There are People Waiting

“When he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Matthew 9:37-38 NIV

In an article titled “Florida runner hit by car says it took hours for FHP troopers to respond” published by Fox 35 out of Orlando, FL yesterday, the following was reported: Daryl Willmore was running across the street when he was hit by a car that didn't stop to help at Ramsgate Circle and Scenic Point Blvd. in Orange County. He said thankfully he did not need immediate medical attention but called law enforcement to respond. Willmore said he was hit just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday but that Florida Highway Patrol troopers (FHP) didn't respond until 1 a.m. Friday morning. “They wouldn’t give me a specific timeframe, except several hours. They said we’ll call you when we have someone en route," said Willmore. "They said if I didn’t need a paramedic it would be several hours." As to the cause for the delay, FHP Lt. Channing Taylor said, “If we had 100 people on duty that night we wouldn’t have the wait. Our goal is not to make people wait. We don’t want people to wait. We don’t want them to wait.”

And you know, when it comes to people having to wait, my heart is more and more burdened with the amount of work that needs to be done by so few (a statistic confirmed by Christianity Today).You see, as the end days draw near, you and I have less time to share the Gospel with those in need of hearing it. And if they don’t hear it, how can they accept Jesus as their Savior before it’s too late? The truth is… they can’t. Which is the very reason faithful followers of Christ must not only hit the streets running with the Message but fervently pray that the “Lord of the harvest” would “send out workers into his harvest field” to join us. 

So knowing what awaits people who perish in their sins without accepting Jesus as their Savior, let us work to get ‘people on duty’ so no one has to wait to hear the Message that promises eternal life. The harvest is plentiful my friend and there is work to do. Let us be found busy doing it. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that the time of your return is very near. Cause our hearts to truly understand this Lord and give us a sense of urgency to reach the lost that compels us to action. Break our hearts for what breaks yours God. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Avoid the Comparisons

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about the dangers of comparison. And I'm not talking about comparing yourself to others (something I've written about before that can have disastrous consequences) but about comparing yourself to who you were five years ago, ten years ago or even twenty years ago.

So why this topic you might be asking? Well.... as a runner now in my early fifties and battling yet another injury (Achilles tendinitis this time), I've found myself looking back to the way I ran in my thirties (when I began running marathons) and forties and thinking, "Oh my. You used to be so much faster and could run every day without getting hurt." As you can imagine, this type of thinking reaped nothing good for me and it won't for you either. The truth is most everyone will slow down as they get older. But there's good news! Age Grading can help put this all into perspective so you and I can readjust our goals and redefine what it means to be as fast as we used to be. And this, in turn, will turn that 'stinkin thinkin' around. 

To explain Age Grading better, check out what Runner's World had to say about it:

Fact: The way you perform on a run is unlike the way anyone else performs, and that’s especially true if you’re a different age or gender. So how do you really compare your performance to theirs? With age grading.

If the phrase ‘age grading’ makes you scratch your head, think of it like a golf handicap. It’s basically a method of scoring races that the oldest and the youngest runners “compete” in head to head, even though they may not be racing for the finish line next to one another. Here’s everything you need to know about doing the math, and how calculating your age-graded score can actually help you become a better runner.

What Exactly Is Age Grading?

Every few years, statisticians at World Masters Athletics review global race records to identify the best possible time an athlete can run at every distance from 5K to the marathon. Then, they use a formula to calculate an age factor for every age; this serves as the “best possible time” an athlete of that gender and age should be able to run.

On those statistic tables, you’ll find the factors for each age and distance, which, when multiplied by your time, give you an “equivalent” performance for an open runner or a percentage “age grade” that compares your time with the best possible for your age. Thankfully, you don’t actually need to use those tables; you can just use an online calculator.

How Does Age Grading Work?

In running, age-graded scoring is based on how fast you run (by correcting it to what your speed would have been at your prime age) and a percentage value of the world record for your gender. Performance standards listed on the USATF site give approximate comparative levels:

100 percent = world record
90 percent = world class
80 percent = national class
70 percent = regional class
60 percent = local class

So here’s an example of how that works: Let’s say an 80-year-old man finished a half marathon in fortieth place and achieved an age-grade score of 91 percent—meaning he ran very close to the top time expected for an 80-year-old man. Meanwhile, a 30-year-old finished in fifth place but achieved an age grade score of 70 percent—meaning his time is further away from the top time of a 30-year-old male elite athlete. Despite the younger athlete having a better time, by age grading standards, the 80-year-old would be considered the better athlete for his age.

How Can You Calculate Your Age Grade and Use It?

Chances are, you don’t need a calculator to tell you that Molly Huddle or Eliud Kipchoge are faster than you. But how does your half marathon performance compare to your significant other’s? What about your slightly older friend?

“Age grading gives context to someone, both inside and outside the sport, who looks at anyone from a casual runner to an elite Masters runner and asks ‘just how fast is that?’” says Mary Rosado, a masters runner for the Central Park Track Club. “For example, it would allow a mother-daughter rivalry be put to bed on who’s actually fitter.”

