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Variety in our Exercise

For about 1 year and 9 months now I have been a pretty consistent runner. But now, I'm stuck in a rut. I want to be a runner for the rest of my life, if the Lord wills, but I also like variety in my choices of activities.  It's the running rut. I"m not the kind of runner who can just run without a goal in mind. I must have a goal to motivate me to run. I want to reach that goal. It might be a goal of getting faster, getting a PR in my next race, or wanting to achieve a certain distance. Right now, I am in the rut of not having a goal to achieve. I'm also not closed to varying my main exercise with other main modes of exercise. I'm not close to a pool but I do have a bike. So I am training with a new goal in mind. 

While still running a couple days a week, I will be transitioning to training for a cycling event. I've never participated in a cycling event before and have been intrigued by doing it. I have yet to decide whether I will do my "cycling" event by myself or in a regularly organized event. The farthest I have ever cycled is 30 miles. I would now like to upgrade to a full Century ride.  I am excited and just got a training plan yesterday.  I hope to be able to complete a century ride some time in the next few months.  I will also still be incorporating strength, core training, vigorous walking, and running so as to vary my routine, and make all the parts of my anatomy strong and healthy.   May the Lord be glorified in this new venture of my fitness routine!    

Fitness - It's a Religion

I know. I know. I haven't posted in ages. But I'm still the same age since I posted last, so here I go.

This is not something that came to my mind on the spur of the moment but a thought that I have pondered deeply and long over the past few weeks, months, even years. My point is "Fitness is a religion." Runners may diss a Christian runner for being religious, but in reality they are just as religious or even more so. They may not attend a church every Sunday, but their religion is centered on themselves, not on the God who made them and designed their bodies for doing amazing physical feats. They forget, however, to acknowledge and praise their Maker and Creator for what He has done in making and designing them with so many amazing features. But instead, man, who is naturally self-centered, gives himself the credit for his accomplishments. They publish their accomplishments in newspapers and on the web, and they gather their crowd of worshippers who fall down at their feet and admire them with their gifts and idolatry. Man revels in the praise he doesn't deserve. Every man wishes to be a god to himself and others but in the deepest parts of their being, they know there is a God and He is very real. But he tries to supress that by using many instruments like fitness and sports to supress the fact that there is a God, and instead of using it to praise God for what He has done in designing them, they use fitness to praise themselves, for what they have done all by themselves. But let us come to the realization that, we have not and could never design such a wonderful and complex body that God has given us and that He is the ultimate source of our abilities and our capabilities. He is the Creator and Maker of all things. Remember when you accomplish a hard workout, whether it be a 30 mile bike ride, a 10,20 mile run, or 10 repeats of 300 pounds on a bench press, that God gave you those abilities and we are to give Him all praise and thanks!

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Check out this giveaway over at MIndful Living. http://tponz.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/my-first-giveaway/#comments

Fit for Christ - Why?

Fit for Christ -

Let me share with you how I chose the name of my blog. Two years ago, I started to exercise regularly. I really did not want to aspire to be a couch potato, but I knew I didn't want to live a sedentary lifestyle. I wanted to incorporate the exercise into my life so I could serve God to my full capacity. I wanted to be active and healthy for my future family so I could produce children, that too would carry on "our" vision for the kingdom of God. So why are you active? Why do you get on the treadmill every morning? Is it to sculpt a beautiful, lean, thin body to match all of those fat couch potatos? Or is your goal much more eternal than that? Set your sights high with a vision for the future. Do not look at the temporal benefits of your choices but look at how they will affect you for eternity! 
E.S.

Nutrition - Soaking Your Grains

Nutrition - Soaking Your Grains

Many of you have probably heard of the concept of soaking your grains before baking, i.e. wheat flour, oats, etc... This seems like it a time consuming task but it actually does do something special for you? Recently we have taken on the tradition of grinding fresh whole wheat flour the night before we make bread and soak it in buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir. The reason for this is something very closely related to the digestive system. In most or many of these complex carbohydrates they have a casing called a phytate. The phytic acid is difficult for our body to break down and digest on its own, but when we use an acidic cultured substance like yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir it breaks down the phytates, which results in better digestion. When the grains are not soaked like the bread you purchase at the store your body can not digest it. Marilyn Moll has a very simple recipe for soaking the bread. http://articles.urbanhomemaker.com/index.php?page=index_v2&id=358&c=root. Then continue with her famous whole wheat bread recipe. Soaking the grains not only improves the digestibility but also the texture of the bread. The bread comes out soft, moist, and tastes wonderful with a slice of butter and a dollop of honey.



Oats - If you ever like to eat oatmeal for breakfast, try soaking your oatmeal before hand. Soak 1 cup of dry oatmeal with 2 cups of warm filtered water and 4 tbsp. yogurt or kefir or buttermilk. THen prepare in the morning by adding 2 cups more of warm water. This serves 5-6 people and is a filling breakfast. Serve it with peanut butter, honey, milk, and fruit!

Endurance vs. Speed

In all of the things I have been learning this week, I came up with something that I found interesting. I don't know if anybody else will find this interesting.

In relation to the Christian life running can be very similar. It's hard, physically exhausting, and your muscles ache after wards. The life of the Christian is very much the same. Just as in the midst of a long speedwork session on the treadmill you feel as if you can not go on any longer, the Lord lifts us up and gives us endurance to finish the race, both physical and spiritual. The Christian race does not call for but endurance through to the end. Remember that God will give you the strength to make it through even when life is not easy. Just keep persevering and the Lord will bless you.