When the heat cools

The last two days around here have been awesome! The main reason is that the heat went cool. I have no idea the meteorological systems that fell into play to accomplish this chill, but I sure am glad. This has given us two great days to work.

It reminds me of the refreshing that comes in times of revival. Now in these days it may seem strange to speak of revival. I have always contended that in order to get to the refreshment of revival you have to go through the pain of removal that goes before refreshing. This comes through being honest about sin, owning our part and coming to the Lord for cleansing.

Oh that days of refreshing will come soon. Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins my be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. 

Monday: Warm up, dynamic stretch, 3 miles, stadium steps x 10, 4 corners drill x 10, core, stretch and all in the cool!  (Then got opportunity to run a pressure washer for 8 hours!!)
Tuesday: Warm up, dynamic stretch, 3.5 miles recover run, stretch -long version and again in the cool! 

Push Yourself

Training with a friend is awesome. Others have a way of pushing you to work harder. This is especially true when you are helping to train someone else. While pushing them you remind yourself that you have to hustle to set a great example.

This is the attitude of determination that we need to push ourselves regardless of what others are doing. Reminds me today especially that we who follow after Jesus are responsible for our personal walk. I must walk in integrity.  I must walk in humility. I must walk in holiness. I must be the example.

Psalm 26: 11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me.

Today: Warm up, dynamic stretch, 3.3 miles, agility ladder, flying 20's up hill x 10, flying 30's up hill x 10, stretch and ring out the shirt!

New Stuff

Muscle can get used to your workout. When that happens your body will actually fall into cruise control and you will not get the maximum benefit. So every once in a while you need to confuse yourself. Ha ha for me that is easy.

Today was a day for some new stuff. We did some new drills for acceleration and endurance. It was exciting to get started and actually easy until right at the end. We need new stuff to fit in creatively with the way we are made. Set some new challenges and stretch ourselves to gain.

As we moved through the new stuff today I was reminded that the Scriptures tell us to sing a new song to the Lord. There are actually a lot of Scriptures that tell us to do sing new stuff. All the new stuff is to honor and praise Jehovah's name and glory. If you will moving us to creatively express our joy to Him.

Psalm 98:1 - Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For he has done marvelous things; his right hand and His holy arm have gained Him victory.

 Isaiah 42:10 - Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coast lands and you inhabitants of them! 

Revelation 14:3 - They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders... 

Today: Warm up, Dynamic stretch, Crossover power steps x 10, Acceleration Drills: Pick up sprints (jog @50% 10 yards increase to 75% for 10 yards sprint 100% 15 yards slowing 5 yards) x 10, Acceleration sprints (Jog 10 yards, sprint 10, jog 10, sprint 10, slow 5)  x 10, Speed Endurance Drills: Power Alleys (jog 15 yards, sprint 30 yards, slow 10 yards) x 10, Two-fers (Hard jog 50 yards out and back then sprint 10 yards x10, jog 50 out and back then shuffle up and back x 10, jog 50 out and back then sprint 10 yards x 10) x 10. Stretch!! 

What's your thought?

Early this morning I read these encouraging words -

"There is surely a future hope for you, 

and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 23:18 

This thought began to marinate in my mind and soul. I have to admit these words of Scripture are most encouraging for all of us. In fact, we might just need to marinate in them for a while to gain their full impact.

This thought made me think. And as I was thinking there emerged a
contemplation on this fine (hot) summer morning. What's your thought? As you begin your run, workout, fitness routine, diet, or remote-control-curls there must be some kind of thinking going on.

May I suggest that a good thought to dwell on at the first of your workout may be the ticket to a great workout. So don't meditate on the heat; sure it's hot big deal stay hydrated. Don't regret the past days of missed running, just do it (trademark infringement implied).  Don't worry about the struggle, stiffness, and soreness that is there and may come.

Remember surely indeed there is a future hope for you!! Your hope will not be cut off because you will finish your course and run your race well. So, What's your thought now?

Today: Warm-up, dynamic stretch, 3.5 miles (it was hot), Core -- 100 crunches, 100 mountain climbers, 4 rotation push ups (total 100), Great sweaty stretch and plenty of 1/2 cut sports drink for hydration. 

Breakthrough Workouts

We all long for breakthroughs in life. An advance in our times, a push with a little more endurance, or even getting a pop in your step. They seem to not happen often so when they come you need to recognize them and use the fuel for encouragement.

