1/2 mile of 8:30 pace anyway later in the run. Boy, did it hurt!

It occurs to me that I'm going to have to make it hurt a little more often to get back the conditioning and body shape that I so desperately desire. It's like that with all of life, though, isn't it? Our bodies are just a brilliant illustration: if we want to get stronger, we have to make it hurt for a while. Our muscles get sore after a hard workout because they're broken down. But they are extraordinary in that when they rebuild, they become stronger than they were before they were broken.

So it is with our lives as well. Sometimes we need to be broken to be built up stronger. Sometimes the things that are the most important for us to learn can only be taught to us in the context of struggle. Romans 5:3-4 reads: "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." I'll claim that promise for my running, and for my life.

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I'm afraid I'm going to have to just aim at a weekly post here on the blog for a while. It's a busier season than ever in my life, but I'll continue to post workouts, and I'll keep working my way forward!

Not at home...

2009-01-23T07:33:00.003-06:00

Thursday's workout: 1.5 mi. run (at 7 a.m. Friday)

The rules for eating while training are not difficult. They go a little something like this: if it's gonna make you feel bad when you run, don't eat it!

Okay, so they can be little more complicated than that. But really, how complicated do we need to get with our eating? For example, if burritos make me feel awful when I run, how about I find something else that I like to eat? Or, if we have, say...oh, I don't know...maybe a free hot wings night for work? How about I don't eat 30 of them just because I can?

(And for anyone ready to say "I told you so!" about the pizza last Tuesday, go ahead. All together now...)

My eating is still out of whack. I think I'm not going to really break through until I fix this.

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In other news, I had a terribly "out of whack" day yesterday. I just felt out of sorts...out of place...etc. I woke up this morning with the OOPH. (out-of-place hangover) I got my run in, just as planned, and I got to thinking: am I really supposed to feel at home all the time here in this world of sin? Is it not natural to have days of feeling like I don't fit in? Isn't this part of the plan? Is there not a better place I'm supposed to be striving for, partly by remembering that when I'm down here, I'm going to have days like yesterday? Reality check!

Tuesday Tempo Run!

2009-01-20T19:19:00.001-06:00

Monday weigh-in: 201 lbs. (-2)

Better, but my weight is still fluctuating at this stage. The good news is that my cardiovascular system is getting stronger, and that is allowing me to work harder when I run. The pounds will start coming off more consistently as my mileage goes up.

Tuesday's workout: 2.25 mi. tempo run

I'm making Tuesday tempo day. For the non-running crowd, to do a "tempo run" means to start at a slow pace and push it up to race pace (about 1-2 minutes faster than comfortable jogging, typically) toward the middle of the run, slowing back down to finish. It worked well last week at 12-10-12 pace, so I pushed it to 12-10-8:30-10-12 today. 8:30 was my marathon race pace back in 2005-2006, and I touched it for about 4 1/2 minutes today. Feeling stronger, and feeling encouraged.

Time for some pizza!

My help comes from the Lord!

2009-01-18T14:35:00.000-06:00

Yep, if you look closely at Wu's hair, it's two pieces of gum. Don't ask.

Thursday's workout: 1.5 mi. run

10:00 pace, and worked into a very busy day. It feels truly good to pull that off when you don't seem to have time.

Saturday's workout: 1.5 hours ice skating

This is becoming one of my favorite "easy" workouts! I'm even thinking of buying my own skates.

Sunday's workout: 2 mi. run, 9:08 PACE

This workout is technically flipped from Saturday. I used Saturday for my "easy" day. This was outdoors, and my pace was up as fast as it has been at any point in my training. This is astounding to me for several reasons:

- I was running on about 2 hours of sleep.

- My feet and legs were sore from skating the night before.

- I had inexplicably given my right arm a deep bruise during my day yesterday, which didn't seem like it was going to go away! (It was almost completely recovered today.)

- I had to be up early for church, and hadn't eaten but a simple donut and piece of candy for breakfast...

I could keep going, but here's the point. I had almost no earthly sustenance, and yet the sustenance was there. I believe that the Lord put me in position to minister to people today at church, and by making myself available to Him, He poured out His blessings to me in the form of energy, sustenance, words to speak, positive attitude, etc.

HE is my strength, HE is my sustenance, HE is my reason for getting up in the morning, HE is the one making amazing things happen in my life!

Does this running stuff cross paths with my faith? You bet it does!

