Be a Person Who Seeks After God’s Heart

“After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’” Acts 13:22 ESV

In a sad story titled “Search crews find body of well-known Crim runner in Illinois River” published last week, it was reported that the expansive search for a Clio man who drowned Tuesday in the Illinois River ended with the discovery of his body Thursday. Authorities confirmed they found the body of 73-year-old Riley McLincha downstream from the LaGrange Lock and Dam structure on the Illinois River, where he went underwater and never resurfaced Tuesday… McLincha is well-known in the Flint area for "drubbling" through all 46 Crim Festival of Races in Flint dating back to the inception in 1977. Drubbling is a sport he invented that involves juggling and dribbling three basketballs.

And you know, when it comes to death, two things are certain. We will all die someday and we will all be “well-known” and remembered for something. Knowing that, each of us would all do well to follow the example of David—who lived his life in such a way that the Creator, Himself, described David as a man after His own heart, who would carry out His will in its entirety. Now this might have you wondering how a man who was also known for committing heinous sins like murder and adultery could be given such an honorable title. But you can be sure it’s because David was not only humble, but had absolute faith and trust in God, loved God’s laws and studied them, was thankful for all God had done in his life, and was deeply repentant when he strayed. How’s that for leaving a legacy? 

So let us follow the example of David my friend and obediently follow every command the Lord gives us. It certainly won’t mean that we will be perfect, but it will mean that we will seek, above all else, to be known as a person after God’s own heart both in this life and in the one to come. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for using David as a reminder that we will fail at times but that doesn’t mean we can’t get back up and find restoration with You. Cause us to seek You with our whole hearts Lord that we might be known as people after Your own heart. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!

Encouragement Makes all the Difference

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 NLT

In a story titled “Former WSU runner Paul Ryan almost hung up his spikes, but he’s still kicking toward his Olympic dream,” published yesterday, it was reported that Ryan will compete in the 1,500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. This was something that almost didn't happen after Paul concluded a solid if not spectacular college career in 2021, making All-America after finishing eighth in his final 1,500 race in 3:40.5 at the NCAA championships, just off the Olympic Trials qualifying standard. If Ryan had his way, this ‘just off’ to meet the qualifying standard would have been the end of his professional running, but… At the urging of a friend, instead of hanging up his spikes and calling it a career, Ryan ran a couple of more races, and made the trials standard. Thanks to his friend’s encouragement, Ryan will be taking part in his second Olympic Trials on Friday, chasing Bernard Legat’s record – if only theoretically – and his own dreams of reaching the Trials finals and possibly claiming a spot on the Olympic team.

And you know, when it comes encouraging others, you and I would do well to look for ways to give support, confidence, and hope to our brothers and sisters who might also be on the verge of ‘hanging up their spikes’ because of their failure to reach God’s standard. You see, as the Bible clearly tells us, “we all fall short of God’s glorious standard,” but… we can inspire others to keep pressing on by sharing with them that, despite their shortcomings, we are all made right in God’s sight by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which “freed us from the penalty of our sins.” 

So let us remember that encouragement has great power my friend. By our words, we can literally change the course of a person’s destiny by motivating them to follow their dreams of claiming the prize, despite their perceived lack of success. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the encouragers in this world who remind us that failure to meet your standard is not the end of anyone’s story. Help us to be those people who inspire others to keep pressing on despite how far they feel they have fallen short by reminding them that Jesus loved them so much that He died for them. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Boast Only in God

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV

In a story published yesterday by trailrunner magazine titled “UTMB Group Doubles UTMB Mont Blanc Prize Money,” it was reported that The UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix, France will now carry a prize purse of almost $300,000 spread among top 10 women and men finishers in the three marquee races of the UTMB World Series championship week, the UTMB Group announced on June 18. This year’s UTMB Mont Blanc winners will now earn about $21,500, more than double the prize money Courtney Dauwalter and Jim Walmsley took home after winning the women’s and mens’s races last year… Given that only a handful of athletes worldwide make more than about $75,000 per year from shoe brand contracts, it seems as if the athletes will embrace the increases.

And you know, when it comes to working for increases, we would all do well to work even harder for those gains that have eternal value—following the example of Paul, who humbly worked alongside Apollos as God’s fellow worker, giving God the glory for bringing “the increase.” You see, Paul acknowledged that he planted the seed, and that Apollos watered the seed, but (most importantly) that the Lord grew the seed… something only He was able to do. Do you just love that or what? It’s this attitude that says, “Lord, I will humbly embrace and do whatever job you give me to aid the process of bringing about ‘the increase’ as long as You get the glory. Use me however you see fit.”

