Be a Good Samaritan

“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:34 NIV

In a story titled “Shocking video shows bull runner gored as he checks his phone” published by the New York Post on Sunday, it was reported that a runner was attacked while playing with his cell phone at an Aug. 30 “bou embolat” (bull with balls) event in Alcàsser, in the Valencia province of Spain. In shocking video obtained by CEN Media, the muscular bull, with burning balls of flammable material attached to its horns, is seen charging towards the young man, who is distracted by his phone. He barely sees the bull until the very last second — but by then, it was too late. As he tries to escape, the unidentified man trips and falls. The bull is seen trampling him as spectators scream in the background. Thankfully, however, the man was eventually helped by onlookers, who were able to drag him away and into safety. Sources told CEN Media that the man was treated for a non-serious gore wound on the side of his body. Wow right? Had it not been for the onlookers turned “good samaritans,” this story could have had a very tragic ending. 

And you know, when it comes to people willing to help complete strangers, the Bible tells us the story of a man who was attacked by robbers, beaten, and left half dead. Both a priest and a Levite saw the man but took great pains to pass him by on the other side. We’re not told why they passed him by but one can only imagine that they thought themselves to be better than him. Perhaps even thinking to themselves, “That wretched man got himself into that mess, let him get himself out of it.” Sadly that’s the attitude many Christians have when it comes to going out to the lost and the wounded as well, saying, “If they hadn’t made all those bad choices, they wouldn’t be in their situation.” Which is the very reason, we must all follow the example of the Samaritan who was moved by compassion to bandage the man’s wounds and take care of him— thus showing him the love of Jesus despite the reason the man might have been assaulted.  

So be careful to love others as Jesus does my friend, helping them up when they’re down and bandaging their wounds when they’ve been hurt. We will not only show them the kindness of the Savior but will be an example for others to follow. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves if we want to impact a world in desperate need of Jesus. Help us to be set apart by the way we help others in their time of need Lord, remembering that we all make mistakes and fall short of perfection. Help us to see others as You do and to have compassion on those who are hurting. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Make the Choice

“He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” Matthew 25:33-34 NLT

In an amusing article posted by Runner’s World last week, the following was reported: We kid you not: Two goats chased down a runner in Johnstown, Ontario on Sunday, according to CTV News. The Ontario Provincial Police are looking for the owners of the wandering goats, who were seen at an Ontario campground earlier this week. Authorities say the goats are friendly, despite chasing after the runner. The police shared a post on social media, rife with puns, that they were looking for the owner. As of this writing, there were no updates on the police department’s social media pages or website about whether they’d located the goats’ owner.

And you know, when it comes to goats, the Bible tells us that a time of final judgement is coming soon—a time when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, placing the “sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” That means all those who have placed their trust in Jesus and served him on earth (the sheep whose owner is God) will enter into heaven and those that have not (the goats whose owner is the devil) will go away into eternal punishment. 

So knowing that there are only two places to go after death, choose today who it is you will serve if you haven’t already done so my friend. It will be the most important decision you will ever make. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that everyone will spend eternity in one of two places… in heaven or in hell. Knowing what a horrible place hell is, give us the boldness and wisdom to share the Good News so that no one would perish in their sins but would come to call you Savior before they die. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Serve at Every Stage of Life

“After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.’” Numbers 8:26 BSB

In a video that was aired by the Longview News Journal, a 73-year-old man was captured crossing the finish line of a 60km ultramarathon. The writer deemed the video “the incredible moment an inspirational pensioner proved age is just a number,” and went to describe how engineer Ernesto Adaya, 73, had braved the tropical morning heat, jogging along the mountainous marathon trail in a remarkable feat of endurance in Davao del Sur province, the Philippines. He was met with cheers and applause as he shuffled across the finish line at a school in Digos City, completing the eighth 'Davao City to Digos City Ultramarathon' on September 3. Ernesto finished the 37.3 miles marathon in a time of 11 hours and 24 minutes. Footage shows event organisers Team Kapwa Davao congratulating the elderly athlete, who is part of the city's jogging club, and awarding him a medal for finishing the race. Exhausted from physical exertion, the septuagenarian nearly stumbled and was escorted by staff out of the scorching heat, which saw temperatures climb to 32 degrees Celsius.

And you know, as inspiring as Ernesto is, he’s certainly not the norm for men his age since profound changes begin to take place after the age of 50. Which is the very reason our running and the way we (both men and women) serve in the church will change as we age—something that has been true since the days of Moses when the Lord designated men between the ages of 25 and 50 to take part in the work of heavy lifting and strenuous manual labor at the tent of meeting. After that, the men were to continue their service by assisting their brothers to carry on the hard work. In other words, they were still called to serve as we all are, but they were called to do it in a different way… a way more suited to their mature season of life and one that would pass the baton to the next generation.