Better late than never!

2009-01-14T21:31:00.001-06:00

It's been a while, so straight to business:

Monday weigh-in: 203 lbs. (+2)

Frustrating. But, I'll just keep up the good workouts, and keep pressing forward. You readers are sharing in my victories, and my defeats as well!

Tuesday's workout: 2 mi. run

Okay, so technically this took place at 6:30 Wednesday morning. It actually worked better that way for two reasons. 1. It gave my legs an extra 12 hours to heal up. 2. It extended my Skype time on Tuesday evening.

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Who am I? (round 3)

- I am a young female, and I'm not the tallest on my block.

- I am currently maintaining a good long-distance relationship. (Yes, it's possible.)

- I think I am rather good at Dutch Blitz. That is, until I play Jason. I am then reminded that I am rubbish.

Who am I?

Answer: Click here.

Up early!

2009-01-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

Early to bed, early to rise

Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and...TIRED!

- Unknown author

Today's workout: 1.5 mi. run

10:00 pace straight through with an 85% kick at the end. Getting stronger. Hoping to break 200 pounds this week. We'll find out on Monday.

Attitude check!

2009-01-06T13:10:00.000-06:00

When I first started running on the treadmill I use now (at the workout center of my apartment complex), I got very upset with it on my first run. This is because it only displays distance in kilometers. I got upset because, as with almost every other American runner, I measure my runs in miles. But, frustrated as I was, I still got on that first time, took an educated guess at the distance, said a few bad words, and got off with a sub-par workout, still upset.

It wasn't until I was ready to work out the next time and found that I almost didn't work out because of the stupid treadmill distance gauge (there is NO button or combination of buttons that works to change this feature, apparently) that I finally broke down and came up with a plan. An attitude check, if you will.

I decided that instead of being upset, and instead of quitting using the perfectly good (and free) treadmill because of the kilometer gauge, I'd make a decision about how I was going to get past my problem. After all, it was my problem: not a problem with the treadmill. So I simply sat down and made a little computer table with my miles-to-kilometers conversion numbers for up to 13 miles, printed it up, and started taking it with me to the treadmill. Before I knew it, I was stress-free again, and having good workouts.

Today's workout: 2 mi. run

So long, adrenaline! Hello, reality! I felt slow and sluggish today, but still managed a good 12-10-12 tempo run today over the distance. The good news is that I'm feeling no further significant pain from my right leg, and it appears to have healed nicely on the rest day.

The playlist...

2009-01-05T08:51:00.000-06:00

I really needed a pick-me-up yesterday, as I was having a rough afternoon. There wasn't anything really wrong with me, and I can't say that anything is really going poorly for me right now. But still: it felt like a swarm of discouragement and lies was settling in on me! So, in this condition, I hopped on my treadmill at the workout center. I remember thinking how glad I am that I have all my "Jesus music" on my iPod right now. So, after my Daily Audio Bible podcast, I surfed into the music, picking one at random. It was Big Daddy Weave singing that God loves me "Just The Way I Am." In addition to being a big, loud rock song, it gave me a message that my heart needed to hear: that God's love is not so very concerned with all the mistakes I made today, or all the little embarrassments I endure, or all the ways I fall short. Instead, He loves me despite all of that, because He created me. And I love Him back. Because what other friend do I have like that, who never changes?

Top 10 on my iPod this week:

1. "I Am Free" -Newsboys

2. "Get Ready" -Annointed

3. "Happy" -Ayeisha Woods

4. "Beautiful One" -By The Tree

5. "Your Grace Is Enough" -Matt Maher

6. "Marvelous Light" -Charlie Hall

7. "Only The World" -Mandisa

8. "Steady On" -Point of Grace

9. "Song of Hope (Heaven Come Down)" -Robbie Seay Band

10. "Friend of God" -Phillips, Craig & Dean

Sunday's workout: 40 min. walk

My right leg is sore. It feels like it might just be a shin splint. Hopefully today's rest will let it heal. I hope it's not an injury.

Monday weigh-in: 201 lbs. (-6)

Now THAT'S a little more like it!!!

Racing again!