So let us be content with wherever God has placed us, knowing that we are co-laborers with Christ my friend. Let us view it as the honor that it is so that we, like Paul, will boast in nothing but the work of God. After all, He is the only One who can bring “the increase.”

Heavenly Father, we thank You for granting us the privilege and honor of being your co-workers. It’s a special right that we must never take for granted and one that should have us shouting for joy! Help us to work hard, remain humble, stay faithful, and always give you the glory for the increase. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Embrace Slow Running for a While

Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about what's happening tomorrow. The first day of summer is happening! Which means the heat and humidity that’s been hit and miss the last few weeks is here to stay, at least until October anyway. Which also means that we have to take time to become accustomed to the changing weather if we want to survive another Midwest Summer. And you know what we must do during this acclimation period besides hydrate well and pray we don't die? Slow the pace down. 

Now if that has you screaming, "But Melissa, I hate running slow!" let me assure you that there are many benefits for purposely dialing it down a notch, at least for the time period it takes to acclimate. The main one being that it will keep you from being totally frustrated! This was something I was thinking about on Sunday while on my morning run before church. With an 11:00 a.m. service time start, my husband and I slept in an extra hour (as we normally do on Sundays) and got out just as the humidity was really beginning to rise. That hour made all the difference, let me tell you! Despite the effort I made to keep my "normal" pace, it just wasn't happening. But... because, as a longtime runner, I've finally learned to accept that this is the icky, sticky, inevitable start to every summer in the Ozarks, I slowed down, smiled, and then reluctantly "embraced the suck." And, as a longtime running coach, I've also learned that effective running isn't always done at our fastest paces. 

So, in an effort to help you navigate the next few weeks without getting totally frustrated (a little annoyance is to be expected), I've listed 6 benefits of slow running per the experts at Runner's World that I hope will have you smiling despite the balmy temps.  

Before we dig into its perks though, let’s first get clear on what constitutes “slow running” which will be different for everyone. Basically, it’s any run in which your heart rate is at or below about 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, South Carolina-based exercise physiologist Heather Hart, C.S.C.S., certified run coach and founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching explained. This is typically considered zone 1 or zone 2 training.

You don’t have to track your heart rate to know if your run meets the criteria for “easy,” though. A simpler method is to tune into your own sense of what feels “easy” and what feels “hard” using the rate of perceived exertion scale (RPE). Imagine a scale of 0 to 10 where zero is no exertion at all and 10 is all-out work—an easy run should fall between a 4 and a 6, says Hart. 

Another way to monitor whether you’re striding easy enough: Try holding a conversation. If you’re able to chat without gasping, then you’re likely nailing slow running, Hart says.

“My rule of thumb is that if an athlete [questions] am I running too fast?, then they probably are,” Hart explains. In fact, slow running is probably slower than you think. With that being said, check out these six advantages we can gain by embracing a slow pace: 

1. Higher Lactate Threshold

It’s logical to think the only way to get better at running fast is to, well, run fast. But dedicating time to slow running can actually provide a physiological benefit that improves your ability to pick up the pace.

Here’s why: Slow running increases the density of your mitochondria, the little organelles in cells that help metabolize lactate, a byproduct of glycolysis or the process of turning food into fuel for exercise.

There’s an association between the onset of fatigue while exercising and elevated levels of circulating lactate, Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist and coach with Running Strong in Atlanta tells Runner’s World. “That’s known as the lactate threshold,” she says. “You get more lactate production than you have consumption.”

Boosting your mitochondrial density with slow running means you can increase your lactate threshold even during hard efforts, Hart explains. Instead of hitting your lactate threshold (and thus fatiguing out) at, say, a 9-minute mile pace, you may be able to push, say, an 8-minute mile pace. In other words, “you can run faster,” without running out of gas as quickly, Hamilton explains.

2. Reduce Your Chances of Hitting a Wall

While runners rely on fast-twitch muscle fibers for speed work, there’s a subtype of fast-twitch fibers that are somewhat convertible—they can utilize fuel aerobically as well as anaerobically. That means you can strengthen them through high-intensity efforts or by doing long, slow aerobic runs, Hamilton explains.

During a long, slow run, when the slow-twitch fibers start to tire, your body recruits some of the convertible fast-twitch fibers to help out. Do this enough and you are training these fibers to pitch in more reliably. This can help you run longer without getting as fatigued.

