Champ or Chump

In my world, running is prayer and equivalent in all aspects.  It is impossible for me to separate the two.  When I am in a strong running groove, likewise, I'm in a strong prayer groove.  Running rut = Prayer rut.  It's time I get my groove back.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but during the last few lunch runs I've felt a theme running through my mind.  My "Spirit-Man" is a Champ, but my flesh is a Chump.  Sometimes the Champ doesn't feel like coming out, so the Chump claims victory.  I hate that.  Sometimes the Champ takes a dive.  I hate that even more.

Let's face it, life is just one big race.  We have no choice but to run it.  We all will cross the finish line one day.  When we do, the Judge will not ask us if we placed in our age group.  He'll look inside our hearts and be able to tell instantly if we threw the race.

Run so as to win, my friends.

Bonus Lesson from my Spirit Man:

Run with your head up, looking forward towards the finish line.  Keep it in your sights.  If you're always looking down, you won't see what hazard is coming at you.  While swimming in a triathlon you have to sight where you are going after every couple of strokes, otherwise you'll go way off course in the water.

Multi-Tasking

I've always yearned to have the true gift of Multi-Tasking:  to do several things both simultaneously and WELL!  I have the several things simultaneously down pat...it's the "well" part that I don't have.  I'm working on it.  For the most part, I just try to get as many things done as possible, and if there's any way to combine tasks and complete them at the same time, its all the better.  Which brings me to today's post.

One of the things I was thinking about yesterday was the phrase "doing the LORD's work," and I envisioned God as my boss sitting behind His desk and me sitting there with Him receiving instruction.  God has a job for all of us to do and we need to think long and hard if we are doing our jobs as well as we possibly can.  Following the "God-as-our-boss" analogy, we are paid a salary by God, and it is a truly equal salary that we are paid.  We are paid in TIME.  God gives everyone the same 24 hours in a day.  How well am I spending the time I've been given?  How much of the time that I've been given have I used to His Glory vs. chasing after my own selfish wants and desires?

Then came my lunch run and in the true spirit of wanting to multi-task and make good use of the one hour of time that I have been given for lunch I decide to run and to pray the rosary.  I've been talking a lot lately about God and Running and Spiritual vs. Physical fitness, so it only seems logical to finally and officially marry the two so they truly become one!  So here I am running and praying the rosary and then the thought occurs to me that I should be using this time to evangelize.  But how?  Hmmm, I wonder how many people see me huffing and puffing as I make 3 rounds around the block?  I wonder if I wore a shirt that had a Godly message on it?  What would that message be?

So, that's it.  I'm now on a quest to create some simple, Godly-Themed Shirts to use as I run.  My first Idea is below.  I created this on Zazzle.com.

Front of Shirt:  All You Need is GOD

Back of Shirt:  GOD is All You Need

It needs to be simple and to the point.  And honestly, I'm wanting these messages to bring Faith, Hope and Love to anyone seeking it, even if it means they stop me and want to talk about it.  So I'm just trying to think of a few good ideas that will make people stop and think of God if they see the message.

Please post here with some simple messages that you think would be good to put on a shirt that would spread the love of God!

The Physical and Spiritual Fitness Connection, Part 2

Continuing on a previous post regarding the connection I feel between physical fitness and spiritual fitness, this post comes courtesy of yesterday's lunch run.  Let me set the scene for you:

It was a gorgeous day outside: mid to low 80's, low humidity, cobalt blue skies.  It was a calm day inside, ie: not many fires to put out around the lab.  I had brought my running clothes out of habit more than actually thinking I was going to run at lunch, but somewhere around 10:00 am, I started getting a tinge of a headache and it just kept growing.  Around 11:30 am, I start soliciting takers for going out to eat, but nobody took me up on it.  I knew I should go running...that I needed to go running*...but I had a headache.

I made a half hearted motion out the door as though I'd go to lunch by myself, but I didn't make it.  I forced myself to grab my bag and head out.  I figured the fresh air would do me good.  That there was a reason why no one would go to lunch with me and that reason is that I was supposed to go running that day.  That I would somehow benefit from it.

And that leads me to the latest connection between physical and spiritual fitness:

You should do it even if you don't want to.