2009-01-03T12:50:00.000-06:00

Thursday's workout:
3.1 mi. run
Frosty 5K, Wichita, KS
Finish time: 32:22

It was a fine day for a race, and a great way to bring in 2009! Dad and I (pictured) had decided beforehand to do a run-walk approach to the Frosty 5K, to see how we'd fare at that distance. Even at just 3.1 miles, it was the longest distance that he and I had ever attempted together. We started strong, and were prepared to walk after mile 1. But when we reached the mile marker, we communicated and decided that we didn't need to stop running just yet. Next thing we knew, 2.1 miles later, there we were at the finish line, having done the whole distance without walking at all! I think you can call it a combination of race-day adrenaline and being in better shape than we'd imagined we were in. Regardless, it was a fantastic day, and I'm more excited than ever for my training!

Saturday's workout: 2 mi. run

I think I'm still pretty high from my race on New Year's Day, as I pushed the pace to about 9:30 today. Still slower than the "old me", but I'm getting stronger every day.

Catching up!

2008-12-30T17:20:00.000-06:00

Okay, straight to it today. My Christmas break workouts:

Thursday (25th): 1.75 mile walk/run replacing a scheduled 1.5 mile run.

Friday (26th): Around 2 hours of ice skating. Hey, it counts! You should have seen how fast I was going.

Tuesday (today): 2.18 mile run around the park at Great Plains Nature Center. Nice park, and I think I'll have to work out there again! Ran with a friend. Always makes time go faster.

Tuesday weigh-in: 207 lbs. (+1)

Not a good thing, putting a pound back on, but let's be honest. An entire holiday of amazing home-cooked food, and I gained only one pound back? (I never ate seconds at the same meal, at any of my three Christmas feasts. First time ever.) AND I worked out twice around the holiday. I think I'm gonna cut myself some slack!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T12:31:00.000-06:00

Hello to all of my loyal blog followers!

To enjoy a little early Christmas present starring YOU, click here!

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The workout: 1.75 mi. run

I'll be increasing the distance this week, to see how I react. So far, so good!

Last run before the holiday. Merry Christmas, and I'll see you all again after the 25th!

Funnel cakes?

2008-12-22T09:15:00.000-06:00

So, I'm a little late on the energy conservation bandwagon. But, better late than never, right? I'm now up to 50% CFCs in my home due to old bulb replacement. (Not counting specialty bulbs in several areas of my home.)

Seriously, though...don't you just want to pull those things off of there, sprinkle some powdered sugar on them, and eat them at the state fair or something?

Sunday's workout: cross training

Sunday gave me the challenge of having the treadmill, elliptical, and electronic stairclimber ALL out of commission on the same day at the workout center at my apartment complex. Great. Good old communal living. So, with the temperature something like 2 degrees outside, it was time for improvisation. I got onto the retro-exercise bike, retro-NON-electronic stair climber, and the super-retro-rowing machine, trying to keep my heart rate at 100 or so for about 20 minutes.

Monday weigh-in: 206 lbs. (-2)

I still look the same, but at least I'm headed in the right direction. Anybody want to do the math on what I'll weigh at the River Run if I keep up this pace every week?

Hint: I won't look the same anymore!

Bright and early...

2008-12-20T11:13:00.000-06:00

The workout: 1.5 mi. run

This was my first honest-to-goodness, early-morning "get up and do it now or else it won't get done" running day in a long time. (These tend to happen a lot more when you're marathon training.) Anyway, nice and slow, a little sore, but not bad.

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Who am I? (round 2)

- I am a young female with long, brown hair.

- I have a horse named after a cat and a dog named like a military rank.

- I, like Thursday's subject, insisted upon having a blog post that was all about ME!

Who am I?

Answer: Click here.

Who am I?

2008-12-18T17:31:00.000-06:00

The workout: 1.75 mi. run

May I say that I am amazed at how our bodies can surprise us sometimes? My last words out the door tonight: "I don't want to do this." Then, I hit the treadmill. I wasn't feeling any pain (read: ANY pain!) after a mile, and so...I pushed it. Hard. Pushed the pace and added a quarter of a mile to the trot to boot. I was up to about 10:00-mile-pace by the time I was done. Most importantly, I worked out for over 20 minutes today. All positives! What a run.

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Let's play a game.

Who am I?

- I am a young female.

- I wear my hair short.

- I love to wear hoodies of my alma mater and KSU (NOT my alma mater).

- I dislike your feet touching me.

Who am I?

Answer: Click here.

What is the 9:24 Project?

2008-12-17T13:30:00.002-06:00

"I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."

