I'm in the air again!!!  This year appears to be another busy year full of growth.  I'm currently flying back to PHX from Vegas where I spent the day in a customers office.  We spent the entire day training staff on the ins and outs of LimoLogs.  They all raved at the features that are built into the system, and the simplicity of the user interface.  Another grand slam for LimoLogs.  Next trip is scheduled for mid February and will be a road show of the SouthEast hitting 4 states in 5 days.  Should be an incredible trip yielding amazing returns.  I have 4 customers to spend time with and get set up.  Then March is Vegas again for the LCT show.  Where I am expecting to have the best show we have had yet.  God is truly blessing this venture.  

Home is good.  My girls are loving the rhythm of our new life and really getting into the ebb and flow.  Amy is becoming very active in prayer ministries and interested in seeing where that goes.  

Church is good.  God is using this to expand my personal view of things and I know that's a good thing.  I would enjoy a more conservative church, but this is not the season for that.  God has placed me in a position that really aligns with what he is doing in my life as a business owner.  I am not only on staff at the church, but becoming leadership for ACCO an organization that was formed 10 years ago with the purpose of connecting Christian churches and non-profits together for reaching our little community.  It is a lot of fun to have a job that I am meant to network and connect resources.  

Kids "Entertainment" Center

Our house has an upstairs loft area that when we moved in designated as the kids play room.  We put an old couch that we had, put a small TV and the X-Box in the room, then dropped off all of the boxes that had been labeled with the kids toys from the last 2 moves.  

This was an unorganized mess that was uninviting, and just an eye sore.  I got tired of it and started thinking about ways to make the room more inviting.  I turned the couch, and realized the room needed an "entertainment" center of sorts.  Off to Pinterest I went.  I found this Pintrest storage idea

I stared at this for a couple weeks and decided that I didn't like the tote look at all.  I had recently built a couple cabinet drawers for my workbench that I was very happy with the way they turned out so I decided to use the same principle for those drawers to replace the totes.  I printed out some papers, made a cut list, decided that I wanted it to be deeper since I was building my own drawers and off I went to the local big box lumber store to grab some wood.  

I got back to my garage and started working.   

It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted it different.  Here is a video from the early stage where I completely went off script. 

                                

As you can see my rebellious ways of not following the directions started coming together.  I decided to go with hardwood on hardwood for the drawer sliders.  I have a rather large assortment of milled mesquite and pecan at my disposal so fabricated some mesquite slides for the drawers to sit on.  I then took the underside of the drawers where they would rest on the mesquite and sanded them down smooth, and added a little wax to make them as smooth as butter on a bald monkey.  

Going off no plans meant I needed to do some clean up.  As you can see from this photo the drawers fit, but there is zero clearance.  Not what you want, so out came the belt sander to remove some excess wood.  

I decided that this project would be great with chalkboard paint.  After all it is an "entertainment" center for the kids, and they love chalk.  A run back to the hardware store and some guidance from the warden on the color the cabinet became this color.  But it needed some trim so I went to Facebook for an informal poll asking should the trim be pink or yellow.  Yellow overwhelmingly won, and its good because it was probably going to be yellow regardless, cause well, I like yellow.  

My oldest daughter loves to paint and do crafts so I enlisted (she wanted to) her assistance on picking out trim and painting.  

The drawers are so big.  Perfect for stashing toys, and keeping the playroom tidy.  

Check out the amazing drawer pulls that I grabbed from my favorite online shopping site with free 2 day shipping.  Came in a package of 12 (exactly what I needed) for about $10. 

 The finished project sat in the garage for a couple days till Christmas Eve (cause thats when I was able to get Chris to come over and help me carry it upstairs :-)  

I am so happy with the way it all came out.  The upstairs loft is really coming together.  

        

Now I need to build an actual desk to give them a study area, and replace the little table behind the couch.  But thats another project, and maybe another post.

10/8/2016 Another flight

Here I sit on another flight.  This time it is D.C. For the Chauffeur Driven trade show.  Should be a great show, lots of promising appointments, and I have even been able to generate a little pre-show buzz.  Hoping that my presentation will help, as well as the email campaign that I have been running the last couple weeks.  Received over a 1000 targeted views and reactions on Facebook so that is all promising.  