With exercise there are many excuses that I can use to not run:  "It's too hot/cold/humid/rainy/sunny outside to run."  "My foot/knee/hips/toe/head hurts."  "I don't have the time to run."  "Free Lunch!!"  I have many excuses when it comes to neglecting prayer as well:  "I don't have time to pray."  "I'm not 'feeling' it today."  "I don't know what to pray for."  "I can't concentrate enough to pray."

"The spirit it willing but the flesh is weak."
--Matthew 26:41

My spirit wants to pray.  My spirit wants me to exercise because my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and here lately, the temple has got some weeds that need pulling, some places that need some touching up and some rotten wood that needs replaced.

So, I forced myself to go running.  Again, I thought that the fresh air would do me good.  I would start out slow and just see how it goes.  I forgot my mp3 player and so I knew I'd have a lot of time to just be with my thoughts and to pray.  By the time I got out there, my tinge of a headache had turned into a full blown headache, and after the first quarter mile it was throbbing.  To take my mind off of it, I began to sing to myself the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and little by little, step by step, my headache started to go away.  By the end of the run, it was completely gone!  I was amazed!  As I took note of what had happened, I realized that I had to post on here about the importance of exercising and praying even though sometimes I don't want to.  You never know the benefit/blessings you will receive until you do it!  In my case on Friday, my headache went away.  In the case of prayer, I've heard it said (C.S. Lewis?) that the prayers that are the most efficacious are those that we pray even when we don't want to pray.  I believe that we will never truly know how much our prayers meant to others until the Particular Judgement.  At that time, we'll see just what impact we had on other people's lives.

So what is it that causes the "don't wants"?  For me I think it basically boils down to pride, the original and most deadly of the seven deadlies.  The sin that goes before all other sins.  I find it hard to run if I "don't have anything to run for," meaning that I'm not training for a race.  I need to remind myself that I am still "running for a reason," and that reason is my health and, ulitmately, my family.

Spiritually, I realize now and admit that pride has kept me from growing in the way the LORD has wanted.  I have always "taken pride" in the fact that I'm a "good Catholic."  Go to Mass, read the bible, pray, etc., etc., etc.  However, I should have realized that if I was "taking pride" in these things, I was missing the point!  To put it one way, I had an inflated "Faith Ego."  This inflated faith ego prevented me from going to the ACTS Retreat for three years.  I thought I didn't need it.  It would do me no good.  I wouldn't get anything out of it.  Well, God allowed me to eat some Humble Pie for a while and finally, my Spirit cried out loud enough to trump my Flesh and I signed up for the retreat.  There were many obstacles put in my way, none bigger than when my car needed $600.00 of repairs two weeks before the retreat.  I couldn't afford to go.  Even though they say money will not prevent anyone from attending, my pride was the first to cry out that I, "wasn't going to accept charity."  Instead of calling it off right away I slept on it, and I noticed that my first reaction to anything is that of the flesh, and this case was no exception.

"The spirit it willing but the flesh is weak."
--Matthew 26:41

So I decided to ignore my flesh and make the call to the Retreat directors to see if we could work something out.  I'm so glad I did, because from the moment I got there until the moment I left, I could hear God talking to me, reaffirming that I was not only meant, but called to be there.  After three years of telling God "no," I finally said, "yes" and He has blessed me ever since.

So, to quote a famous ad, when it comes to exercise or praying:

JUST DO IT!

And in hindsight, it is comical that I write this.  Just last night I was telling Kim that I was trying to gain motivation from my good friend and Iron Man Triathlete David McCullough.  I asked him what kept him motivated during those tough days when he didn't want to get out there.  His answer was to "Just Do It!"  I told Kim, "that doesn't help me at all!"  Yet here I am agreeing!

*When we were in Florida I bought one of those Life is Good T-shirts that says, "Gotta Run." Here lately when I wear that I feel a little bit guilty, and joke that it should say, "Need to Run." Hence the pictures on this post.

The Physical and Spiritual Fitness Connection: Part 1

While training for various events, my mind often turns to the thought of the connection between physical fitness and spiritual fitness, and how preparing for a race is very similar to living our lives on earth as preparation for Heaven.  The more I train, the more I'm convinced that St. Paul was an athlete.

"Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.  Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.  Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.  No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified."  {1 Cor. 9:24-27)

So, with that in mind, I thought I'd start a list of the ways my spiritual fitness is connected to my physical fitness in no particular order.  Maybe you can relate.

1.  It never gets easier.  This is the most obvious one.  Every day I get out there it takes a while before I can find my groove.  Whether it's on the bike or running, I'm amazed how difficult it is for me to get going.  My immediate reaction is to ask, "will this ever get easier?!"  The answer, in short, is "NO!"  When you do it right, exercise should always challenge your limits so you can go farther, faster or longer (more on that with #2 below.)

Likewise, the "race of life" will never get easier as St. Paul has warned us.  Every day we face the temptations of this world and they will never stop.  So, we must push ourselves to be spiritually fit enough to endure these challenges.

2.  To see improvement you have to get out of your comfort zone.  I can't count how many times I've "hit a plateau" in my exercising where no matter what I do, I won't lose any more weight.  This happens in dieting also.  Your body gets used to the routine that you've given it day in and day out and it has adapted and no longer responds as quickly with the weight loss.  The only way to break out of the plateau is to change up your routine and do something your body isn't used to.  For me this means that while running 3 miles at lunch 3 times a week is better than going to eat Thai food, my body is saying, "ho hum."  Note:  this doesn't mean that it's easy!! (See point #1).  I need to spice it up with interval training, speed workouts and the like.  I need to get on the bike more and longer.  I need to get in the water.  I need to change up my diet.  Only then will my body begin to respond again.

I've spoken about being in a spiritual rut before, and maybe you've experienced that as well.  It's the same thing.  When you stay in your comfort zone, it's easy to be lulled into your existence as a Christian.  I'm not trying to discount daily prayers and Sunday Mass, but if all I'm doing is my daily prayers and Sunday Mass, my soul gets bored, and that is the start of a rut.  To get out of my comfort zone, I need to do more:  Pray with my wife, daily Mass a few times a month, Eucharistic Adoration, frequent confession, witnessing, ministering.  These things exercise our spirits and give our souls that boost.

3.  You have to get out there.  Again, this is tied to #2.  I subscribe to Runner's World, and as a member of USAT I receive a quarterly Triathlon magazine.  I also have lots of friends who run and do triathlons and I speak to them often.  But if all I did was read about running and triatlons, or talk to my friends about running and triathlons, it will never get me prepared to actually participate in the event.  Of course it is good to read about it so I can gain motivation, pick up helpful tips, or even spot that newest gadget that I have to have ;), but I still have to actually get out there and run, bike and swim.

It is very similar with my spiritual fitness.  Again, I do not want to discount the importance of reading the Bible or stories of the Saints or inspirational stories and devotionals, or discussing the Faith with our friends.  This is very important.  But once we've read and once we've interacted and have been inspired, we must ACT on that, as St. James has written of:

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.  He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.  But the one who peers into the perfect law 12 of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does."  James 1:23-25

That's all the time I have today.  I'll post more of these as they come to me.  In the mean time, if you can think of some, comment here and let us all in on it.

God Bless and have a wonderful Labor Day Holiday!

The Journey

Every once in a while, I get stuck in a rut. This post is from some email correspondence about one of those ruts that my good, good friends Clay Parker and David Nixon helped me get out of a while back. Friends like this don't come along too often, and I cherish them and thank God for putting them in my life. Add Chris Doyle to the mix and I have a "trifecta" of Christian Husbands and Fathers upon which I can lean on in any time of need. It's no mistake that I met all of these men through my wife, Kim! (Reason #2,452,701 to thank God for Kim!)

I discerned whether or not to post this due to the personal nature, but in the end I thought that if these words could encourage just one person who happens upon this little old "tiny E" blog, then it is worth posting.

I guess what it all boils down to for me is that I want to know the root of why I yo-yo between being in Grace and falling from Grace. I know I’m not supposed to look at others and gauge myself by appearances, but I see people who just beam with the Joy of the LORD, and quite frankly, I think I’m jealous or envious of that. To me, before I returned to the LORD around the year 2000, I was happy as a pig wallowing in the mud. Then God came to me and slapped me across the face and said, “Look, Chad, you’re in the mud. This is not my plan for you. Get up, let me wash you off and clean you up.” That made me very happy, and I remained in that happiness for a time, but then I started to remember how much fun it was to wallow in the mud. So, I go and jump back in it. Willfully. What is it about the mud? That’s what I’m searching for. If I could pinpoint the reason why I keep going back to the mud, I think I could really advance in my relationship with the LORD.