I find Eugene Peterson a very interesting author. He is the author of The Message paraphrase of the Bible. (The above quote is Peterson's rendering of 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.) He, as much as anyone in contemporary Christian culture, pushes the envelope of making God's writings more accessible to the masses. He has endured endless criticism from Bible readers for being too loose in his interpretations, and far too casual and contemporary with his language, often completely departing from the scriptures we all memorized in Sunday School growing up.

But sometimes, I like to hear the Word put to me in plain terms. Peterson has a no-nonsense, in-your-face way of interpreting the original Greek of the New Testament that really can give your Bible reading a kick! I found this to be true today while revisiting the scriptural passage that has become the inspiration for the blog you're reading right now.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, from my beloved (and preferred) New International Version reads like this:

"24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

This is at the very heart of my recent life. How easy is it to become a slave to the fleshy desires of our own bodies, rather than "beating" the desires of our bodies, and thus making our bodies obey our heart's desires to glorify the Lord? In the context of the way the author (Paul) is speaking of a race, it's not too hard to imagine the word "beat" in verses 26 and 27 having a meaning not so much physical, but competitive, not unlike beating someone in pool or checkers. Our objective isn't aimless ("beating the air"), but rather, it's aimed at our adversary, our bodies...the flesh we battle with every day.

The name of this blog, The 9:24 Project, is taken directly from the first verse of this passage. I have not recently been running in such a way as to "receive the prize." This includes, among other things, not working out (literally running!). So, I'm putting my body into stricter training (verse 25), knowing that my crown will last forever! I find my running to be a brilliant metaphor for the other areas of my life:

- When you're hurt (but not injured), you can quit because it hurts, or you can keep on going.

- When you ARE injured, you can keep on going it alone (and make it worse), or you can find someone to give you some help.

- If you stop doing it, it ceases to be your lifestyle. It's true of anything we spend our time on: friends, family, hobbies, quiet times in the Bible, etc.

And the list goes on. So, with running as the centerpiece of the metaphor, I'm going to continue to put up some landmarks along the way to the River Run in May.

And as a dear friend put earlier today, "If I inspire people along the way, bonus."

Rest day today. Workouts begin again tomorrow, with a 1.5 mi. run.

1 week!

2008-12-16T16:30:00.000-06:00

The workout: 1.5 mi. run

Very low energy today. But I'm encouraged that we're here a week later, and I'm still working out, and still blogging to tell all of you MASSES of people reading this ALL about it!

(Hi, DeMo. Hi, Lins. Brandon, you out there? Jared? Dad?)

Who's gonna be my first "follower"? Don't fall all over yourselves. One at a time.

My body rests tomorrow, but the blog does not. I'm posting about 9:24 tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Less of me... (2 of 2)

2008-12-15T15:28:00.000-06:00

Monday Weigh-in: 208 lbs.

That's a whole lot of weight for a 5'7" frame. I recently crossed from being clinically overweight to clinically obese. That's a pretty rough realization for a former marathoner. It does a little bit of work on one's pride.

And here we are again: pride. Here's another running-related pride area that I've struggled with. I've always said that I run for fitness, and not to lose weight. I've always felt that losing weight is a perfectly lousy reason for running, because of the many other benefits of a workout lifestyle. Except...here I am, 208 pounds. Guess what I need to do? Lose weight.

So, now I'm one of those people who will readily admit that yes, I need to take off some pounds, and that's a major reason I'm running. I will hold onto the rest of the benefits for myself, so that my workouts are not one-faceted, but I'll gladly lose the weight.

So, it's less of me, figuratively (my pride) and literally (my gut).

No workout today. (Rest day.)

Less of me... (1 of 2)

2008-12-14T14:57:00.000-06:00

The run: ...none (Okay, scratch that.)

The workout: 30-minute walk

I have this thing with walking. You see, I'm a runner. I run. I do not walk. Walking is for those who can't run. ... Right?

The fact is, when I finished the Chicago Marathon in 2005, I walked at least 3/4 of a mile of that course, if not more, while I was in the last 6 miles of the race. When I finished in St. Louis in 2006, I stopped to go to the bathroom. Twice. I still made less than 4 hours in finishing both. (3:53 and 3:57, respectively.)

So...is walking so bad?

You know what my problem is? Pride. For some reason, I think I'm too good to walk. What I need is a good dose of reality. And the reality is this: even the finest-trained athletes in the world do some walking from time to time. It is perfectly legitimate, and a good way to keep your heart rate up.