Took the family back to Texas last week, and that was great.  Made both trips straight through and really enjoyed the trip.  Tacos, golf, family, and 2 birthday party's for Rebecca.  She was treated like royalty :-).  It was good to see family, and I know that all of the girls really needed the trip.  I only wish that it could have been a little longer but had to get back to make this flight to DC.  The life of a business owner :-0.  

Here are some random pics from TX (I also added some from DC, and the road trip back)

One Year in AZ

It's been one year since I woke up for the last time in my house.  It's a unreal what has transpired since that time.  We have moved twice, been on no less than 3 vacations, made friends, said goodbye to new friends, and making friends again.  

When we packed up a year a go we had our sites set on Laveen, AZ.  What a bad area that turned out to be.  The house we rented was horrible, and the area was less than we had hoped for.  A couple months into living there Chris suggested that he was moving to Queen Creek, and asked me to check it out.  I did, and God placed the area on my heart, so we began to set our goals on moving an hour back the other direction.  We have done it 2 months early, and I am so relieved.   I feel that even though the house is rented, we have a home in this area.   Lisa says the school is so much better, since the kids aren't jumping off of tables everyday, and she really likes it.  I am just so thankful it is less diverse (she actually has other white girls in her class, maybe it's actually more diverse).  

Amy and I have been through a world of emotions, and heart break.  We thought God was calling me to be the pastor of a little church out here, but that was revealed to us a couple days ago not to be the case.  I long to use my gifts and energy for God's purpose again.  I am going to continue to network with people and build relationships, and see what happens.   I know I make a big splash everywhere I go, and this isn't exactly a huge pond.   This area is about 140,000 people in a suburb of the greater PHX area.  We are as far out on the SE side of PHX as you can be, and still call yourself (Phoenix).  I'm happy here.  

Grandad called me up about 6 months ago and stated that he was getting rid of all his woodworking stuff, and if I wanted it, come and get it.  This new house has the garage space, so I finally have a wood working shop.  So far I built a cabinet of drawers, and am blown away by how they function.  I need to add a face to them for aesthetics, but they are beautiful to me.  Chris and I are going to build a hallway table for Sam, and then I am going to start on probably some type of kitchen island, and then onto a dining room table out of mesquite.  

I am now fully self employed, and it is an incredible experience.  Some days I have the burden of the world on me, and then the thrill and excitement of solving a broken puzzle, and building something better.  Usually this all happens before my second cup of coffee ;-) anyone that has ever been a business owner knows exactly what that means.  

I am loving the opportunity, and while I'm not making 6 figures yet, my income has gone up, and the projections are huge.  Looking forward to see where the business is in another year.  I took $400, an idea, and an opportunity and turned it into $100,000 in a little over a year.  I've created software out of nothing but a passing thought, and I know that all of this has been done so that I will be able to focus on God and be able to give greatly to His purpose.  It's exciting!!!

Amy is doing remarkably better.  She feels as though she can somewhat function now.  She has started baking bread, and working out.  I think that even though not everything the way we would have hoped, she is really enjoying this new life, and I am happy that I am able to provide for her. 

Giving the last gift of the 3 year commitment.

Greetings Baptist Temple Family, 

As we enter into 2016 we also enter into the 3rd year of a journey that we entered into together, Heart Strong for Christ.  During the time of prayer for our commitment to the capital campaign I truly struggled and wrestled with what my commitment would be.  I am so blessed that I allowed God to have his way in that decision because today I get to realize the true gift in my pledge.  You see I don't see this final check to mean that I am free of a commitment that I made to God, but as witness to God fulfilling a promise that He made me to provide a way for me to be able to fulfill my promise to Him.  

We thought as a church we were asked to commit to God, but the truth is we were being asked to allow God to show us Himself.  

I know it's been a struggle, but I would like to encourage you to stay strong to the commitment, and allow God to show Himself to you in ways that perhaps you've never witnessed before.  Remember God doesn't need what we have, but allows us the opportunity to receive a blessing when we trust Him.  I am so blessed to have gotten to see that through Heart Strong for Christ, and pray that you all will also be blessed in the way that I have been.  