You can also use age grading to compare your current performance to that of your younger self, putting your new race times in perspective (a 10K certainly isn’t going to feel the same at 50 as it did at 20, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still fit). “Age grading provides a measuring stick for the athlete who has left off running for a few years but is getting back to it,” says Rosado. “How much of the fall off in performance is due to a lack of fitness, and how much to the normal aging process? And, to flip that, what is a realistic expectation of performance once full fitness is regained? You may never match the 40-minute 10K you ran back in the day, but you can aspire to achieve the same 10K age grade score for your new age."

And age grading can help you set goals—like, say, running a “national class” 5K. You’d enter your age and the percentage (80) into the calculator, and the time that pops up would be your goal time. From there, you can calculate just how much time you’d need to shave off your 5K time to be considered a “national class” runner.

Really, it’s just about providing motivation. “Age grading provides athletes with an incentive to continue to train and push themselves, even when a podium finish is unlikely,” says Rosado.

So there you have it friends. By using the age grading system, you can gain an accurate appraisal of how well you're training and how well you're running. But don't forget about one element that should always be factored in when evaluating the state of your running... how much fun you're having! For real! When I personally considered that aspect of what makes running so amazing and worth doing at any speed and every age, I'm at a world class level! I have friends and running groups that make it way more enjoyable and fun than it ever has been and I hope you do too. That's what makes running so amazing. 

HAPPY RUNNING!

Always give God the glory

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!” 1 Chronicles 29:14 NLT

In an article titled “‘I don’t want this to end’: runner hits Melbourne after covering length of Australia in 150 consecutive marathons” published by The Guardian on Sunday, the following was reported: Months after starting out from the tip of Cape York, Erchana Murray-Bartlett is set to complete her 150th consecutive daily marathon in Melbourne on Monday, finishing a record-breaking journey through Australia’s eastern states. Murray-Bartlett set out in August to run more than 6,200km, raising money for the Wilderness Society and awareness of Australia’s extinction crisis.. Her journey has taken her along beaches, dirt roads and through Victoria’s high country, interspersed with visits to schools and conservation groups. To date, the runner has raised more than $98,000… The 32-year-old, who spoke breezily on the phone while finishing one of her daily marathons, said: “I’m so proud of what my body has been able to achieve. I’m so proud of the money we’ve raised.”

And while this was most definitely a massive achievement, I was saddened by the missed opportunity to acknowledge the One that gave her the ability to do it. You see, every ability you and I possess and every set of circumstances that make it possible to do anything comes from God and God alone. Mighty King David who had wealth beyond measure clearly understood this and after giving from his own stores of silver and gold for the construction of God's house said, "Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!" C.S. Lewis said it this way... "Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God.” Which means that if you and I devoted every moment of our whole lives exclusively to God’s service, we couldn't give Him anything that wasn’t His own already.

So whatever it is that your hands do or whatever they might possess, give God the glory for it my friend, and be generous knowing that you are only giving back what God has given you. You'll not only be fulfilling the command to acknowledge the Lord as the Giver of all good things but you’ll be inspiring others to do the same. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that everything we have, everything we are, and everything we have the ability to do comes from You. Cause our hearts to be so grateful Lord that our response would always be to say, "To God be the glory." Help us to never miss an opportunity to turn the eyes of those watching from us to You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Don’t be afraid to Live for Christ

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.” Philippians 1:20 NLT

On the evening of April 03, 1968, Baptist preacher and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech to a crowd in Memphis, TN. Ironically, not knowing he would be assassinated the following day, King ended his formal address with these words, “I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

And you know, as we celebrate MLK Jr. Day today, you and I would do well to remember the reason King is revered. He was a man who lived to ‘do God’s will’ as the apostle Paul did, with his heart fixed on going home ‘to the promised land’ but his eyes set on the mission God had for him here. He lived to “bring honor to Christ” above all, knowing that it could literally cost him his life. Nevertheless, like Paul he was free to live for Christ because he wasn’t afraid to die for Christ. And because of that Martin did great things for the Kingdom. 

So in these difficult days ahead of us, let us choose to “be bold for Christ” my friend. Let us serve Him unwaveringly and share the Gospel unashamedly, trusting that our lives will “bring honor to Christ” whether we live or die. Let us be unafraid to die for Him so that we are free to live for Him. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for making it clear that this life is not all there is. Cause us to truly understand how short our days are on this earth so that we would make the most of them by serving You in whatever way and in whatever place You have called us to. Help us to keep our hearts fixed on the promised land and our eyes locked on our calling. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Learn when to Speak and when to be Silent

“a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,” Ecclesiastes 3:7 NIV

In an article titled, “Strava Lays Off Employees, Significantly Raises Prices” posted by Runner’s World Tuesday,  the following was reported: Strava, the most popular social networking app for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts, laid off 38 employees in December 2022. Multiple former Strava employees confirmed the news on LinkedIn. According to a post from an unaffected Strava employee, the layoff equated to 14 percent of the company’s workforce. The layoffs predated the reported uptick in price for premium features. The previous $7.99 monthly rate will increase to $11.99 on February 6—a significant 50 percent increase. Runner’s World reached out to Strava for a comment, but the company has not responded. 