Mitochondria also plays a role here, because aside from gobbling up lactate, it metabolizes fat. When running, your body primarily relies on glycogen (the stored form of glucose or sugar) in your muscles for fuel. Because you only have a limited supply of glycogen, that plan works well until it doesn’t. Any runner who has bonked during a distance race knows how awful this crash can feel.
As a backup, though, your body has an almost unlimited supply of intramuscular triglyceride, also known as fat. Training your muscles to more efficiently burn fat for fuel, as you do with long, easy runs, will decrease the likelihood of hitting the wall, Hamilton explains.

3. Happier Running

Though there are some folks who genuinely love running all out, for a lot of athletes, “speed work is hard,” says Hamilton. Not only can fast running be uncomfortable and demand a lot of focus, it can physically stress your body, she explains. And surprise, surprise: Physical stress can impact your mental health, too, says Hart.

Easy running, by contrast, “is a nice way to let running be a stress reliever instead of a stress producer,” Hamilton says. Indeed, Hart finds that low-intensity workouts provide a chill space where you can simply enjoy running for what it is without worrying about hitting certain paces. “You can stop and smell the roses,” she says.

And if you’re a beginner still trying to build a consistent run routine, finding this type of joy in the activity can make you more likely to stick with it. Case-in-point: A 2015 study involving 41 people concluded that experiencing more positive feelings during a training session improved participants’ adherence to their exercise program.

4. Improved Recovery

Running hard all the time can result in cumulative fatigue, which ultimately affects performance in all your workouts, Hart explains. So regularly slotting slow runs into your schedule can help facilitate recovery and conserve energy so that when it is time for a speed workout, you’re able to run at a high level and hit your target paces. As Hart puts it: “It’s super important to keep those easy days easy so that the hard days can be hard.”

Along those lines, a lot of people don’t realize the adaptations we make from intense training occur during the recovery period following a workout—and not during workouts themselves, Hart explains. By taking it easy after hard and fast runs, you will reap the full gains of those workouts.

5. Decreased Risk of Injury

Fast running places more strain on your feet and lower legs than easy running, and research suggests a link between logging speedy paces—especially when you’re not ready for speed—and potentially higher risk of certain injuries, like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and calf strains. Embracing slow running allows you to increase the percentage of your total weekly mileage while minimizing the amount of stress you’re placing on your body and reducing your overall injury risk, Hart explains.Ultimately, this can translate to better performance. As Hamilton puts it: “The only way to get faster in your races is to train well, and the only way to train well is to stay healthy.”

6. Stronger Mind-Body Connection

Routinely alternating between hard and easy runs will encourage you to tune into your body and its relationship with different exertion levels. And this mindfulness can benefit you in a race scenario, Hart says.

It will give you an understanding of how hard you’re working at a given pace and whether or not you should pick up, slow down, or maintain the pace, she explains. Instead of blindly following a pacing plan that may or may not be right for you on a given day, you’ll be able to adapt in real-time to how your body is actually feeling, thus becoming a more strategic competitor.

So there you have it friends. The start of summer is hard for every runner. But it doesn’t have to leave us frustrated when we remember that the time period it takes to acclimate is short. Knowing that, take the next few weeks to slow down and count your blessings. Is it hot? Yes. Will it get hotter? Of course! But we can still run! Maybe slower for a while, but we are still moving. And for that we should smile and press on! After all, summer training produces fall PRs and the Bass Pro Fitness Series of events will be here before we know it. Hope that makes you smile! 

Happy Running!

Your Foolishness is Not God’s Fault

“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” Proverbs 19:3 NLT

In a story published yesterday titled “Instant karma for ‘British’ parkour runner as he damages ancient building and then crashes to the ground,” the Daily Mail posted a video of “ the moment a parkour runner faced instant karma after he damaged a UNESCO World Heritage Site building in Italy during a rooftop jump gone terribly wrong. The unidentified free runner destroyed part of a wall in the ancient city of Matera after he landed on masonry attached to the building, before crashing to the ground and grabbing his ankle in agony. In the video, which emerged on social media on June 12, everyone appears to be speaking in English accents, with the injured man crying out: “Oh no!” as onlookers asked if he was okay. Yikes right? 