11/10/2015 Post show high

About halfway home on this nearly 6 hour flight.  The LCT show in Atlantic City was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had.  The response to my company was unlike anything I could have imagined.  I am really not sure what I expected out of this trip, but I knew that I had attracted attention and buzz for what we do, but had verily low expectations.  It was not that at all.  The show had a buzz about me, and what we do.  People came to my booth faster than I could help them.  It was amazing.  I would introduce my self, and I would hear, "your the guy, I've been needing to talk to.  WOW!!!! Thank you God for this experience.  

The booth looked great, and I was really really proud of what Chris and I had accomplished.  Of course now we need to go back and close all these pending deals, but I don't think its going to be hard to close half of them.  I am a little nervous about what comes next.  I created a product, presented a product, sold a product, and now it feels like we are going to grow at a speed that I just am not sure I am ready for.  It is exciting for sure.  

I had one experience out of all of them that was incredible.  I was at the bar with Billy and Chase, and Billy begins telling the story about how he and I first met over breakfast in Las Vegas, and how I told him how I had only been in the industry for a week.  He said that I was thrown to the wolves, but there I sat a couple years later owning my own company.  He said that I was impressive, and saluted me.  That felt really good. 

11/7/15 Ramblings from 30,000 feet

Wyoming was incredible.  The mountains, the people, even the weather.  Got to see what I considered a good amount of snow, but the locals called a dusting.  Either way it was exciting to see.  Someday I would love to be able to "summer" in that part of the country.  

So today I am sitting on yet another flight.  The longest single flight I've been on to date.  There was one huge advantage to living in Texas, and that is that I was always half way across the country.  Today's flight is over 4 hours from PHX to Philadelphia, and then renting a car to take me to Atlantic City.  I am super excited that this is the first convention that I have been to that I am representing my own company as an exhibitor.  We went to Vegas and handed out cards, but that was not my job there.  I was actually working for someone else, and officially Limo & Bus Compliance was not there.  

I feel like I have marketed this trip well, and have promotional material waiting for me when I arrive.  We have a booth, and I already have a line of people that want to speak with me to find out what we can do for them.  I can't hardly believe that people are giving me money.  The possibility is real that by this time next year I may actually have enough income to support a work from home position, although it might be better to hire Amy and keep my job.  I know that Chris is planning on keeping his, just for the extra income, and it might be good for us too.  

The future is wide open, and I am excited to see what God does with this new adventure.  

Last week I got to take my family with me on my first business trip.  Chris and I had a customer in souther California that wanted us to come out and set up his DOT compliance program.  We agreed to make a weekend out of it.  I sure hope to be able to take my family on more working vacations like that in the future.

10/26/2015 Ramblings from 30,000 feet.

Here we are 2 months into the new adventure.  We have seemingly settled into a routine, and even shopping for our next forever home.  Living in a rental house is so frustrating.  I want so badly to be able to make improvements but am an unable, and unwilling to sink money into someone else's house.  I am impressed that I have finally started to learn a LITTLE patience.  This weekend I made the decision to delay our build my 2-3 months so that I could get a more favorable lot location.  Gods still working once, but it's refreshing to see some results.   

Yesterday sitting in church the pastor started a series on giving.  Appropriate as we enter into the thanksgiving season.   As he was speaking I realized what a joy it's going to be to write my 3rd and final committed to check to the 3 year capital campaign at Baptist Temple.  When we as a church went through that campaign I struggled with if I would commit to the whole campaign of 3 years, or just the time that I was going to be at Baptist Temple.  God pressed it into me to trust Him and commit to the full term.  I did, and amazed that God has provided on His commitment to me, to be able to give to His church.  I really don't know why this amazes me, but for some reason I thought that I was the one making the commitment, but ultimately it was God that made a commitment to me to supply above and beyond my needs, to be able to give to His church.  I am so glad that I committed to the entire campaign and not just for my time at the church, because I would have missed out on this incredible blessing.  I haven't talked it over with Amy yet, but in accordance with Gods word I would like to give as we have been bless and either double our last payment, or double our initial pledge.  Regardless I am going to write this letter to the church so that they might also be blessed by what God has done, but to offer encouragement as the church enters into the 3rd year of their commitments to stay strong in their trust that God is providing all of their needs.  