And you know, when it comes to withholding a response, the Bible tells us that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” In other words, it’s generally wise to let our words be few and to control our tongues but there will be times when we will not only be called to speak up, we must speak up. The key to knowing when to speak and when to be silent is having a firm knowledge of what the Bible says about speech and the wisdom to evaluate individual situations and to speak accordingly—a virtue that has the power to right wrongs, settle disputes, encourage the hurting, and avoid unnecessary conflicts. 

So take the time to read your Bible each and every day my friend. You’ll not only know when to speak but you’ll know what to say, having gleaned the proper words and answers for every situation from the Word.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that there is an appropriate time to talk and and an appropriate time to bite our tongues. Knowing the power both words and silence have, give us the discernment to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to be obedient. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running! 

Stop worrying about what other people think

“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” Proverbs 19:25 BSB

In an article titled “Three running habits to break right now” posted by Canadian Running Magazine yesterday, the writer listed, “Trying to make your runs look good on Strava” as the number one habit to break right now and then explained why: If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both a coach and an athlete, it’s this: over the long term, the workouts that build strength, power and endurance don’t come across as sexy on Strava. Consistency works. Sometimes that means you’ll be hammering out a snappy tempo run, but usually that means just getting out the door for easy mileage. If you’ve ever avoided a hill because you wanted to nail a certain pace on Strava, you could probably benefit from taking a Strava-snooze from worrying about what others think.

And you know, when it comes to worrying about or fearing what other people may think about you, the Bible says that “the fear of man is a snare.” You see, many believers have an anxious need to receive positive affirmation from those around them and so worry about what they say, what they do, or even what they post. Left unchecked, these fears can lead us to be people-pleasers and to give in to the peer pressure to go along with the crowd, to compromise our values, and to stay quiet about our faith—all things that a true follower of Jesus Christ must never do. Instead we are to trust in the Lord with our whole hearts knowing He will keep us safe. 

So don’t worry about what other people think about you my friend. Their opinion has no lasting consequence for your life. Rather focus on serving and fearing only the One who has the power of life and death. His opinion is the only one that truly matters. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that worrying about what others think of us is a trap that will keep us from serving You as we should. Cause us to look only to You for acceptance and to be bold and unapologetic in sharing our faith with others. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Make it a Habit

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let’s get started by talking about how to make this ‘running thing’ you’ve been doing a habit if you haven’t already. Statistics show that many people will begin running this time of year or use the new start to commit to being more consistent about running and exercising in general. 

So whether you’re new to running or someone who’s been doing it for a while, you’ll benefit from these tips on how to make running a habit (or a more consistent one) from Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit. “Once exercise becomes a habit, it just feels easier,” says Duhigg, who trained for the 2012 New York City Marathon. “So when you don’t feel like doing it, it doesn’t take as much willpower.”

1. MAKE A PLAN. According to Duhigg, every habit is made up of a group of cues (e.g., time, place, mood, music, certain other people), a reward (chocolate, massage, hot shower, smoothie), and a routine (the running). So pick some cues (e.g., the most convenient time to run, the best route to take) and rewards that will incentivize you to run. Then write out a plan with the cues and rewards, and post it where you can see it. Let’s say the best time to run is morning; you’ve got an energizing music mix on your iPod; and your reward is a relaxing long, hot shower. Your plan would be: “If it’s morning, and I hear this music, I will run, because then I’ll get a long, hot shower.” Post the plan where you can see it. Try it for a week. If it doesn’t work, try changing the cues or the rewards. 

2. KEEP IT REGULAR. Create a prerun routine to cue your body and mind that it’s time to run, and repeat it every time you go. Always go at the same time of day. Put your workout clothes next to your bed. Put on your same workout music before you go out. “In order to make something like running into a habit, you have to have cues to trigger you, and they have to be consistent,” says Duhigg. “You’re creating neural pathways that make the activity into a habit,” he adds.

3. REWARD YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY. Right after your run, treat yourself to something you genuinely enjoy—a hot shower, a smoothie, even a small piece of dark chocolate—so your brain associates exercise with an immediate reward. “You have to get the reward right away for something to become automatic,” says Duhigg. “You can’t intellectualize your way to a reward. You have to teach the brain about reward through experience.”

4. BUILD YOUR OWN SUPPORT SYSTEM. Equip your running routine with the activities that will make you feel good about it and get you revved up to get up and go each day, says Duhigg. Meet up with friends so that the run doubles as socializing time; track your miles so that you can see the progress you’re making and the fitness improvements.

So there you have it friends. Making running a habit will benefit you in so many ways. You’ll not only see physical changes and transformations but mental ones as well. So make a plan, keep it regular, reward yourself as you should, and build your own support system. You’ll be so glad you did. Especially when November rolls around and you’re trained and ready for the Bass Pro Series of events. 

HAPPY RUNNING!