Yesterday I had a strange run. I listened to Gregorian Chant the whole time and just contemplated where I am. Then a thought came to me as I was taking note of the wind as I ran. There was a slight breeze blowing yesterday. When you run in a slight breeze, depending on what direction you’re going in, you either feel it or you don’t. In 93 degree heat, ANY breeze is welcome! Running with the wind, you don’t feel it and you get no relief from the heat. Running across it, you get a taste of the breeze and it feels good and makes you want more. Running against it you feel the fullness of the breeze. And I started to think that the breeze is like God. When I am doing His will, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, many times I don’t feel His presence. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I feel closer to God when I have fallen from Grace because that’s when I feel Him the most. That is when I know for a fact that there is nothing I can do to save my soul, only God’s Grace will save me, and I cry out to Him to have mercy and pity on this miserable sinner that I am. I’m like a kid who gets in trouble just so his dad will give him the attention that he needs. I know that none of this is right. I’m not trying to justify my sin by saying “but that’s how I feel God, so it’s ok.” I’m not saying that.

At the end of the run I sat down and was cooling off and I felt the breeze. Then two passages came to mind:

Be still and know that I am God. –Psalm 45:11

and 3 Kings 19:11-12 where God told Elisha to go on the mountain because He was going to pass by, so he goes and there was a strong wind breaking rocks, but that was not God, then an earthquake, but that was not God, then a fire, but that was not God. Then a quiet whispering breeze and THAT was God.

God is telling me to be still. To stop trying to figure it out.

I'm trying.

The Spiritual Side of Running

"Please stop to smell the flowers." -God

"Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:38

I have always felt a strong correlation between my physical health and my spiritual health, so the passages above are more like rallying cries. Spiritually and physically, I really feel the effects of Original Sin. When it comes down to anything that is healthy, for me at least, it is an uphill battle.

My Spirit wants to exercise at lunch, but my flesh wants to go eat Thai.

My Spirit wants to juice for breakfast, but my flesh wants a donut.

My Spirit wants to avoid bad habits, but my flesh cries out for them.

Praise God for His Mercy and Forgiveness and for Our Savior Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sins!!

Yesterday my Spirit scored a victory over my flesh whenever I finally got back out on the road for a run. I really love to run because it provides me with some of the best one-on-one time with the LORD that I've ever had. But yesterday was a bit different. Before I went out, I left a comment on my facebook account:

"Chad is: going for a run."

My reasoning is that if I put it on facebook, I can't back out! Virtual accountability as it were. So I get out there and start the run and immediately my flesh is staging a revolt! Knee pain, foot pain, leg pain, shortness of breath...and this is all in the first, no kidding, 50 yards of starting! As a matter of fact, in my head I was already composing my facebook comment for when I returned:

"Chad is: out of shape"
"Chad is: too fat to run"
"Chad is: not what I used to be"

But this is the one that really got me:

"Chad is: frustrated that my running efforts this year look more like 2008 than 2007"

2007 was a good year, and my goal this year was to match that. But LIFE happened in '08 and so far in '09 as well, and I didn't, and haven't, matched my goals I set for myself. So I was really ready to throw myself a great, big pity party right there on my run, but God just wouldn't let me. All I had to do was just stop feeling sorry for myself, and focus on the run and He took over. I began to remember how nice it was to pray while I ran. To think of things like the Sacrifice that Christ made for us all and how this little run is nothing compared to His walk to Calvary...uphill...with the Cross on His shoulders and thorns on His head, all so He could die for you and me. It really is profound, and again, it snaps one out of feeling sorry for oneself really quickly.