Today I am blessed to be flying to Idaho Falls.  God has really blessed me with the opportunity to go to some incredible places.  I hope that soon I will be able to take my family on more of these trips.  I am excited to get to take them to CA this weekend.  It makes the trip even better to get to experience part of a business trip with some family pleasure time.  God is blessing not only my work life, but also the business that Chris and I have started.  I am amazed at the growth rate in 6 months, as well as the money that we have received to date.  God has really blessed our efforts, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the future.

Here is the letter mentioned 

9/24/15 Ramblings from 30,000 feet

Well we did it...  I don't believe I have fully grasped that we don't live on Texas anymore.  So far AZ has been good to us, and of course as always God is providing all of our needs, and most of the wants.  He never lets me down!  

Lisa seems to be handling the transition well.  I know she has cried at least once missing her home of 5 years.  She states that she really felt we would be there forever, and it's hard.  I get it, was hard for me to, but I know we all were going to move eventually even if it was simply to a larger house.  We have spent the other two weeks at a great little mission minded church that is just full of activity.  Really reminds me of BT.  I'm not sure how I am going to fit in there yet, but I believe God has sent us there.  

The little ones seem to really enjoy the larger house.  They have started sharing a room, and even a bed.  They sleep together every night and I feel as if they are growing a bond that will never break.  Lisa is for sure their little mother hen.  They bring so much joy to my life.  I work to make sure Bethany never doubts how I feel about her, in hopes that she doesn't grow up with the normal middle child neglected feelings.  She really is special to me, and I tell her everyday. 

Flying to LA today to attend an industry event and visit industry friends.  I am able to mix my personal business with the companies business and hopefully reap benefits for both companies while I am there.  I really didn't think I would be making trips like this on someone else's dime once I moved here, but God once agin provides.  I pray that you company takes off in such a way that I can eventually focus more time towards full time ministry again.  It really is a surreal feeling to jump on a plane and be in another major city for a day and turn around and fly back. I've been doing it for almost 2 years now and still sometimes just can't believe it.  This was a foreign concept to me growing up.  People I knew didn't fly unless it was a once in a life time event.  I really have been blessed with the opportunities I've been given. 

Moving Day (Leaving Texas)

The last two weeks have been a blur.  First week trying to get our house on the market, and the second week trying to find a place to live, and get moved. 

I really can't believe that I just woke up in my house for the last 5 years for the last time.  Having built this house, moving in when Bethany was a week old, and brining Rebecca home from the hospital this house has a lot of great memories.  Lots of laughs, tears, good times, and bad have been shared here.  I am amazed at the turns life has taken since we moved here.  5 years ago it was just Amy, myself, and 5 year old Lisa.  From a family of three to a family of 5.  From Amy working full time, to being disabled.  

This morning I sit here on my porch swing, on a porch that I built many fond memories fill my heart.  Just building this porch with my 6 year old Lisa, while 1 year old Bethany sat in the sand and played.  I built this backyard into something special, and am absolutely astounded that God gave me the ability to build and craft things.  

I have recognized for some time that I have been in a transitional time in my life, and now that I know where this transitional time is taking us (Phoenix and The Driver Provider) I realize that this next year is just going to be another year of transition.  Becoming familiar with a new city, living in a rented house, determining where we want to buy a house in the Phoenix area is all one transition to another.  I am starting to believe that life is simply a series of transitions from birth to death.  Seems strange that so many people have a hard time adjusting to change when change is inevitable.  I question if the change is whats hard, or the self realization that you are now one transition closer to death.  

I have thought about that the last couple of days.  I am not an old man by most measures.  At 35 some would say I am in my prime.  But I also realized as I thought about the last 5 years, and the 5years before that (the time that we have lived in our two houses Amy and I) that I am not 25 anymore.  I am grateful for that, but at the same time it is a startling reminder that we are all getting older.  Now as I look back on pictures from years gone by I see great memories of people and places that I have been, and I am grateful for the experiences that I have had.  But I start to realize that tomorrow is not about me.  I start to think of the life my children will live.  The desire that I have for them to find peace, and love.  For them to be able to do more, and experience even more than I have.  I want to try and give them stability, yet at the same time I realize that our own created since of stability is truly a false since of comfort.  