And you know, while there’s no such thing as karma, there are consequences to our ill-thought out actions—consequences of which we are solely responsible for. Amazingly enough though, many people “ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” Allen Ross explains the phenomena this way, “Fools will try to blame God when they ruin their lives…The fool is not willing to accept failure as his own. And Charles Bridges explained the occurrence this way, “ Such is the pride and blasphemy of a proud spirit. The criminal blames the judge for his righteous sentence.”

So be sure to take responsibility when you face the repercussions of acting foolish my friend. Choose to own your mistakes and to learn from them. Repent of any wrongdoing then, so that you will avoid the trap of blaming God and being angry at Him for something He had no part in. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for clearly telling us that only a fool blames You for the consequences of his or her foolish actions. To avoid that folly that leads to ruin, help us to keep our eyes on You and to follow only where You lead Lord. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Avoid the Slippery Slope of Sin

“I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.” Psalm 119:101 NIV

In a sad story published by CNN Sports over the weekend, it was reported that A runner has died while participating in the Ultra Trail of Haut-Giffre (UTHG) competition on Saturday, organizers said in a statement, amid rough weather conditions in the area.“It is with great sadness that we announce that UTHG has just learned of a tragic event with the accidental death of a racer,” organizers said. “All our thoughts are with the victim’s family and relatives,” the statement added. The runner was not identified in the statement and organizers said first responders provided aid while awaiting transport… The incident involved four runners who fell off a trail due to a slippery track, the local prosecutor told CNN affiliate BFMTV on Saturday. The four runners fell “in a mountainous area made slippery by the weather,” Bonneville public prosecutor Karline Bouisset told BFMTV.

And you know, as tragic as this story is, it serves as a reminder of the dangers of walking on slippery tracks. You see, venturing onto the slippery slope of sin will never end well for anyone because the series of actions that a wrongful glance or a wicked thought puts into place will lead to a person’s spiritual downfall, and even their spiritual death if the sin is not immediately repented of. Which is the very reason King David, who knew how quickly things could spiral out of control after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, vowed to keep his feet from every evil path so that he would obey God’s Word and commandments, thus avoiding stepping onto the slippery slope of sin and reaping the consequences from it. 

So be careful where you allow your feet to travel my friend. The road ahead might appear to be safe, but if you let your guard down (even for a moment) and take your eyes off Christ, you can set into motion a series of events that will lead to your spiritual demise. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for your Word that not only tells us how to live but gives us living examples of what happens when a person goes down the slippery slope of sin, and shows us how quickly it can happen. Lord, help us to seek You through prayer, mediation and Bible study each and every day, and to stay in fellowship with fellow believers, so that we can stay off every evil path. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!

Practice Safety Measures

“They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.” 2 Peter 2:13 NIV

In another disturbing story published last week by CBS NEWS TEXAS titled, "Runner sexually assaulted at White Rock Lake Trail in Dallas", it was reported that The Dallas Police Department (DPD) is searching for a man who attacked a woman running at the White Rock Lake Trail in the middle of the day. Police say the victim was running at the trail when she was attacked from behind and sexually assaulted by an unknown suspect around noon on Thursday, May 30. DPD has created a composite sketch of the suspect to share with the public. The suspect is described as a skinny white male, with a small belly, clean-cut red hair and a beard. He is approximately 5'5" and was last seen wearing a blue crew neck shirt. Police say he may have scratches on his face and body. Investigators ask that anyone with information about this incident, or anyone that sees someone matching the suspect description to call 911. Dallas Police encourage the public to "practice good safety measures" including paying attention to surroundings, going out with another person and staying in well-lit areas at night.

And you know, when it comes to having the audacity to commit evil in the middle of the day, the Bible tells us that there are false teachers and prophets among us who want nothing more than to infiltrate the church and lead people astray. In fact, they are so intent on doing harm to the Kingdom that they will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—all the while reveling in the pleasure they derive from carousing in broad daylight as they sit down to break bread with us. But you can be sure, “They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.” This is the fate of every person who preaches any message contrary to the Truth. 

So, let us be on our guard and heed the warning of the Dallas PD to “practice good safety measures” by knowing the Word, staying alert, testing the spirits, and fellowshipping only with true believers. This is the only way to ensure that we won’t be deceived in a world that is getting darker and more dangerous every day my friend. After all, we must be found dressed and ready for service with our lamps burning. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the Word so that we won’t be duped by false teachers and prophets. Help us to truly understand how important it is to be reading and studying our Bibles each and every day so we can be armored up like good soldiers in the army of God and approved workers ready to bring in the harvest. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!