So remember that we are all called to serve for a lifetime my friend. We may retire from hard labor but there’s always something we can do in the family of God to be sure that the work never stops. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our service to You will look different at every age. Lord, please help us to determine what our job is in our current season of life and then give us the energy to do it with all our heart and might knowing that there’s no insignificant job in the body of Christ. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Always Deal Truthfully

“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Proverbs 19:22 NKJV

In an unprecedented story published by Runner’s World yesterday, it was reported that Mexico City Marathon organisers disqualified 11,000 runners for cheating, after trackers revealed participants had been cutting out sections of the course. Organisers of the marathon, which took place on Sunday 27 August and had 30,000 runners taking part, found over a third of participants had failed to complete the required distance. The race organisers launched an investigation after receiving multiple complaints that participants had been using vehicles, public transport and bikes to cut out sections of the course, according to sports publication Marca. Race tracking data subsequently revealed that the runners had not met the checkpoints placed every 5km, which ensure participants have completed the full 26.2-mile distance.

And you know, as shocking as this story is, it’s very indicative of the state of our world today, where lying and cheating (even in the sport of running that was once known for its integrity) have become so commonplace that people aren’t even shocked by it anymore. However, the Bible is very clear that “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” That means God not only loathes and hates deceitfulness but finds it offensive to Him and to His character. Which is the very reason believers are called to “deal truthfully” in all matters, seeking to please the Lord above all else. 

So no matter how tempting it might be to cut corners, don’t do it my friend. Seek to be “His delight” by walking in faithfulness and running the race according to the rules. It might be hard, but the reward of doing so makes it worth it. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for your Word that shows us the way we are to live. Knowing that we are Your ambassadors in this world, help us to be set apart by dealing truthfully in all matters. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Prevent Overtraining

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about something every runner will experience, especially as race day draws closer and the miles are racking up... fatigue. And while this is a normal part of training, excess, prolonged or unexplained fatigue can be a sign of overtraining. According to Outside, 61 percent of all serious runners will go through a period of overtraining, which is defined as a condition in which an athlete experiences fatigue, declining performance, and burnout, at least once in their running career. That means more than half of all runners will push their bodies to train too hard or for too long. And most won't realize it until it's too late. 

This was something I considered Monday midway into the 26.2 mile run I had embarked on to keep my decade long streak of running a marathon or ultra every Labor Day. I knew going into it that it would be tough as I would be doing it solo on the hilly roads Pulaski County's known for, with my husband serving as my personal cheerleader and aid station on wheels, but not as tough as it was. Although I got it done (despite the intense heat and exhaustion it created) by God’s grace, I took more walk breaks than I ever had and chided myself for not taking more rest days leading up to it. It was a lesson learned for sure. 

Which brings me to my point. With few tangible ways to identify and measure whether we’re overtraining, how do we determine if we need to just dial down on mileage for a few days or take substantial time off? How do we know if we've just had a bad day or if we're overtraining? Well... this is what the experts at WebMD had to say:

As an athlete, training is probably a part of your daily life. You work hard to stay in shape, as well as build endurance and strength. Despite your hard work, you may notice that you’re actually performing worse instead of better. This is called overtraining.

What Is Overtraining?

While exercise is generally good for you, too much exercise can be strenuous on your body. Exercise has a “dose-response relationship,” meaning the more you work out, the better your performance will be, to a point. When you reach a certain point, you’re doing your body harm, and you’re not getting the normal benefits of exercise.

The limit where your performance starts declining from exercise instead of improving is called overtraining syndrome (OTS) or burnout. You can reach the point of overtraining by exercising too much without enough recovery time between workouts. You can also reach this limit by not properly fueling your body with the calories and nutrients it needs.‌

The first phase of OTS is called overreaching. This is when you feel muscle soreness that’s more intense than usual, but you push through and train without resting. You can experience overreaching after several consecutive days of hard workouts. Past this point, you will begin to experience overtraining syndrome as you train without resting. Many athletes take this decline in performance as a reason to train harder. Continuing to work out while your body goes through OTS will only do more damage to your body and make your necessary recovery time longer. Letting your body properly recover from overtraining could take weeks or months of rest without training.

Symptoms of Overtraining

There are several signs of overtraining. OTS can affect both your physical and mental health, along with your overall well-being. Exercise-related symptoms. You may experience symptoms of overtraining that are directly related to exercise, including:

• Increased muscle soreness that gets worse the more you train
• A plateau or decline in athletic performance
• Inability to train at the level you usually do
• Excessive sweating and overheating
• Feeling like your muscles are heavy or stiff, especially your legs
• Injuries that keep coming back, like muscle sprains, stress fractures, and joint pain
• Loss of enthusiasm for exercise, or feeling like you want to skip your workouts altogether. 