Yesterday I was climbing out of the attic for the last time, and was overcome by memories.  Looking through old photos, and belongings.  Memories of taking town, and putting up Christmas lights every year (I am a Clark Griswald) and I just had to stop at the top of the ladder, half of my body in the attic, the other half in the garage and I was overcome by a feeling of gratitude.  I can not believe what Jesus has provided for me.  This house for the last 5 years, 3 incredibly beautiful girls, food on my table, cloths on my back, and more stuff then I need.  But more than that is something that I don't deserve.  It's a peace that comes from knowing that He is taking care of everything.  I stood there tears in my eyes as I just was so thankful for knowing who my Savior is, and how much He truly loves me.    

I look forward to this new adventure.  I have found a church that is close by that I am excited to be a part of.  An opportunity to once again be involved in another church body, giving my children a place of refuge in the middle of all this change, and a place to serve.  A place that I can show the love that Jesus shows me, to other people.   

Hope for an empty feeling

Sitting on my porch sipping coffee this morning I can’t help but think about how Jesus's followers felt the morning after the crucifixion. The lost feeling not knowing what the last three years of their lives meant. Perhaps they themselves never realized as they followed Jesus around exactly why they had been doing it, and having it all ending in a way that none of them could have predicted. Sitting alone after something like that many thoughts could go through a persons mind. Wondering what is the point of continuing on. Utter and complete hopelessness that comes without Jesus in your life. I remember this feeling in my own life, and I know that I am surrounded by a world that sits alone when the music stops and the grander of a life they have built for themselves fades away they are left with a feeling of emptiness. The disciples on that Saturday morning did not understand that there was a purpose. They didn’t see the hope that was coming from the cross. Jesus was coming back! He was coming back in such a way that none of them would ever have to have that empty feeling in their lives ever again! He was coming back to offer for a world forever a hope that no one could ever take away regardless of how empty you think your life is. Jesus reached out to you on the cross that day, all those years ago, and is still reaching out today. When you are sitting there, and the party is over, and everyone has gone home Jesus is still there. You don’t have to wait for Sunday morning to see the empty tomb, it’s still empty, and Jesus is still alive, and wants you to know that He cares for you, and He loves you. 

Fall Race

Well it's that time of year. It's August, and I have already paid my dues for the Rock and Roll San Antonio 1/2 marathon. I had thought this year would be all about someone else, but as we get closer it looks like that is not going to be the case. So the question is what am I going to do this year? This isn't my first race like it was a couple years ago, so just finishing is not a real accomplishment. It is not by far the longest distance that I have ever accomplished, not to brag but I did finish a marathon last year (we won't talk about that). So what am I going to do with this event? I think that the only logical decision is to set a time goal for myself. I made the mistake of doing that in my first race, and hobbled across the finish line in severe pain (lesson learned for my first marathon). But I am a more mature runner now. I have learned from my mistakes, and perhaps this is what I need in order to push myself. It would be so easy at this point to just show up and jog through 13.1 miles with out really taking training that seriously, but what joy and accomplishment would that bring me. This settles it, I need a time goal. I'm thinking somewhere in the area of 130 minutes. Thats 2 hours and 10 minutes, or just under an average pace of 10 minute miles. Yes you can laugh it up, but that would be a serious challenge for me. Sure I've done sub 30 5K's but we are talking about doing that 4 times and then running an extra 1.6 miles at the same intensity. I know that there will be men, and women there that will finish a full marathon in just over that time, but they never weighed in at over 450lbs either. The really cool thing about doing that is that in the final stretch I should be able to see the elite athletes zooming past me in there convoy as they jet off to the finish line (because of the way the course is laid out, and the wave start). Yup sounds like I have a goal, now I only need a plan...