When I had to stop to walk for a little ways, I noticed a nice little flower in the grass and a thought occurred to me that God let me walk right now, just so I could see this pretty flower. He wanted me to see it, but why? The answer: to let me know that He is present with me right here and now. He literally wanted me to STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS!! So I plucked it up and tucked it in my watch band and there it remained for the duration of the run to serve as a reminder of His presence. The rest of the run just got better and better. My aches and pains went away as my body remembered that, "oh yeah, I remember this!" I focused less on myself and my thoughts turned heavenward and to those in need of prayer.

And once the run was over, I felt so good and was so happy that I ran at lunch instead of going out to eat. No food could provide the satisfaction that I was experiencing from that run. But like all things, tomorrow is a new day and the battle will begin anew, but:

"with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

So, in the end, God turned my frustration into encouragement. He turned a bad run into great run, and He gave my physical AND spiritual health a nice little boost!

And I'll close with one of the many ponderances (is that a word?) from my runs. I've really had some profound thoughts occur to me on runs, only to forget them before I can write them down. But some stick with me...

God doesn't want my first mile when my legs are fresh and my breathing is easy. That first mile is completed with little reliance on Him. If you can give at little to no cost to yourself, have you given anything? No, He wants my last mile, when I am totally spent and have nothing left to give but my breath, my sweat, my pain. In that last mile, it is only because of Him that I keep going.

Houston Half Marathon - Run for a Reason

I am running in the Houston Half Marathon on January 13, 2008, and I am representing a local charity called Bo's Place. Bo's Place exists to give support to children who have lost a parent or sibling, and it is Houston's only free of charge grief center for children.

With Christmas fast approaching, I know many of you will be asking what's on my Wish List. Well, I'll tell you: in lieu of gifts at Christmas, I would rather you make a donation to Bo's Place.
To donate, visit my Half Marathon Bo's Place Fundraising Page by clicking here.

Below is some art that was made by the children at Bo's Place. Art plays a major role in the grief process at Bo’s Place. The physical act of drawing and creating can be an emotional release as is the art created. These activities give the child a way to externalize overwhelming emotions in a safe way.

Worry Cloud

The purpose of this activity is to help group members identify worries or concerns they have and connect as a group. The members each have an opportunity to write or draw their worries on the cloud. This allows them to get the concerns out of their head and onto the paper, facilitating conversation with other group members.

Memory Rocks

Children decorate rocks in memory of their lost loved ones.

Broken Pot

Families are given pieces of a broken clay pot. They are asked to write and draw things that are difficult on the inside of the pieces such as holidays, school, scary emotions, or sadness. On the outside, they express what has supported them through these trying times, such as family, friends, etc. As a family, they glue the pieces back together. The broken pot looks like their new life - scarred, rough but held together with strength and support from each other.

Quilt Squares

Quilts line the walls of Bo’s Place that speak of each child’s journey through grief. Children and their parents have the opportunity to make a quilt square memorializing their loved one. The squares are then made into a quilt representing each support group. The commemorative quilts are a lasting reminder of their loved one.

Again, in lieu of gifts at Christmas, I would rather you make a donation to Bo's Place. To donate, visit my Half Marathon Bo's Place Fundraising Page by clicking here. It's simple and secure, and it is for a great cause.

Thanks and God Bless!

Chad

My First Triathlon - Try Andy's Tri, Sugarland TX Oct. 14, 2007

This weekend, Scott and I ran the Try Andy's Triathlon in Sugarland. Kim and the boys and Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty and Scott's boys came out to cheer us on. This was my first triathlon and my goals were to: 1) Finish 2) Not finish last 3) Finish in 1hr 40 min.

All goals were accomplished. We finished with our time being 1:22 and we were 58 and 59 out of 62 in our age group, so we didn't finish last! Not too shabby for a first timer riding a mountain bike!

Here are some pics of the big day.



It's hard to look cool in a swim cap.

Getting ready to swim, hopefully not drown, and avoid any brain eating microbes.

Can you see me?

Whoa Nellie...I gotta get my land legs back!

Triathlon Continued

Scott leaving the water behind (did I mention the brain eating microbes?)

Wheeling the bikes out of T1

Leaving T2 to start the run leg.

1 Cor. 9:24

More from the Triathlon

Photo Finish!

Evan enjoys some post-race refreshments.

Elliot with his white non-planet thingy.

Not to be outdone, Drew has a beverage of his own.