Health-related symptoms. Other symptoms of overtraining can affect your health. Some signs to look out for include:

• Repeated illnesses, like colds or respiratory infections. Increase in blood pressure or resting heart rate
• Changes in skin, hair, and nails that make you appear unwell
• Digestive issues, like diarrhea or constipation
• Irregular menstrual cycles or loss of menstruation completely
• Sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, or disordered eating

Lifestyle-related symptoms. Symptoms of OTS can affect other aspects of your life. These symptoms include:

• Persistent fatigue, exhaustion, or low levels of energy
• Poor sleep or insomnia caused by not being able to relax
• Decreased motivation or self-esteem
• Signs of depression, like loss of enjoyment in activities or moodiness
• Increased feelings of anger or confusion
• Inability to concentrate, which affects your performance at work or school

Recovering from Overtraining

The main ingredient to recovery from overtraining is rest. This means that you need to limit or even stop training for a determined period of time. The time will vary depending on the sport and the level of activity, but most recovery takes between 4 to 12 weeks. As you recover from overtraining, you can still do a bit of low-intensity aerobic exercise to keep fit and healthy while not doing your normal workouts. These should be short-interval workouts that are not related to the sport that you normally train for. Once your symptoms have completely gone away, you will be ready to ease back into a training schedule.

Your doctor and coach can help you determine when to get back to training and create guidelines for you. Getting back into training will be a slow process because you don’t want to push your body too hard. A good recommendation is to start at 50% of your normal training load and add on 10% more work each week.

Preventing Overtraining

There are steps you can take to prevent overtraining. The most important way is to get proper rest. This can include taking at least one day off from physical activity each week to let your body recover and getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Athletes may benefit from time off each year from sports to allow for rest and recovery from sports-related injuries.‌

It’s important to take cues from your body. Keeping a training log with your workouts and how you feel afterward can help you realize when to slow down. You shouldn’t try to exercise through pain just because you feel guilty about missing a day.‌

Nutrition can also play an important role in preventing OTS. Make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet with enough carbohydrates and protein to help fuel and repair your muscles. Your calorie intake should also be high enough to match what you burn off during training. Also, you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day to stay hydrated.

So there you have it friends. Overtraining is a real thing. But so is prevention. So take the necessary steps to treat your body good. It will thank you by performing well on race day and all the training runs leading up to it. 

Happy Running!

There is a Place Prepared for Us

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3 NIV

In an article posted by Runners World last week, it was reported that 26-year-old runner Sam Norton was competing in the Santa Rosa Marathon On Sunday, August 27, when he collapsed just before reaching the 23rd mile. Medical staff arrived at the Santa Rosa Creek Trail to offer medical assistance to Norton and performed CPR as runners continued to move past them. Norton was then taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The day after Sam’s unexpected and sudden death, his mother, Kristen Caisse, told The Santa Press Democrat, “He was doing something that he loved… He just was such a blessing to all who knew him.” 

And you know, as much as this story pained my heart to read, I couldn’t help but think that Sam and Kristen must be believers because of the peace she displayed upon her son’s untimely passing. Peace that every believer should have since Jesus clearly tells us that life doesn’t end when we die. He has prepared a place for all those who have trusted in Him and promised that He is coming back to take them there. Do you just love that or what? That means we not only have the confidence that we will spend eternal life with Jesus but that our loved ones who have passed before us will too. 

So if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, rejoice my friend. You will spend eternity with Him. But if you haven’t, don’t put the decision off for even one more second. As this story clearly shows, no one is guaranteed tomorrow. And those who die without accepting Jesus will not go to be where He is. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that gives us peace about what happens when we breathe our last breath here. To know that we will be with You forever in a place that Jesus has prepared allows us to live unafraid of dying. Spur us to boldly share this Good News with the world. It’s in Your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running! 

Break the Generational Curse

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

In an article titled “Jim Walmsley Wins UTMB, Breaks the U.S. Men’s Curse,” published Saturday by trailrunner magazine, it was reported that, “The Arizona runner who lives in France became the first U.S. man to win the epic race, just ahead of Zach Miller.” When asked about what it’s like to become the first U.S. male runner to win UTMB, Walmsley went out of his way to acknowledge the success of American women at UTMB. During the first 19 years of the race U.S. women claimed eight titles, including two apiece by Krissy Moehl, Rory Bosio, and Courtney Dauwalter and singular wins from Nikki Kimball and Katie Schide, who won last year. He said he was proud to follow their success and stand on their shoulders after all they had accomplished. Many of the all-time American men have run UMTB through the years—Topher Gaylord, Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Geoff Roes, Timmy Olson, Hal Koerner, Tim Twietmeyer, Tim Tollefson, Mike Wolfe, and Mike Foote, among others—but have come up just short or spectacularly short. Walmsley’s victory represents a new beginning.

And you know, when it comes to new beginnings and the breaking of curses, the Bible tells us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” That means that those generational curses—or habits or behaviors that have been passed from one generation to the next—don’t have to continue despite what many people think. By choosing to follow Jesus Christ, a person can break the chains of addiction and dysfunction that, according to statistics, seems to be something parents pass on to their children. Is that good news or what? 

So if you are in need of a new beginning today, make today the day you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior my friend. You won’t become perfect (sanctification is a process that will never end) overnight but you will be given a new identity and a new future that will be better than anything you could ever ask for or even imagine. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that You have the power to break every chain, no matter how tight they are or how long we’ve worn them. Through faith in Jesus, generational curses can be broken and people can have a new beginning and a new life no matter their circumstances. Help us to boldly share that message with a world in desperate need of hearing it. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!