These breakthroughs do not just happen. We have to work for them. They actually are heading your way when you get out of bed a little early to get in your run. They creep your way with every core workout. They sneak up on you while you are running intervals. You are your breakthrough and earn every step of it.

Spiritually speaking breakthroughs come through these same daily disciplines. The verses you memorize that give your strength. The prayers you offer the Lord bring you faith. Even the conversations you are able to have with others about the Lord lead you to them.

Breakthroughs erupt out of seemingly no where. Healing, helping, and making a difference for the kingdom of God. Even walking into church you too can see the Lord's power flow through you. Peter and John gave more than a hand out to a lame beggar one day. They gave a breakthrough and he received it.

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, 

and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

 So he, leaping up, stood and walked 

and entered the temple with them-

walking, leaping, and praising God. Acts 3:7-8  

Today: 2 miles, sprint hills x15, stair work - push ups and go ups - x10, Core, and stretch. Wow felt like we could have gone further!! 

It's HOT! So hit it early.

The temps are rising around here. The plan is to get out early and beat the heat. Today the heat caught up to us and beat us. It is amazing how quickly your strength can get sapped when the thermometer rises.

We made some adjustments and got a good workout in despite the heat. We still did the same number of sets, we just spread them out. Then we made sure we were pumping plenty of H2O! As we finished up we headed to the shade for a little core and long stretch.

It was in the shade that I was reminded of Psalm 121. This one tends to speak to me on HOT days.

The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand. (5)

The struggles of life can become oppressive like the sun's rays in summer. They can take our energy, focus, and drive. It is a good reminder to us all that The LORD Jehovah is our shade.

Now think for a second about all the benefits of shade. Apply these to the Lord for your life and see if they are not the same. He is our shade readily available. Try to spend a little time in the "shade" today.

Today: 2 miles, dynamic warm-up, easy intervals x 10, stadium stairs x 10, agility ladder adding in 3 new components, core, and stretch -in the shade.

Wake up! Get moving!

Really did not want to go run today. Do you ever have those feelings? It was a long weekend, my body was tired, my mind was worn out, and my attitude was asleep. Trouble was I had an appointment with a few training partners. So up I jumped.

As the sun hit my eyes this morning there was a reminder that the glory of this day belongs to the Lord. Amazing the attitude started to improve. I read in my quick devotion today -

Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; 

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2

The Scriptures bolted me back to the praise of this beautiful day. The glory belongs to Him.

Every day is a good day to remind your self that His glory is His and we are to worship Him! Our choice is to either give all we have or hold back. Let's give him all we have and we will discover that we are the better.

Today: 2 miles, dynamic warm up, flying 20's and 30's x 20 sets, agility ladder drills, core work 20 crunch-20 twist-20 crunch (x2) 20 mountain climber-20 sec high plank-200 mountain climber (x2), Stretch!!!

Adventures in Country Running

I love to run. Those words are a shock to me. Truly, not too long ago my statement would be the opposite. But there is a thrill in every run for me. Especially when my run includes the country roads near my home.

These roads around here are great. You actually have a light traffic, great scenic views, variations of hills for resistance, and the occasional remarkable joys. Those joys include the sweet wild life country roads afford. My eyes have delighted in the small deer, squirrels, rabbit, occasional foxes and coyotes from a distance. I didn't mention the snakes I've seen cause some of you would freak out.

Today was a recovery run of sorts. Just a nice slow run on a road I've been considering turning up. It was great, although the incline was a bit more than I expected. Then the adventures took a great and epic turn. Bark! Bark! Bark!

A couple of old dogs were disturbed from their front porch by me. It wasn't the big dog that bothered me. Actually he seemed friendly almost like he wished to continue my pace. It was his little friend that barked not a sound just bristled and snarled that gave me repentance.

As I turned from their road and returned my vision lost sight of them. Indeed they were behind me. My hope was that they would stop at the property line.  If not I would need a bit of a miracle not to be bit.

Reminds me of walking this adventure of the Christian life. We are directed to take roads not well traveled. Some occasions we run into dangerous challenges.
I am reminded that we have one who not only goes before us but He is also our guard from behind. Thank you Lord for your ability to protect your children.

For you shall not go out with haste,
Nor go by flight;
For the LORD will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. 
Isaiah 52:12

Today: 3.30 miles, small heart attack, and stretch. 