Pride keeps ME in the forefront...my ability...my achievements...my talent. Today, I say: LESS of me, please. Let all my pride fall away.

Today, I'm a walker.

Next week: Monday Weigh-in, Less of me... (2 of 2), What is the 9:24 Project?

A dinner, and a COLD run!

2008-12-13T13:02:00.000-06:00

One Buddhist, one Unitarian Universalist, one Catholic, and...me! This is the interesting situation I found myself in last night as I enjoyed dinner with some good friends I made through work. What interesting conversation ensued as we discussed the origins of Christmas, the difference between "Christian" and "Evangelical Christian", and vegetarianism. Needless to say, we had to agree to disagree at certain points!

The run: 1.5 mi. outdoors

One word: COLD!!! I figure I need to take an opportunity at least every once in a while to get off the treadmill and run outside. Seeing as how today wouldn't be frigidly cold (51 degrees, but with a blustery 35-mph wind), I took today as an opportunity. I rushed a bit (going as fast as a 10:15 per mile pace instead of my goal of 12 minute miles) without the treadmill to guide my steps. Painful, but done. Time for a warm shower.

(Why can't you see my legs in the picture, you ask? Tights. That's right. I told you, I'm averse to cold.)

Listening to my body

2008-12-12T18:53:00.000-06:00

The run: 1.5 mi.

Today's a rest day on the calendar. However, I just couldn't shake my body's desire to get out and run again today! So I did. Lo and behold: my pain level dropped from a 7 to about a 6.5. So, the lifestyle is starting to take hold again already. This is good. When the week's over, I'll have about 6 miles running in the books and about another 2 miles walking.

Today's lesson: I learned that if your body says run on a rest day: RUN! Same holds true for resting on a run day: if your body needs to rest an extra day, rest. Don't let the calendar get in the way too much.

To be sure: 95% of the time, we don't do this. As runners, we understand the importance of rest days, and will normally gladly take one when scheduled. But every once in a while, you just have to do what you feel like doing!

The backstory...

2008-12-11T14:27:00.000-06:00

I used to run marathons. At my peak, I was getting quite fast in the 5K (by my standards), having my time down in the 19s on my best day, and taking 2nd overall in a small race in MO. My best marathon time was 3:50. That was 2006.

Since then, I've moved, changed careers, gone back to school...in short: my life turned upside down. And I fell off the wagon, and fell hard. Working out is a lifestyle. It gets to where you don't even really think about doing it. It just appears on your list of things to do: "buy milk, do laundry, take out trash, 3 mi. run." It's natural. You don't seriously consider not doing it, any more than you consider not taking out the trash.

But if you take working out from your routine for an extended period of time, it has ceased to be a lifestyle. It doesn't come back easily. I'm learning that right now.

The run: 1.5 mi.

If mile 22 of the marathon is a 9 out of 10 on the pain scale, then this is ringing up a good solid 7. It hurts, bad. But, the good news is that I'm expecting the pain, I know what it is, and I know how to run through it. It's the mental game of the marathon that I've still retained after all this time away.

I have decorated my calendar with all my runs for December, including rest days. I check off rest days just like running days. This is a psychological move that I developed while marathon training, to make rest days count every bit as much as the running days count.

First weigh-in on Monday morning! I'm tracking my "ham shrinkage" on a weekly basis.

Hello world!

2008-12-09T21:11:00.001-06:00

This is where I chronicle the events of a life redirected back toward the way I was made. I've let myself go. Those days are soon to be at an end.

Each day is a different experience...both in my runs, and in life. Both will appear here from time to time.

Without further ado:

The run: 1.5 mi.

It snowed today. So, with my being averse to cold, the treadmill was my only option. (And will remain that way until about April.) I had nearly croaked two weeks before, after doing 1 mi. on the treadmill at a slow pace. I thought that maybe today I could push the distance out to 1.5 mi. I nearly croaked again, but I finished it.

The pain was intense, but it didn't last long, and soon gave way to "runner's high." (The endorphins that often follow a good workout, causing you to be awake and alert.) Feels like old times!

A link to my River Run training schedule:

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5knovice.pdf

It's not until May, so I intend to simply repeat the weeks of this schedule up to 3 times each to make up the time. I figure I'll need it to be ready.