weight loss

I started an incredible journey a few years back. As I try to figure out when honestly years get blurred. I know if I really wanted to I could figure out when exactly it started, but I don’t really care. What I do care about is the pause button that I have hit, and haven’t pushed play again. I assume that since you are reading this you know I have lost approximately 200 lbs. That’s Awesome right?!? Yea it kinda is, and yea it’s kind of a big deal. But there is a problem. I started at over 450. See the problem? If you don’t I’ll spell it out. I STILL WIEGH OVER 250lbs! There. That’s a problem. Yea in the last few months I completed a marathon, and have picked up a new exercise habit, but I am not losing weight any more. Yes I know why! I eat like a 250lb marathon runner! I happen to be 250 lb marathon runner, but I don’t want to be a 250 lb marathon runner! I want to be a 200 lb ironman! Yup, I think to realistically achieve my goal of completing an ironman competition I need to be closer, if not less than 200 lbs. So why haven’t I finished this goal that I started a few years ago to get down close to, if not under 200 lbs? I know there are lots of reasons that I had to pause this trip, my life got turned upside down, and inside out, and for 6 months I didn’t have a house, or a kitchen even, but that’s all changed. I’ve spent the last 14months in my house; my new born baby is over a year old, what’s holding me back? ME!!! I’ve got good exercise habits, I am dedicated in achieving my goals, and obviously I have discipline so what gives?!? It’s time for me to hit play again. I need to get back on this journey and see it to the end. I am so blessed that for the first time in our marriage my wife is serious about her own health, and now we can lose weight together (maybe a friendly competition????) The first thing I have got to do is get the scale back in my bathroom. Back when I did what I did, I weighed myself every single morning. I got up, went potty (I’m a father, that’s daddy language), and hit the scale. In our new house there are two bathrooms, and the one in the master is smaller and the scale got moved to another part of the house. I don’t see it every day, and by the time I do, I’m dressed, and usually had my water. So I just moved it back. Is it going to be an inconvenience? Yea but so is this extra weight I’m carrying around. I know some people say throw out the scale when you’re trying to lose weight, but look most of them have never lost a significant amount of weight and I have, so there :-p. The next step is my little carry along food journals are going back in my pocket. Yea I know that I can log with apps on my phone, but honestly those are very awkward, and if you’re just grabbing a quick snack it can take longer to figure out how to input it, then you really have time for. Pencil and paper is the way I fly. I can look up the calories that I don’t know later. It’s not a tool to tell you how much you can eat, it’s a tool to help you think about what you’re eating, and hold yourself accountable. Yup, I’m ready, time to get into some smaller clothes again, and shave some personal records (it’s a running thing you either get it, or you’re not a runner). 

Swimming a runners new passion

New Year, new goals. I have gone back to school full time, on top of everything else I do, and haven’t had time to update this. I recently joined a gym with a lap pool. It wasn’t my sole reason for joining, but has become my new focus. I rejoined a gym, after not doing any weight lifting for a year and a half. It’s been that long since I have really tried loosing anymore weight. My world got turned upside down, and I lost focus. My life has turned out for the better (Romans 8:28) but I really need to get my body headed back in the direction it once was. Sure I ran a marathon last year, but I really need to drop, another 50, to 70 lbs, and I know that by increasing my muscle mass, I will increase my base metabolism. Well after going to the gym, doing a warm up mile on the tread, and pushing some weights around (you lose muscle mass very quickly btw), I decided to hit the pool. After thinking I was going to drown while doing a tri this summer, I know that swimming is my weakness. If I’m ever gonna be able to call myself an Ironman I have to improve. After swimming a couple of times, I have discovered I really enjoy it. I have found it a lot like running. I had to slow down, find a rhythm, and let the meters rack up. Unfortunately I have to keep track of the laps in my head, but up to now I have done my longest swim about .6 of a mile, and am looking for my first full mile this week. I love the muscle fatigue I am able to get with swimming. I never realized how awesome it was just to go for a 30 minute swim. I even got a calf cramp Friday night, after a seriously full day of other training.  We all need to broaden our scope of things we do physically. I love running, and it will always be #1 in my life of exercise, but I have found a new passion, and it’s in the water. Now I just need to get a good road bike. My hybrid is just not going to cut it past about 75 miles at a time. Oh well 70.3 I’m on my way!!!

insane running music, who's crazy?