Elimination Station

Do you ever think about stuff that you really don't need? Why do we keep it around? We need to learn to practice elimination, but more on that in a second.

The boys and I were at it again today. Oh yeah, they had the old coach training and working with them. I may have surprised one of them with the fact that I wouldn't quit. They joined me at the appointed time and after I had completed two miles. We had a blast and worked hard today.

As we were finishing up with our stretching in the cool down I asked them if they were going to keep coming. They all agreed so it was time for the "talk". Yes sir, the official "talk" about some of the stuff that you need to eliminate in order to be the athlete you are designed to be.

I'm not sure if they were sold. We talked about eliminating sodas completely from the diet, cutting the Gatorade/Powerade by diluting it with water, watching the sweets, and not just sitting around after workouts.

Good plan for athletes in training. Elimination is also a good plan for Jesus - followers. I bet it wouldn't take long to develop a list of "stuff" we might not need. Like bad attitudes, unhealthy opinions about people, maybe even unforgiveness, and you-take-your-pick of pet sins.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind (that's elimination) and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Today: 2.66 miles, dynamic stretch, sprint workout: 10 hills straight, 8 hills side, agility ladders, and "easy" intervals - 10 burpee - sprint 10 yds, 10 pushups - sprint 10 yds, 10 squat jumps - sprint 10 yds, 10 mountian climbers (10 sets), Stretch and talked elimination. 

How's your Investments

Several years ago I accepted a challenge. Guys are good at stepping up when we are challenged with something beyond ourselves. A friend suggested that we must find a way to invest ourselves in other people's lives. You know find a way to be a servant.

Hang with me for a short story here that comes full circle. When I accepted that challenge it made sense to teach it to my kids. They took to it well. Serving, caring, even coaching, and mentoring.  I'm proud of them all because they have made a difference in lives in our community.

Coaching comes naturally to them. A couple of years ago one of my sons started, accidentally, training young athletes in speed and agility. He's good at it. Once again this summer he has been training a few. Today he had to work all day. So guess who got to serve?

There is something special about being able to invest in the lives of others. I really do believe it is exactly what Jesus had in mind for us. Because this was what he had in mind for himself. "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Let me give you a challenge: find a way to invest in others for their benefit and betterment.

Today: mile warm up, dynamic stretch, stadium stairs (10 sets), agility ladder drills, Crazy core, and stretching (then added another mile for me).

Humid and Humble

Early this morning as I awoke the sounds of the thunderstorm was shaking the

house. We have a tin roof and the rain drumming out the cadence of the day was mesmerizing. Running in the rain is great but running in a thunderstorm is not very smart.

The storm lifted and out we went. You have already guessed what the morning was like by my title; a bit humid. We also ventured out a little later in the morning and the heat was beginning to rise. Yesterday's great times were replaced by a slower pace and little struggle. Humbled by the situations of heat and humidity we pushed on to complete the workout.

I keep saying we because my daughter had a rare day off and went with me. It was fun working with her. In fact, having her out there pushed me to go a little father.

This reminded me of what the Scripture says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:10. In those times that you chose to submit to the humbling be prepared for the Father to lift you up. He does it every time.

Do you need to be lifted up today? Simple - humble yourself in His presence.

Today: warm up, dynamic stretch, 3.3 miles, mile of interval training. skipped core!! And Stretched.  

Secret of the Surprises

Running today was amazing. I had not anticipated the thrill in moving down the track. It was so much fun I added some aspects that had not been planned. The best word I have for it is "Surprise".

Life has a way of surprising you too. In the middle of the grind and disciplines that create a productive life will be some very exciting days. It is this way with your spiritual walk too. Keep spending your time in the investment in daily Bible reading, prayer, spiritual conversations with people and you will get the surprises along the way. A simple verse will take on new meaning, another angle of experience will enlighten your heart with old, now fresh, truths.

The secret to the surprises is found in the daily disciplines of seeking the little steps. I love what Wisdom says,  "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me." Proverbs 8: 17

Today: 2 miles (sub 8 times!!), dynamic warm up, agility ladder training, jump drills, 2 sets of stadium stairs, cool down mile, and 5 min of
core crazy & long stretch. 