So it’s 2012. Got my first run in for the year today, I love south Texas. 45, and sunny, can’t ask for nicer weather. As I was running today I was thinking if any non running person could get in my car and push play on my running playlist, I would be a little embarrassed. However thanks to Twitter, blogs, and running magazines, I am not alone in some of the crazy tunes coming through my ear canals. Honestly if it weren’t for afore mentioned groups, I might begin to wonder if I wasn’t just plain nuts. I mean come on I go out it the cold (yes 45 is cold in south TX) run for an hour all while listening to such chart toping  lyrics such as “aiyyo, Bo knows this, and Bo knows that, but Bo don’t know jack, cause Bo can’t rap.”. Hey it’s a great beat, and keeps the tempo up. Who can walk when listening to such contemporary songs such as Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out For A Hero? I personally want to find an abandon warehouse and dance like Kevin Bacon. Come on you know you do to. Or perhaps you just might not have been born in the 70’s. So going into this new year I would like to thank all you in the running community for the assurance that I haven’t fallen off the deep end, and there are plenty more out there just like me. Are we the crazy one’s, or are they for not joining us in our adventure for negative splits? That is the real question.

What a way to end the year

What a great way to end this year. My running life started out really slow in 2011. Had a new baby, and moved into a new house all within about 2 weeks of Christmas last year. Needles to say I didn’t do much running for a couple of months. Today I got my last run in of the year, and what a difference a year makes. I ran a 5k around the neighborhood and did it in 28:37 that is a full minute plus faster than I have ever run that distance, and it felt amazing. So looking back on the year I never have sat down and said I want to accomplish certain things, but I defiantly had a goal for 2011. I wanted to complete 26.2 miles. I did it! I got my Marathon in November (Yes I think Marathon should be capitalized), and accomplished something that for 30 years of my life I never would have dreamed of starting, and really couldn't understand why anybody else would. Well since that’s the only real goal I had for 2011 (it was a huge one) I’d say I did alright. As for 2012? I think I will for the first time in my life sit down and write out some goals for the New Year. Thank you God for this change in my life, I owe it all to You, and You get all the glory. 

Yes I'm proud of that accomplishment in 2011.

Trucking adventure, and mindless calories

WOW what a crazy couple of days. Wednesday an opportunity presented itself for me to go down to the valley and drive a truck in the oil fields. I had been wanting to jump in an 18 wheeler again, and since I had no commitments around the house it seemed like an ideal time to go. Being back in that cab was awesome, I love jamin those gears, and rollin those wheels. I was like a kid at space camp. However it was so tempting to fall back in old patterns. When I was an over the road driver I made HORRIBLE decisions. I never walked out of a truck stop without a mug full of soda, and something full of calories to snack on while running down the road. I’m proud to say I was able to replace the soda with coffee, and water, and didn’t pick up any snacks. It was not easy but I did it. Often times we don’t realize how much we associate activities with food with. Ever go to the movies and mindlessly snack on popcorn and jr mints? Or perhaps go to a sporting event and order nachos just because you’re there. Most of us mindlessly put food in our mouths just because we are doing an activity that we have ingrained in our minds that the two go together, much the way a person will go to a bar and smoke while drinking, but never touch cigarettes any other time. I want to encourage you to notice those bites of food that go with activities, and retrain yourself to do activities, and enjoy them without the added calories.

This was really cool to walk around and watch these guys work. It was nothing like the tv show  Black Gold btw.

the best present a runner has ever received

Had a wonderful Christmas, I got some pretty cool gifts this year including some under counter lights for my kitchen, and a All-Clad fry pan. You would think nothing could top a new All-Clad fry pan, except maybe a new pair of running shoes, but I got something so much better this year. My wife kept telling me she had this gift for me that was gonna WOW! Me. I don’t wow very easily, but she just knew she was going to do it, and all she had to do was sit down at the computer for a little bit and write something. ??? What was she planning? Well I didn't peek, and let me tell you she WOWED me. I want to share with everybody the best Christmas present that’s ever been under my tree. This is the exact letter she gave me, but without the cool border she had around it;

Running Commitment

I Corinthians 7:4, “The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does.  Likewise the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”CEB

This Bible verse has been on my heart for some time and, recently, I have thought intently on its meaning.  I am taking it to a new personal level and have made this Running Commitment as my Christmas gift to you.

 I promise to devote an entire year to running, (or at least attempting to run, until I CAN), beginning today, December 25, 2011.  With your guidance, schedule planning, and training, I promise to follow without complaint (well, maybe a little) and to set personal, reasonable goals that I can achieve.  I promise to try until I can, and also to devote some time to run TOGETHER with you.  I promise to sign up for walk/runs and try to enjoy myself.  I promise to run for fun! I promise to run for serious! I promise to just run for whatever!

I am ready to change for the better.  I am ready to transform my body.  I am ready to metamorphosize my life! (Yes, I made up that word………..)

Wow! 2012 is going to be a challenge!

I love you!  Merry Christmas!

Your loving and committed wife,

Amy

How awesome is that? I am so excited. I have wanted so much for my wife to share this thing that has come into my life and changed me so much, and now she is ready to join me. I love it, and I love you. I know you think it's crazy, but we will cross the line of the SARNR 1/2 marathon this coming year hand in hand. I don't care how long it takes we will do it every step together. I love you. Thank you for the best present ever. 

13.1 is half of nothing

As I take a minute to cool down   warm up regulate my body temperature just thought I would take a moment to write some thoughts. Yesterday as I often do I got to visit with a new runner. Through the course of the conversation she told me she has a goal of doing a half marathon, which I find seems to be a very common goal amongst new runners, but then she was telling me a story of a friend of hers that had run one this year. During her recanting of the story she told me how this woman had been a runner for a very long time, but never any long distances like a half. At this point in my mind I had to remind myself just how far 13.1 miles is, and what an accomplishment it is. I have never looked down on the half, I just simply have become so accustomed to longer distances that it has dropped from my mind how nearly impossible that distance seemed to me at one time. The same goes for a 10k. I remember when I first started running a friend was training for a 10k and I thought how grueling the training was for it. Now my daily everyday runs are close to that mark. I hope someday to look back at a full marathon with the same perspective if I ever get the time to train for ultras. If you’re pushing for a half I want you to remember 13.1 is half of nothing. That is a very respectable accomplishment, and my hats off to anyone who trains for and completes it. 

running on an injury

I hit a really cool milestone this morning. Runkeeper; running companion tells me that in the last approximately year and a half I have burned 300,000 calories tracking my activities. I’m also on the verge of hitting another milestone with them, but I’ll hold off on that one. This is not really what on my heart right now. I got done with my run this morning, and as I was cooling off in the driveway doing some light stretching and walking I checked twitter on my phone like I typically do. I saw a post about a blog that interested me, so decided to read it real quick. I was horrified by what I read, and here is my response. I hope you read it, and I really hope you will take the advice. I want you to know this is out of love, otherwise I would not tell you the truth.

        Prior to my marathon last month I was going twitter crazy with all the people that were coming to town for the race. I even went to a meet up with some runners and bloggers that I’d never meet. One blogger particular was actually two people, friends going on a journey that included 12 races in a year culminating in a full marathon in December. This is the link to the post that I read this morning.  stubborn runner               

Let me just say running with pain is NOT!!!! Ok. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. I have known way to many people who have allowed a minor irritation to turn in to a minor pain, then into a big pain, then have had to not do anything for months, and even years. You start your blog off by rationalizing that you’re probably not alone in running through pain. Your right, you’re not, couches are full of people that used to be runners because they ignored their bodies to the point they had to stop running, and once they overcame there injury never started again. I have a friend this year that decided to ignore his body, ran through the pain then ended up sitting on the couch for 6 months. He missed a Tri that he really wanted to do, but luckily he didn’t require a longer stint on the couch. He’s back out there, and recovery has been slow but he got LUCKY. I personally very rarely have any discomfort when I run. During the longest runs leading up to the marathon I would have soreness, but never pain. Running shouldn’t be something you grit your teeth and brave through. It should be pleasurable. You should get enjoyment after a run, not wonder if you’re gonna be able to walk straight the rest of the day. I personally want to be running marathons long into my 70’s and beyond. This is not a short term accomplishment for me. I hope you feel the same way. I look forward to reading about more races you’ve done, and even more meetups in the future. But if you’re not able to get out there and run again because you let your ego get in the way of your common since then you’re running career is going to be short lived, and probably almost over. We only have one body, and if we want to get the most out of it, we must take care of it. Thinking of having kids some day? Want to be able to run and play with them? Think about what you could be doing to your body today that might jeopardize that in the future. Running is a great for our bodies, but you have trained really hard this year, and run a lot of miles. It’s time to sit back and evaluate if you really want to run yourself into the ground, is getting that race bling really worth it? Or could it wait for next year?