Productive Remembering

In my old stomping grounds this morning. Did something I never dreamed of doing three years ago. I went for a run. Yup, a run! Cool thing for me was running along the river banks where I grew up. Oh and running across the bridge that I used to ride across as a small kid.

Memories flooded me this morning and actually slowed my pace several times. But the memories were this morning more important than the miles and the times. (But I did keep the ole Garmin rolling!) Thoughts of family and friends kept rolling over me just like that river over those rocks. Seeing the old mill made me remember how important family is to me. In that mill my grandfather provided for his 3 kids, my dad was the middle one. Harvey Newman was a proud and godly man who loved his family, worked hard, and was a church-man.  He may not be the start of our legacy of faith but he kept it going.

Later today I will spend sometime with classmates. Some of these guys I have not really seen in 30 years. It is wonderful to reconnect with them, to refresh,  and to laugh. Many of the greatest events of my life happend around these guys. Today is going to be a good day.

Here is a Scripture that came to mind as I was running.  "I thank my God every time I remember you." ((‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ NIV)

For my family this is your verse from my heart today! And for my friends old and new alike you are in my heart and I do thank God for you.

(Today: 3 miles, stretch, and soaked in a cold pool -great for swelling). 

Guard your heart

This morning my mind was enthused about the time at the track. I bound out of bed and hurried over to get going. Your mental state is 75% of the battle and the other half is physical. Truly the mind is important to setting up ahead of time how great things can be for the training session.

This reminds me of what the Scripture says , "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."  (‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ NIV). So let's set your mind today. Put your guard out on that heart cause it a important for everything else flows out of it.

Today: 800 warm up, dynamic stretch, 3 miles, core crazy, stretch.

Principle of Rest

There is a principle that must be applied to any workout in order to gain maximum effectiveness. That is the Principle of Rest. I have a tendency to violate this principle. In my mind I imagine that the best results come from pushing yourself and pushing even farther. No breaks! No rest! No pain, no gain.

Contrary to my opinion the body is designed to need rest. Therefore, the principle of rest will not be violated. You either learn to rest those aching muscles or your body will break down on you and force the rest. By the way it is better to take the time to rest and recover.

Spiritually this principle hits home too. As we progress through life we tend to pick up cares. They maybe ours or someone else's, but they are load bearing and have a way of tearing us down. We keep pushing through I guess to prove that we are spiritual giants or something with no breaks. You know it's just the way we are made (sarcasm intended).

Jesus gave us this principle of rest for just a time as these.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ NIV). So take some time to rest those weary bones and weary burdens.

Today: rest and recovery! I'm sitting on my front porch about to read a good book and drink some high quality H2O!!

Ouch! Endurance Hurts

Sore muscles can work on your attitude. When things hurt, especially things you didn't know you had, it can create an interesting situation for you. Hurts can impact your thoughts about how hard to keep going. Or hurts can shout at you to stop.

But there are somethings that you have to just keep pushing through in order to get better. The muscles may be sore but they need to keep moving in order to
build. Your body may want to tell your mind to quit. The mind has to take over and tell the body what to do in order to get better.

All this reminds me of painful times in the past. Whatever the issues appear to be they can sideline us or move us forward. Even grief can sideline you for too long if left un-healed. Whether it is grief, painful disagreements with a loved one or friend, or disappointments in life in general we must endure through the soreness to get better.

Hebrews 10: 35-36  Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

All this is your choice - you can get better or you can get bitter.
I vote for the better way.

Today: warm-up 400, dynamic stretch, 3.5 miles, 2 sets of stadium stairs, 5 minuets of "crazy abs", and great stretch. (But oooo I am sore)

Dreams require a little WORK

Here we go again. And boy do I have a dream about this summer. The weather has warmed up and the track is buzzing with action early in the morning. My dream is to get back at this running joy.

Funny how dreams don't just happen. If you want to move from the couch to the 5K as they say then you have to do just a little bit of work. Dreams don't just come true without a little work.

I think that we have always known this truth but our inner lazy kid wants to get the dream without the work. Recently, I found a little verse in the Scripture that confirmed this and caused me to really begin to think. Solomon wrote, "For a dream comes through much activity..." Ecclesiastes 5:3a.

So go ahead and dream but get ready to go to work to make it happen.

Here was my work this morning: mile warm up, dynamic stretch for 20 min, 3 miles, core work, long stretch, and two wonderful conversations with friends.
(Take 6 minutes to watch this video for some motivation.)